Why is my 3yo suddenly clingy at bedtime and waking at night?

[ShatterResistant]

I'm confused and slightly worried, so I'm turning to you all, as the source of such great advice.

My 3.2yo has always been a great sleeper. Occasionally slightly awkward at bedtime but never woke at night. The last 3 weeks or so have been different. She's started waking in a state a couple of times a night, properly crying. We don't really want her in our bed, but we have slept very uncomfortably in hers a couple of times. And now, she's started being terribly sad at bedtime too, saying she doesn't want us to go away, it's too hard to go to sleep etc. But of course she can't explain WHY she's feeling/doing any of this.

NOTHING has changed in her life. Her little brother just turned 2. Her bedroom is the same, our very steady bedtime routine is the same. She hasn't napped for months. I still work the same hours, she loves our regular childcare, she likes playgroup even better now she's going 3 days rather than 2 (the only tiny thing that's different to last term.)

I think I know how to sort it out (rapid return etc) but I just want some insight into WHY it's happening. Any ideas? I'm a bit worried about her, and she seems so sad (but fine during the day.) Thank you for any thoughts.

I can't answer 'why?' But I do think is that it's probably a phase best coped with, with plenty of cuddles, it may seem illogical to you, but they have such vivid imaginations and you may find something probably entirely innocent that happened, perhaps at nursery, has got her thinking differently. You are spot on that she's probably too young to explain it. Love her through it and try not to worry that it's a long term thing.

Yes, lots of cuddles, of course I should have said that first. Do you think she could be dreaming for the first time? It's that kind of shocked waking. And I've had a couple of terrible dreams in the last week, weirdly. Weather, perhaps?