Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Sleep

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler. Need more advice on your childs development? Sign up to our Ages and Stages newsletter here.

3year sleep regression

9 replies

ss241 · 26/04/2021 03:28

Hello,
Any help tips or support greatly appreciated...

My little boy turns 3 in a week and has suddenly started having "issues" at bedtime.
Usually we would follow his bedtime routine (milk/bath/stories/cuddle) and I leave the room. He goes to sleep independently (with a few comforters which he had had from been a baby) and would sleep through the night.
He is in a cot bed so would maybe get up once or twice a night a couple of times a week, usually as unable to find his dummy, but quickly goes back to sleep when taken back to bed.
He has music nightlight for 30mins and a gro clock which has a blue light all night until it's time to get up.

He has always been a good sleeper and gone to bed easily until just after 2.5years when we had 4weeks of regression where he was screaming at bedtime we couldn't leave the room, climbing out cot, waking every hour. he transitioned to cot bed (no choice due to safety and climbing out) and we started with having sit in room until asleep gradually retreating over the course of few weeks. Since then I have always had to sit out on the landing until asleep but if he woke in night could self settle except as mentioned above few nights per week would wake and walk him back bed and he went back sleep no problem.

Now we are suddenly back at the beginning where he gets up before I even get chance to sit outside. I have literally put him back to bed 100 times quietly and calmly but he just doesn't stay in bed so I'm back to sitting in his room but out of sight. However he is waking every hour and taking 2 hours to settle at bedtime

We are exhausted.
We welcomed baby number 2 9months ago so not sure if this is still a reason

He's potty trained and dry during day but we haven't started night time training yet.

If anyone can help me keep my sanity abs get some sleep that would be amazing!

OP posts:
ss241 · 26/04/2021 03:32

Also he stopped napping after Christmas...
and also since last regression gets up 6am where would alway be 7am previously! Has a gro clock but he never stays until sun comes up....despite taking him back

OP posts:
FATEdestiny · 27/04/2021 20:11

This reads like he is scared, so he wants you to stay to help him feel safe and secure. Is that a reasonable assumption of the situation?

ss241 · 27/04/2021 20:27

Thanks so much for replying.
He did say at he's scared of dark but I not sure how much to believe him, but I have given him a nightlight and his gro clock gives a light too.

Tonight was he clear that he wanted me to sit in doorway and I made bedtime 30mins later. He has been nursery today and they said he could have napped at 10am he was so tired! But they kept him
Up until their lunchtime nap. He doesn't nap with at home tho.
He was asleep by 750.
Not sure what the rest of the night has in store...

OP posts:
Rtmhwales · 27/04/2021 20:29

We are going through this too. Great sleeper suddenly screaming in the middle of the night and wants us to stay. A night light seems to have helped as does leaving the curtains open when falling asleep. He's three in June so similar age. And he seems happy to wake in the morning in the dark so I'm not 100% sure what's going on either.

FATEdestiny · 27/04/2021 21:00

3yo is about the tight age for suddenly becoming scared of stuff. Scared of the dark, scared of monsters, scared of creepy crawlers, scared of anything really.

I'd believe him. And offer him extra reassurance.

ss241 · 27/04/2021 21:18

I have been trying the softly softly approach h very calm etc...
he did exactly sane at 2.5years.
I wondered if to do with baby brother arriving July 2020 or lockdown.
Much as I'd like to know what it is I also kinda don't care long as whatever I'm doing works....?? I just need sleep!
Yep wakes up tired but happy to start day!

OP posts:
Morechocmorechoc · 27/04/2021 22:11

Hes waking earlier than he should by the sounds of his routine probably because he's too tired. My 3yo does that, when he goes to sleeps too late or hasn't napped. Our easiest fix is to give him one or two days with longer naps to catch up and slightly earlier bed time. Overtired is havoc on sleep.

With the other issue we go through phases with 3 and 4yo, best solution is to stay with them. They really are scared and will sleep better and faster if you stay! It will pass

ss241 · 28/04/2021 00:27

So I should try an earlier bedtime??
Currently doing the sit by the door until he's asleep method. Should I move further away after few nights or wait until little one says I can??

Feel difficult to strike balance between settling him and not giving him full control? Or should I be told what to do on this Sotheby's my 3yr old??

OP posts:
Jamboree01 · 28/04/2021 01:48

I don’t think he’s looking for ‘full control’, they just need reassurance at that age and sometimes they are just scared of being on their own at bedtime. They will go through different phases. I just stayed with mine until they fell asleep or let them co sleep.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.