Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

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.

2.75 yo, separation anxiety at night

2 replies

Nearlyamumoftwo · 25/12/2023 23:41

Hi all.

our boy is 3 in March and until about 5 months ago was the absolute perfect sleeper - we could r have asked for more where sleep was concerned.

things changed when his sibling was born , as we expected, but they’ve not got better.

He wakes every single night without fail, and is so distressed he ends up in our bed (with one parent at work, and another with a baby to look after it’s the “easiest” solution.) At first we assumed dark, so nightlights are on, landing lights are on, curtains open for street lights. We stopped books altogether close to bedtime as his imagination is wild, but I think what it comes down to is separation anxiety. He stirs in the night and realises he’s on his own.

im after some tips, and then some success stories!

when he wakes in the night, ive tried going in and sleeping on his floor (he then spends all night checking im there, and if the baby wake up I need to leave and he has another distressing episode) but that’s not really tackling the cause.

i have thought about “going to bed” with him at 7pm and lying on the floor with a book so he knows I’m there from the start, but is that going to help? I can’t do it forever so surely it will start again once I stop! Any tips gratefully appreciated!!!

OP posts:
InTheRainOnATrain · 25/12/2023 23:50

Fly long haul, have your flight cancelled and rebooked as a connection over a day later and spend so long in transit that no one knows what time it is. Sounds utterly insane but it provided a hard reset and it’s been over a year with zero overnight wakes and easy bedtimes. Weirdly talking to other parents, and we’re ex expats so know a lot of frequent long haul travellers, it really is a thing and it does work!

Motherrr · 26/12/2023 00:10

^Interesting above solution!

Urgh we're going through this atm with DD2. Some nights she ends up in our (my) bed and sometimes my partner shushes her from outside the door but I'm wondering what's going to help this to end... I've decided that all these phases often just end on their own so hopefully it does for you

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread