Help. 3 year old sleep is a nightmare

[loveyoutothemoonandtosaturn]

My previously brilliant sleeper has changed from sleeping all night long without a peep to now waking multiple times and impossible to settle. He has recently given his dummy to the dummy fairy, all went well for a few nights but started to wake and struggling to get back to sleep. Has since climbed out of his cot while wearing his sleeping bag so have had to move to a bed now for his own safely and all hell has broken loose. No problem going to bed, will fall asleep from wide awake by himself no issue, all talk about big boy and big boy bed etc. But he is wakening at least twice every night screaming 'Mummmmmm' at the top of his voice over and over again. I go in and settle him and two mins later it's the same, he just seems to wake and cannot get back over himself. Hes now been awake since 1am and I'm at the end of my tether. Any one any suggestions over how to deal with this?

No suggestions but your issue is why we still haven't ditched the dummy at nearly 3.5 🤦‍♀️ she only has it for sleep and most of that time it's not in her mouth. What's happened to you is exactly what im worried about! He will need to learn another way to settle in the night, but I don't have any suggestion as to how to do that and will follow thread with interest. Solidarity, you must be exhausted. Hope others can help.

Thank you and yes I'm exhausted. The strange thing is he did so well without it for 2/3 nights to begin with. He did pine for it a lot during the day, and his behaviour took a dip where he was acting out in a way he didn't before. Frustration I think. He's two weeks without it now and never mentions it but we are in the trenches with the sleep. He was awake last night from 1 to 4am and up again at 6.30. This is a boy that would have slept 12 hours straight at night and a two hour nap. And he's dropped his nap since the dummy went too 😢

Hopeful bump if anyone has any ideas for how to deal with this

Is he still napping ?

No naps since he ditched the dummy about two weeks ago.

Can you post his full routine?

His routine is wake 7.30 or so and goes to daycare/grans or if it's a weekend he stays with us. He doesn't nap anymore and doesn't seem to need it. He has been a lot more clingy since his dummy went but apart from that he is a happy little man. Bath and book at 7 and in bed for 7.30 most nights when he falls asleep independently with his little teddys. Wakes up screaming at around 12 and again at 3 and maybe 6. Could settle quickly or it could take hours of him screaming 'mummmmmmmm' over and over again.

He’s overtired I’d say. I’d try an early bedtime for a week and see how it goes.
If he wakes up and is messing about in his bed, leave him.
if he calls you pay as little attention as possible. “Be quiet it’s the night and night time is for sleeping”.
if he gets out of bed, walk him straight back and just say the same sentence.

We have had exactly the same - she's been in her big girl bed since September so that isn't new but the last 3/4 days she wakes multiple times a night screaming "mum!!!" Last night she was hysterical at one point, like she'd had a bad dream. When I went in she just said she was hungry and then fell asleep again within 5 mins. So strange. We're going to see if we can weather it for a few days. Then see what we can do about changing her schedule etc to help her out if it doesn't just pass by itself.