Please help me break this waking in the middle of the night habit!

[janjas]

My dd (3.3) has always been a really good sleeper, 7.30pm - 6am. Early I know but she has always slept right through so I haven't minded too much. A few weeks ago she caught a quite bad cough so was waking up a lot in the night. Since then though, she has got into this habit of waking in the night and calling for me.
When I go in to her, its just an excuse to see me. She (a) wants the toilet (b) has tummy ache (c) wants a drink (d) wants a cuddle etc etc. I know there isn't anything wrong with her and when I take her to the toilet she can't go!
If I ignore her calling me (which I don't like doing in case she really does need me), she will just come into my bedroom anyway.
I would go in to her 20 times a night if I thought there was something wrong, but I really just think this is a habit now.
Any suggestions? Thanks!

Apart from going in to see her or using a talk back monitor to reassure her and telling her it is bedtime/sleep time and be consistant, hopefully she will break the habit.

Hello Janjas,

If you crack this please let me know - my step daughter is doing exactly the same thing.

She was like this for ages in the beginning and I eventually tried the present but not responsive approach, just tucking her in, saying 'we love you, night night, see you in the morning' and ignoring all attempts at trying to engage with me. This did seem to work but only with me - if her Dad went up then he was up there for hours trying to quieten her with cuddles, stories etc. etc. So in the end I ended up being the one who went upstairs to settle her as it was just quicker and easier!

However, I am now pregnant and just sleep through the baby alarm and her Dad doesn't want to wake me up as I am a horrible person with no sleep (does not bode well for the future!) and we are now back in this awful sleeping pattern where she wakes up at 12.30 and stays awake for hours, whinging, wanting things etc. etc.

Eventually he gave up last night and came and woke me up and I was with her for two hours and again tried the 'present but not responsive' approach but she wound herself up into such a state that she got hysterical and I felt terrible.

Not sure if this is still the right approach so please if you do have a solution do let me know!!