Do I have the only 3 yo that doesn't STTN???

[Cujobunny]

My dd (3y 3mo) still wakes up at least once, almost every night. Last night it was 3 times. She sleeps in her own bed in her own room and most times when she wakes up she calls me. "MOOOOOOOOMMMMMY. MOOOOOOOM. MOOOOOOOOOMMMMM. MOOOOOOOOOOOMMMY." Until I go in there. All she wants is a snuggle. Occasionally she needs to pee. Her bed is a twin and I don't sleep well in there with her (I'm 5.5 months pregnant). Even in our bed, queen size, we don't sleep well if she's in there with us.

Argh. I expect it will get better some time, but I though it would by now. DS started to sleep all night at 2.5yo which I thought was bad enough. Sometimes I think I'm going to lose my mind. I've tried explaining to her that when she sleeps well, I sleep well and I'm not tired and cranky the next day. I'm so short tempered when I'm tired. Yesterday we had a great day - she had slept great the night before and so did I. We were in great moods, there was no yelling, I played with them, they didn't watch any tv. I made sure I pointed that out to her numerous times.

Part of the problem I'm sure, is that in the middle of the night I'm on autopilot- half asleep I go in there after she calls me a couple of times but now I just tuck her in, remind her it's sleep time & we can snuggle when the sun comes up then go back to my own bed, rather than lying down with her and falling asleep and sleeping terribly. Her room is connected to ds' so I don't want her yelling to wake him up. I'm trying to get her to get out of bed if she wants to pee, but otherwise to stay in bed and go back to sleep. No yelling for me.

Any advice? :yawning

[Marylizah]

Wow, I could have written your post word for word a year ago.

Now, at age 4.5 DS has been consistently sleeping through the night alone for about 3 months.

In his case, what aggravated his nightwaking was swollen adenoids and tonsils-- he was constantly sick last year-- and nights were really bad. Now that he can breathe through his nose he sleeps so much better. His behavior has improved, too. So-- check to make sure nothing physical is going on that aggravates things! He rarely wakes up in the night anymore, usually only if he's had an accident...

[earthmama369]

DS is 4y4m and still night wakes. However, he has sensory processing disorder and that plays a *huge* part in his sleep patterns. He generally wakes once a night to pee and still really prefers someone to be with him. He doesn't wake up enough most of the time to be really conscious and functional; just enough to lie in bed and yell for someone to come to him. During growth spurts and when he's coming up on a developmental milestone, he wakes much more frequently.

We do OT (occupational therapy) exercises that help him regulate his sleep patterns, and we gently work with him on how to handle being awake at night (finding something quiet to do if he can't get back to sleep rather than yelling and waking the whole house up, etc.). It has gotten a lot better over the past year and continued to improve. There is hope!

[llwr]

My 3yo also doesn't STTN. It's getting REALLY old. I think we're fighting some fears right now.

[Norasmomma]

Nope my DD is 4 and still most nights wakes cup at least once. The reality is many in the under 5 set don't STTN. My 1yr old does and has for most of his life, go figure.

[Cujobunny]

Oh, thank you all so much mamas! I just wanted to know there are others out there, and possibly that there is light at the end of the tunnel! I'm pretty sure there's nothing physical going on with her, she's totally healthy. And certainly I want to be gentle with her, I don't want to create any anxiety around bed time. She did express some fears of the dark so I got her a brighter night light and that seems to have solved that. I've been wondering about growth spurts too, if that's going on.

I think she's just used to having me with her at night and prefers to have a warm body to sleep next to (who can blame her?). I guess it will take some time to get out of that habit. She really doesn't like when/if dh goes to her (he gets up early and works 12 hr days and I'm a SAHM so it's almost always me on night duty). But I expect he will take over night duty closer to the new baby being born so that may help her get out of yelling for MOMMMMMM too.

[Ornery]

I have a 4.5 year old who doesn't usually STTN (Halloween night he did for the first time EVER). Typically he wakes up and comes into our room to sleep.

My 6.5 yr old is the same way. They share a room and if he is gone, she will stay in her own bed all night, but with him there waking up, it wakes her up and she comes into our bed a little later.

I wake up both times and help them into our bed and give them loves.

I know they will eventually decide to stay in their own room and I am patiently waiting for that time. I have a 15 year old and I cherish the memories of his co-sleeping days now that he is a tough guy who no longer needs a snuggle.

[a-sorta-fairytale]

I have a 6.5 y/o, a 2.5 y/o and a 3 month old. The one most likely to wake me up is the oldest
Last night i was in bed between 1am-6am and i was woken 6 times. 3 times by the 6.5 y/o, 1 time by the 2.5y/o and 2 times by the 3mth old.
I fear dd (6.5) will still not sttn in high school.

[Amandamarie]

My dd is 5 and wakes up at least once during the night.

[4evermom]

My 9 yo doesn't STTN. I've given up on the concept.

[CowsRock]

No, you are not the only one! My son will be three in a couple of months. He is even in our bed with us and always has been. He still wakes easily 3 times a night. On a good night he only wakes twice. We are lucky that we can all sleep well together, but STTN is something I barely even think of anymore...otherwise I'll go nutty.

[PNCTink]

I can sympathize. My DD is 3.5 and was always a great sleeper, until about 6 months ago. We co-slept until she was 12 months and then put her in her crib. She did well with the transition and we never had another issue until recently. She began having nightmares and noticing more shadows and things that scared her. I do like you and tuck her back in, and I will read a short story too. We bought black out curtains to keep the shadows from the car lights coming in on her walls, but she asked to have the light on. So we bought a 25 watt bulb and she has that on all night now. The dog is also sleeping in her room to provide more security. She will often come into our room and climb in bed and I don't even notice until I wake up, she puts my arm around her, or she wakes me to ask to go back to her room. I prefer these nights to being called every hour or so, but I can't wait to have a full night's sleep. Of course by then I will probably be so used to waking up that I will be up early on my own.

[Wild Lupine]

In a word, no.

My DD will be 4 this week and doesn't always STTN. She does sleep better if she's with me (or go back to sleep more quickly when she wakes up I should say).

[applecider]

My 5.5 year old ds does not sleep thru the night and frankly, it is driving me nuts!! I came here to post my own thread about sleep issues with him.

[Shaki]

DD is 4.75 and does not sleep thru. She wakes up usually once and then comes and climbs into bed with us. She used to shout for me, I prefer it this way (where she just comes in if she needs us). By the way I don't sleep thru the night and I'm a grown up

And it's not because she is waking me. Even on the nights when she sleeps all the way thru I still wake up a few times a night.

[jimblejamble]

You're not the only one. I'm 22 and have never slept through the night!

[halomancer]

My 3.5 year old does not STTN. Most of his waking is between the time I put him to bed and the time DH and I join him, but he does sometimes wake me while I am sleeping. He usually just nurses back to sleep like he always has.

[columbusmomma]

My DD, over 3 doesn't STTN either. I think it's a good night if she wakes only once! I need to nightwean....
We just took down the sidecarred crib(we don't have a bedroom for her)and converted it to a toddler bed. I'm hoping maybe she'll sleep better now that she doesn't touch me in the night and wake or have to sleep nestled against me. Who knows though....this is new terrority for us all! I would love it if she would start STTN but I'm not holding my breath! So far it's working better then bedsharing as far as amt. of sleep for all of us.

[ssh]

Completely STTN for 10 to 11 solid hours happened consistently when DD turned 4.

[sunnygir1]

A little hope

My dd is almost 3y9m and she wakes up maybe once a week, but sometimes she'll do it a few nights in a row.

But, MOST nights, well over half, she sleeps 10-12 hours without waking. It is such a relief because she has woken me up SO many times over the years!

She'll get there, and hopefully sooner rather than later!