2 or more Toddlers at once

[eyeamviolet]

I am a pre-adoptive foster parent to 3 AA brothers ages 2,3,4yo.  They have been with us since October and it has been a wild ride.  So many factors to deal with.  The one I am having a hard time with right now is sleep.  My 2yo is having a hard time falling asleep and is keeping the others awake.  Usually this affects bedtime falling asleep.  But, many days (like today) he falls asleep at naptime and then wakes up crying and screaming.  My 4yo doesn't always nap but, has been good about quietly looking at books.  The 3yo definitely wants to nap and falls asleep but, keeps getting woken up by screaming 2yo.  Sometimes he isn't crying but, singing and yelling.  I have tried waiting until he is asleep before putting the others to nap (which usually works), I have tried having them sleep in different rooms which is difficult and just not possible at night.  I just don't know know what else to do.  What do other people do?  I did check his diaper, he has eaten before he goes down there is quiet music (which he usually likes).  I have tried rubbing his back, changing his diaper, checking on him and ignoring him.  

[OTMomma]

My first thought is that he's having night terrors- bad dreams that terrify toddlers.  Sometimes it can be linked to certain foods, though I never figured out the connection with my kids.  You might want to try keeping a simple journal of what he eats and where you go and when he has the screaming, so you can look for a pattern.  I don't think there are any simple solutions to this situation.  If they were mine, I would probably let the 2 year old sleep with me so I could comfort him back to sleep at night before he woke the other 2.  Nap time, I would probably use a baby monitor so I could go in and get the 2 year old as soon as he woke,so that he wouldn't wake the 3 year old.

[eyeamviolet]

Thank you I will try to pay more attention to where we go and what he eats and see if it seems like there is a correlation.  These boys are trauma survivors the most basic being loss of biological family at such a young age.  So if they are having "night terrors" it could probably be a long list of causes.  Sometimes 2yo goes back to sleep so I try not to get him out of naptime too soon.  I realize there may just not be any easy answers.  I was hoping others might have some similar experiences and solutions they could share.  I'm so new to parenting and with 3 toddlers at once I don't even know where to start.  I'm trying to read books but, it's hard to keep up.