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Do your toddlers stop sleeping well in winter?

485 views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  photobooth 
#1 ·
My DD will be 3 years old in 6 weeks and just will not go to bed! I am at a total loss as to what to do. She is not nursing and sleeps in her own room, and has been for over a year. If she naps she will be high energy until we say it is time to go to bed but then she pulls out every stalling tactic possible. If we try bad-cop approach she sits in her room and howls, cries, and then we will find that she is just sitting up in her bed in complete darkness making every sort of annoying noise possible just to protest going to bed. And this will go on way past 11:00 pm. Up until a couple of weeks ago she would gladly go to bed at 8-9 no problems just want a story and to get tucked in. Yesterday I finally remembered that she pulled this last year at about the same time of year.

She is use to 4-6 hours outside a day and now that it is December in MN and we are rural she barely gets 30 minutes outside. This whole week it has been below 10 degrees so other than 30 minutes tonight, not so much outside time. Unfortunately our town SUCKS for activities or places to take her to during the day and the other nearest places are all 40 minutes away.

If she doesn't nap she crashes into bed at 7:00 which seems really really nice until she is up at 2:00 am with some issue or another. There's "ladybugs in her room", there are "shadows in her room", or she will just say she is done sleeping and wants to be up. Yesterday she napped and was still fighting about going to bed at 11:00....and then got up promptly at 6:00 am
:irked
. AND she is a morning person, even on that amount of sleep! I have even talked to her a few days ago after I realized how utterly crabby I was being to her in the morning, that 'if you wake mom and dad up in the middle of the night, we are pretty crabby the next day.' Then I tried to throw in that we can be woken up if you have an owie or have to go potty.

I know that she could probably drop her nap being the age she is, and I am wondering if maybe starting her on some vit D would help, but any other suggestions are very appreciated!

**Would getting some magnesium from an epsom salt bath help at all?
 
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#2 ·
I am no sure about the Magnesium, bu Vitamin D might be a good start if she may be dealing with a seasonal affective disorder.

Are there other ways you could get her engaged like building an indoor obstacle course, a daily craft time or an interactive kids yoga or dance video? Is there at least a local library? Is a 40 minute drive out of the question? It may be worth it once a week just to change her scenery. One of my friends has a small indoor trampoline (from amazon.com I think) and she said i was a lifesaver for the winter. It's quite small but has a bar to hang onto and the kids have a blast on it.
 
#3 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by CrunchyMama19 View Post

I am no sure about the Magnesium, bu Vitamin D might be a good start if she may be dealing with a seasonal affective disorder.

Are there other ways you could get her engaged like building an indoor obstacle course, a daily craft time or an interactive kids yoga or dance video? Is there at least a local library? Is a 40 minute drive out of the question? It may be worth it once a week just to change her scenery. One of my friends has a small indoor trampoline (from amazon.com I think) and she said i was a lifesaver for the winter. It's quite small but has a bar to hang onto and the kids have a blast on it.
:yeah
We take vit D daily, although I occasionally toss some Epsom salt with essential oils into the bath for a calming effect (I know it makes me tired!). FIL watches her and this time of year he just doesn't get her outside. I do what I can after work but it's generally getting dark (we're in CT) so it's less than she would like and she doesn't care about the cold or rain - she just wants out! I've been toying with one of those trampolines or a tumbling/gymnastics class for her to get her out. Don't really have the funding for either at the moment so might try some obstacle courses inside. We've been having later and later bed and it's killing me!
 
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