[MyBaby'sSmile]

My 2 1/2 year old is now in his own bed. He has been since the summer. He loves his bed. But every single night, at least once a night, often twice he screams for me to come in with him. Dh cannot go in or he goes hysterical. It is just me. If I tried to let him go back to sleep on his own he would just get hysterical and it took forever to get him calmed back down.

I used to go in and crawl in beside him and he would go to sleep. I often stayed in with him until morning. Then I started getting out whenever I woke up and crawled back to my own bed.

He kicks the blankets off himself during the night which I think is part of the problem of why he is waking, though he may do that when he wakes and is looking for me(?)

I have been trying to get him to go to sleep with me sitting on his bed and not cuddled in beside him to see if that makes a difference, but it doesn't seem to.

I just can't do it any more. I'm exhausted. He has only slept through the night twice.

Any suggestions on what I can do to get out of this routine. I'm not a young mom any more, and this is really wearing me down. My body just feels so old lately and I know that it is because of this constant waking.

 

[karen1968]

Wish I had advice for you. Instead, I'm in the same situation (with a slightly younger child). My DS has the same sleep pattern now, at 22 months, that he had at 9 months! And like your DS, he's only slept through the night twice. I just don't understand why he can't fall back to sleep on his own

The amount of sleep I'm getting isn't the issue as much as the pains in my low back and hips from side-lying nursing (which we only do at 4am) and the positions i have to be in to accomodate his sprawling body.

I hope someone has some answers/suggestions for us both!

 

[SandraS]

Is he in a crib or toddler bed? If so, I'd suggest a twin or queen mattress on the floor (just to save the pain and expense of rails, FWIW)... then I personally would encourage him to come to ME in the middle of the night...

My first three did this - we "weaned" them to twin mattresses by the age of two or so (well, they self-weaned), then they could come in any time they wanted. I found that after they felt good that mom was there all the time, whenever they needed, eventually they grew out of coming in.

I personally had night terrors until I was almost 10 - I used to sleep on the floor at my mom's or sister's bed until then, nearly every night. It was horrible... for them!