4 year old - Night wakings. Please help!

:help:

For the past MONTH my -sleep all night- child has been waking in the middle of the night and becoming a visitor up in our bedroom. We walk him back downstairs and he goes right to bed. I think it has become a bit of a game though. He insists on holding your hand/finger. He (of course) comes to MY side of the bed (closest to the door) and so I have had to get up in the middle of the night every night. We're talking going from NEVER getting up to getting up 4-5 times a week! :shok: My dd & other ds are sleeping through the night so I don't know what is waking him. We've tried checking him for pin worm. He does have a rash on his bottom but we thought that it may have been the Walmart brand of diapers so he has been in pull ups for the last two nights. I am writing this at 2:51am. :headbang: He is not getting up to go potty nor is he hungry. eta: No nightmares either.
Do you have any suggestions? I'm sick of this.

 

I had this problem with Josh around age 3. He was waking though, because he was scared, as we had just moved into our new house. I tried getting up and walking him back, but he threw a fit once we got to his room, so a little different than what you are experiencing. Anyway, I put a bean bag next to our bed with a blanket, and told him that if he got up, he was allowed to come in our room and lay down and go to sleep. He was not allowed to wake anyone up or climb into our bed. It worked, and it didn't take long until he eventually just quit waking up.

 

My son does this occasionally, most recently this week, and it is always something different, needs a tissue, a drink, a hug, bad dream, etc. This week it was his blanket had to be fixed like 3 times during the night...uggh! The week before he was sick so I let it go, of course and got up everytime he needed me. However, when it is the same thing like fix my blankie 3 times a night for two nights in a row, the third night I will tell him when I tuck him not to wake mommy tonight for so and so (whatever it is at the moment) and I repeat it and make sure he understands or he continues to do it night after night and that seriously works for me. I don't yell or anything just be firm with him not to wake me unless he really needs me. I check on them quite a few times before I go to bed and if I wake myself during the night but it's the worst to have sleep interrupted consecutively during the night especially when mine wake bright and early by 6:30am every morning... I NEED the straight 7/8 hours sleep.

 

It is just frustrating because it appears as all he wants is an escort back downstairs!!! Thanks ladies!

 

This may be mean but have you tried just sending him back on his own? I would say something like "It's night time and everyone needs to be asleep. Go back to your bed please."
I also like the idea of explaining to him at bedtime that he shouldn't come and wake you up for no reason. If you decide to start sending him back on his own I would explain that in advance too.

Good luck!

 

Yep. I have tried to send him back without an escort. He refuses. Thanks for the input! I don't want him to feel like he can't come up, but I want there to be a good reason!

 

We have this issue too on and off. I did read that locking the bedroom door so that they cant come in and get the reinforcement can be necessary. I havent needed to do it yet, but I just might. I am sick and tired of getting up every night for someone.

 

No advice, just :hug: I know exactly how you feel. I still get up every night. :headbang: