Sleeping Habits - Brockton,MA

I read in a book that sometimes kids will wake up because they need to use the bathroom, but not realize it. Have you tried putting her on the potty when that happens? My Daughter had a similar problem and we just ended up putting a little potty seat in her room, so if she had to use the potty, she could (she turned 3 in Dec). This particular book also said try to keep the lights off and do not say anything as this could bring your child out of the sleepy state even more. There's also a great book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth, that may give you more insite or ideas as to why she's not sleeping and what you can do. Wish I coud be more helpful, but it's something to think about. Good Luck!

It actually sounds like night terrors.My daughter went through two years of this and it is very common in this age group.Couple of tips.Your daughter is actually sleeping while these occur,even though she appears awake. Don't wake her up, because this will actually agitate her even more.Just make sure she is safe and try to guide her back to sleep.Your normal soothing techniques probaly won't work, so don't get discouraged.Also she won't remember a thing!, even though it can be traumatizing to you.Just be patient.

First off, know that you are NOT alone. My 3 1/2 year doesn't always sleep through the night either....and we co-sleep.

It could be bad dreams waking her up, it could be sinuses, could be she's simply uncomfortable (too hot, too cold)...it could be anything really.

Don't worry about it would be my advice. Perhaps it may help if you co-slept with her for even part of the night...just so everyone could get some sleep.

Good luck.

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My two cents; read the sleep lady shuffle. when my son was 9 months i hadnt slept ... in 9 months. he could sleep for an hour at a time and i was absolutely losing my mind. i couldnt do what so many people told me to - put him in his room and close the door. it just wasnt me. so i went to the bookstore and read every single child sleep book they had while i was there. after several hours of research - this book was the greatest. the title (i just moved and its still in a box...) i think is actually something like how to make your kids go to sleep, stay asleep, and wake up happy. it has chapters for every stage of life from infant to school age and how to start fresh or what they need at the changing stages of growth and how they coordinate with sleep. it was a lifesaver for my non sleeper - who now sleeps (at 3 1/2) 10 hrs a night straight through.

Is she actually awake when she is screaming and kicking? If you don't shake her awake, does she know you are there? Does she speak to you? If not, it's probably night terrors - they look scary but the child actually doesn't remember them and isn't really awake. It's a normal phase and she will grow out of it.

If she is truly awake and interacting with you, then it's something else. Make sure she is not caught up in blankets or otherwise feeling confined - put her in a blanket sleeper so she is warm but has freedom of movement. At this age, she should absolutely be sleeping through the night. Kids need to learn to put themselves back to sleep, to self-soothe. You can try patting her back and talking to her softly, but do not pick her up. You don't want her to get dependent on you to put herself back to sleep. Just repeat the same things, whatever you choose, like a mantra: "You're okay, it's night time, time for sleep, sweet dreams." Softly, reassuringly, with a lot of silence in between.

She needs more sleep, and so do you! If you can teach her to put herself back down to sleep, that's the greatest gift you can give her. There are many books on the subject - try your local library before you invest in anything. My main advice is to find a technique you agree with philosophically, and then stick with it. Do not try something for 3 days and then switch - it mixes her up! Be consistent and don't get discouraged.

Is she having night mares?
My son, who is 3, sometimes wakes like that, but he will tell me he had a nightmare.
But my son does sleep all night besides that.

My son never slept thru the night and he is also 3 1/2 (my DD on the other hand only wakes when she is teething, and we did nothing differently with her)
He now wakes up anytime from an hour to 8 hours after going to bed, always kicking and screaming, and unable to verbalize what is going on. My understanding is that night terrors are scary but the child is not awake and it usually happens after they have been asleep for 4 or so hours and the terrors occur in a deep stage of sleep. Our pediatrician said to slightly wake him up before we go to bed and see if that prevents him from getting to that stage of sleep. It did not work the nights I tried it. Let me know if you find anything that works!