How do I get my child to sleep through the night? I can put her down at 730pm and she will wake up at least 6-8 times in 4 hours!! I am at a loss. She isn't too hot or cold, she has a dvd playing and her favorite teddies with her! I would love a solid sleep without her coming into my bed and kicking me all night
7 Replies
Sounds like it's time for sleep training. She hasn't learnt how to settle herself or it's become a habit. Stop with the DVD, the light from the screen tells the brain to wake up. Get a firm sleep routine down. Bath, bed story, sleep.
Put a mattress on her bedroom floor for you to sleep on. Soon as she goes to get out of bed, put her straight back and stay until she goes back to sleep. If you sleep on her floor for a few nights you'll break the habit faster and resettle her faster.
She might be quite grumpy at the change at first. Don't let her in bed with you at all. With consistency you should notice her starting to settle herself.
Once you can get her sleeping through longer than move back to your own room. If she comes into your room, take her straight back to bed. If you let her in your bed you'll have undone all your work.
Thank you, I did think it may be the case of taking away the dvd player. I will try the mattress on her floor and do it that way
Don't have tv on, that would be delaying her sleeping.
Just keep taking her back to her bed. Maybe lay with her in her bed for a bit and then come back to your bed.
The TV is probably over stimulating her little brain. Maybe swap it for a very dull night light if its a fear of the dark thing. Other than that you're going to have to put in the hard yards, every time she gets out of bed you take her back. It may be a hundred times, and the first week of trying this is going to be rough but she'll get used to the routine.
She isn't getting out of bed when she is first waking up. It's when I'm in bed asleep and not really realising she is in my bed, I also have her dad in bed so sometimes think it is him. If I find her in my bed she goes straight back into her own.
I just went through this with my 4yr old. She has always watched a dvd before bed since 2yrs old. I know its bad but it was the only thing that worked to get her to stay in her bed and sleep. Although this year she kept waking up during the night. So we took away the dvd player and tv from her room. We now read a book and she now listens to music and has her night light on during the night. Also i now watch her sugar intake incase that has an impact also.
I have taken the dvd player out of her room, unfortunately hasnt made a difference yet but I'm hoping it will soon.