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12-12-2012 at 9:47 AM
westerngal
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Joined on 08-15-2007
54 Points
westerngal is not online. Last active: 01-20-2013, 4:14 PMNewbie

Getting kids to go back to sleep

How do preschoolers learn how to go back to sleep in the middle of the night? Our daughter's been waking up at 4:30 a.m., sometimes earlier, and won't go back to sleep. She has a clock that turns green when it's OK to get up (6:00), and is starting to learn how to tell time, so it's not that she doesn't know it's too early. It's really a question of helping her with the actual challenge of going back to sleep. Any tips?

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12-12-2012 at 10:25 AM
brightning
Top 500 Contributor
Joined on 06-15-2007
Arizona
2,863 Points
brightning is not online. Last active: 05-25-2013, 2:15 PMPlatinum

My DD does this too. I put a sippy of water next to her bed and a little lantern. She has a drink, turns on her lantern (there are lots of night lights in her room but she's still scared) and cuddles her stuffed animals until she falls asleep. I kept the crib soother next to her bed long after she'd outgrown the crib - probable age 3.5. She would turn that on too. 


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12-12-2012 at 7:19 PM
LoveEeyore
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Joined on 09-14-2004
Fairfax, VA
3,542 Points
LoveEeyore is not online. Last active: 05-25-2013, 2:43 PMGold

DS did this alot.  He didn't STTN until he turned three, and then still up 3-4 nights.  I would take him to bed and lay down with him until he fell asleep.  When that was easier, I took him back to bed, laid down for 5 minutes and left, then 4 minutes, then 3...etc.  In addition to that, I started a sticker chart and in the morning he got a sticker if he stayed in bed til green light.  When he collected 5, we went to Chuck E Cheese (he picked the destination).  Then his new chart needed 10.  Then his new chart needed 10 consecutive nights- so he started over if he didn't make it.

Good luck! 

ETA- I found if he seemed fearful, I'd change his gears by taking him to the potty, having him pee, then giving him a sip of water. And that helped reset his mood.


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12-13-2012 at 6:42 AM
Stackeye21...
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Joined on 10-03-2008
OHIO
2,179 Points
Stackeye210 is not online. Last active: 05-03-2013, 2:18 PMNewbie

Definitely what eeyore said.  The sticker chart worked wonders for staying in bed all night and not calling for me.  Coincidentally, last night I didn't have water by her bed and it was the first time in a while that she has called me into her room in the middle of the night b/c she was thirsty. 

I think you can really tell the difference b/c a normal wake up and a night terror wake up.  If DD wakes up with a terror I will definitely coddle her more and stay with her longer. 


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