3 Year old sleep issues

3 Year old sleep issues

Author
Discussion

MOMACC

283 posts

38 months

Sunday 24th December 2023
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Our kid is 4.
Slept like a log until she was 2, since then it's been crap.

We gave up trying to keep her in her own room and one of us being awake half the night and now just let her stay in our bed when she wakes at 12 / 1 / 2.

We have a spare double bed so the mrs goes there when little one wakes and sometimes just goes there all night to get some kip, it's put a downer on our sex life and we don't always have a cuddle in bed before sleep or when we wake up but I'm hopeful that it's a phase we can get through. We recognised early on that all of us need sleep and we weren't willing to sacrifice on that.

Good luck OP - it's just the next phase



CQ8

787 posts

228 months

Monday 25th December 2023
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We tried a sleep therapist our second was so bad. No, I didn't know it was a thing either!

One of the suggestions was to try waking him up around 11pm (or at a point before they wake up). It's interrupts the cycle they've got into (can't remember the exact theory behind it). Literally just wake them up in their bed, call their name and get them to acknowledge you then let them go straight back to sleep. Sounds mad but it worked within a night or so.

fourstardan

Original Poster:

4,307 posts

145 months

Monday 25th December 2023
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CQ8 said:
We tried a sleep therapist our second was so bad. No, I didn't know it was a thing either!

One of the suggestions was to try waking him up around 11pm (or at a point before they wake up). It's interrupts the cycle they've got into (can't remember the exact theory behind it). Literally just wake them up in their bed, call their name and get them to acknowledge you then let them go straight back to sleep. Sounds mad but it worked within a night or so.
Yes im thinking this isn't a bad idea and I've tried it but couldn't wake the bugger up!

W201_190e

12,738 posts

214 months

Tuesday 26th December 2023
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Play white noise through TV or smart speaker.

CQ8

787 posts

228 months

Tuesday 26th December 2023
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fourstardan said:
Yes im thinking this isn't a bad idea and I've tried it but couldn't wake the bugger up!
biglaugh Yeah I know what you mean. You do have to go to town a little bit! When I was doing it, it always used to make me think of the "get a hold of yourself" scene in Airplane!



You have to be gentle but persistent. Call out their name, even use a wet flannel. You just have to snap them out of the sleep they're in and then let them go straight back to sleep. Which they will.

Marquezs Stabilisers

1,227 posts

62 months

Wednesday 27th December 2023
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Has anyone tried Melatonin on the NHS? My nearly 4 year old wakes up for two hours a night, has never reliably slept through. I am broken tbh and so is the wife.

fourstardan

Original Poster:

4,307 posts

145 months

Sunday 31st December 2023
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So over the Xmas break its been moderately better. sometimes he has been sleeping in till 6ish.

Ive been hitting the spare bed anyqay quite a bit due to missus snoring, i dont.like this and Maybe I'm old-school but I don't like the idea of my son not seeing me in bed with his mother, but tbh with her snoring it's the cycle of me losing sleep there and getting in the spare bed before he wakes and nicks my spot.

I think until my missus stops snoring I'll be in this loop and son will not learn to get back to sleep.


Marquezs Stabilisers

1,227 posts

62 months

Friday 5th January
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fourstardan said:
So over the Xmas break its been moderately better. sometimes he has been sleeping in till 6ish.

Ive been hitting the spare bed anyqay quite a bit due to missus snoring, i dont.like this and Maybe I'm old-school but I don't like the idea of my son not seeing me in bed with his mother, but tbh with her snoring it's the cycle of me losing sleep there and getting in the spare bed before he wakes and nicks my spot.

I think until my missus stops snoring I'll be in this loop and son will not learn to get back to sleep.
I am glad it's a bit better. I've slept in the spare room sometimes due to the noise reasons you report. My daughter's a bit better now she's back at nursery after the holidays.

lizardbrain

2,010 posts

38 months

Friday 5th January
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We just gave up and bought a super king. He wakes up sometime between 12 and 7 and scrambles in and it's just standard now.

We've got our head in the sand about the damage. No idea how unhealthy it is. Current plan is to pretend it's all normal until he is 5.

_Rodders_

585 posts

20 months

Friday 5th January
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fourstardan said:
My son was sleeping all through the night until about a month or two ago, he now keeps waking up at times and running into our room, times are ranging from last night's joy at 11pm when I'd just dosed off to 1/2, he is also waking up again once we settle him down.

We've tried later bedtime (7-730), makes no difference.

Settling down is one word, he goes into full negative tantrum mode.

I am thinking he is getting nightmares now, because the only time he slept through was when we had a family hotel room in London a couple of weeks ago! I was able to jump up and calm him down when he did wake up a bit upset.

It's draining both of us and now my sleeps playing up as I'm sleeping with one eye open.

Please can I have some sleep for Christmas Santa.
That could pretty much describe our 3.5 year old. I can't count on one hand the number of times he's slept through. He'll wake up between around 11 and 0500.

Trying to put him back to sleep in his own bed is a struggle so it's a case of chucking him in our bed and all back to sleep. Do that and he's asleep before his head hits the pillow.

I guess it's a security/comfort thing. We just cling onto the fact it won't last forever and when he leaves home we'll probably look back on it and miss it.

I can't remember the last time either of us got a straight 8 hours uninterrupted sleep though, one day, one day.

_Rodders_

585 posts

20 months

Friday 5th January
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lizardbrain said:
We just gave up and bought a super king. He wakes up sometime between 12 and 7 and scrambles in and it's just standard now.

We've got our head in the sand about the damage. No idea how unhealthy it is. Current plan is to pretend it's all normal until he is 5.
We did this too biglaugh

A super king bed is one of the best things I've ever bought.

I'd say it occupies atleast 70% of the floorspace of our bedroom but worth it.

Mick Dastardly

155 posts

25 months

Friday 5th January
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fourstardan said:
My son was sleeping all through the night until about a month or two ago, he now keeps waking up at times and running into our room, times are ranging from last night's joy at 11pm when I'd just dosed off to 1/2, he is also waking up again once we settle him down.

We've tried later bedtime (7-730), makes no difference.

Settling down is one word, he goes into full negative tantrum mode.

I am thinking he is getting nightmares now, because the only time he slept through was when we had a family hotel room in London a couple of weeks ago! I was able to jump up and calm him down when he did wake up a bit upset.

It's draining both of us and now my sleeps playing up as I'm sleeping with one eye open.

Please can I have some sleep for Christmas Santa.
Just give him £1000 and tell him to go on holiday or shut the feck up.

pacenotes

279 posts

145 months

Tuesday 13th February
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fourstardan said:
So over the Xmas break its been moderately better. sometimes he has been sleeping in till 6ish.

Ive been hitting the spare bed anyqay quite a bit due to missus snoring, i dont.like this and Maybe I'm old-school but I don't like the idea of my son not seeing me in bed with his mother, but tbh with her snoring it's the cycle of me losing sleep there and getting in the spare bed before he wakes and nicks my spot.

I think until my missus stops snoring I'll be in this loop and son will not learn to get back to sleep.
My wife bought me some fancy ear plugs for Christmas. Might be a good idea to look at....

I've had to wear them since we started dating, Been 15 years now and alot of those foam ones in the bin.

I've just sent off the molds. Be interested in what comes back.

Marquezs Stabilisers

1,227 posts

62 months

Tuesday 13th February
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We're in Scotland so may not be available where you live - but the Health Visitor team have an associated sleep team who have been reaching out to us lately after we asked for it.

Early stages, keeping a food and sleep diary as obviously they need an evidence base. But at least someone is listening!

dhutch

14,390 posts

198 months

Wednesday 14th February
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We have only got to the ripe only age of two years old, but we have co-slept from the start. Just finishing her bedroom now.

Pros and cons to that of cause, but maybe if they are struggling at the moment, they could sleep alongside you for a while.
Either if you have a super king, or if you put a single/child bed alongside your own. So they feel safe knowing you are there?

Attachment parenting, developing independence from having a secure foundation, rather than being thrust out into the unknown.

fourstardan

Original Poster:

4,307 posts

145 months

Wednesday 14th February
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Things are a bit better at the moment, he's coming in at the occasional 3/4am time but sleeping to 6 now.

He used to need to be dragged out of bed!

Trouble is also I am not sleeping through and constantly wondering what time it is if he has/hasn't appeared.


nails1979

597 posts

142 months

Wednesday 14th February
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I have 2 kids. Oldest is 11 and never had any issues with bedtime or getting up, he's had the old nightmares or bedwetting but nothing you wouldn't expect from a child.
Youngest is 8, and she's been a nightmare since the get go, doesn't like going to bed, gets up at all hours, bursts into the bedroom like she's SWAT and raiding the place.
I'm not a good sleeper myself, hard to get to sleep, easily woken and even harder to get back to sleep.

L1OFF

3,364 posts

257 months

Wednesday 14th February
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I'm my day, sons are 42 and 37 GRIPE WATER used to do the trick (9% alcohol) smile

sparkyhx

4,152 posts

205 months

Wednesday 14th February
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Calpol works a treat as well.

VeeReihenmotor6

2,180 posts

176 months

Wednesday 14th February
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My kids didn't sleep through until about 5/6. All normal, my eldest had bed wetting issues until she was 8.

Now both kids are 8 and 10 and they sleep through normally with the odd hiccup now and again.

My eldest never slept in the day as baby either. Only if she was being pushed in a pram or driven in a car. As soon as either stopped she woke. I always expected her head to rotate 360 degrees but alas it never happened. She is still hot headed today.

Joys of having kids and spending the pre teen years tired smile