unusual 3 year old sleeping problems?

ZizzyPop

I wouldn't normally post something like this online, but none of the people that i usually go to for help or advice regarding my kids have a clue what to tell me. For the past week, my three year old has woken up in the middle of the night (generally around 3 or 4 am) yelling about needing a bath. He's not dirty, he hasn't wet the bed, he always has a bath right before bedtime. He just has this sudden need to take a bath and it absolutely can't wait until daylight. If I ask him to wait, he gets more moody and nearly to temper tantrum zone. 

My kids are both very well behaved children, and this one hasn't thrown a tantrum since he was nearly 2 (with the exception of when he's sick or when it's validated). So anything that makes him upset to the point that I can't control him is something that concerns me. I've been getting up and giving him a bath when he thinks it's necessary, but this really isn't a habit that I want to get him into. 

Does anyone have any advice? Has anyone else's kids done something along these lines? 

MrsStanger

We don't have this problem. However if something like this was to arise I would point out, at bath each night, that this is the time to get clean. You wont get another bath until tomorrow. Is he in a daycare/ in home provider? Has someone told him he needs a bath during the day and he ends up dreaming about it? I know at 3 its hard for him to relay information to you in the most effective way. My gut is telling me that something prompted this not that it is something that just happened.

Best of luck to you! I hope it subsides soon!

ZizzyPop

He's at home all day. We're lucky enough to live in an environment where there's always someone at home to watch the kids that live here. I will try telling him that at bathtime tonight and see if that helps because he did this again last night. I was thinking maybe it was a bad dream of some sort, so you might be on the money with that. It could be something that's been said either to him or about him because he does get rather sour smelling when he sweats, so I'll see about getting the people who live here to watch what they say and see if that helps as well.

Perfect Sonnet

Honestly, I would chalk it up to a three year old being a crazy three year old.  My daughter says some pretty nutty things.  She is three...she is still trying to figure the world out.

If he woke up asking for a bath again, I would just put him back to bed and tell him that he has a bath earlier/will have one tomorrow.  I would not get up at 3am and give him a bath to avoid a tantrum.  Sometimes having the parent not respond to the tantrum is what they need to realize something isn't going to happen.

Bigboobsmcgee

My 3 year old wakes up screaming for a humidifier. Um, huh?!

Kids are weird but PP above gave some good suggestions.