LO afraid of the dark?

les&jus

DD hasn't slept through the night since she was 6 1/2 months old.  She started teething and had a few ear infections and got really off track.  We finally are getting her to lay down awake and put herself to sleep.  She's taking great naps and going down for bed around 6:30, but she still wakes up twice at night crying.  I just don't get it.  She won't put herself back to sleep, she cries until I come get her.  I'm wondering if she's afraid of the dark.  We do have a nightlight in there and I can make my way around her room just fine, but maybe it isn't enough for her?  It's still light outside when she falls asleep for the night so I wonder if she wakes up in a darker setting and gets scared.  Anyhoo, anyone's LO afraid of the dark?  I'm thinking of leaving her lamp on tonight or leaving the shades up on the window.

marjoriemitchell

She will keep crying because she knows that eventually you will come.  do like nanny 911 said "stand in a spot where you can see her but she can't see you.  Keep watch but don't go in.  Eventually she will see that you are not coming in and settle down and put herself back to sleep" 

Trust me it was a hard lesson for me to learn.  Now my DD gets up in the morning and gets in the bed with us.  And that's fine with me as long as it's after 5am.  Otherwise I get up and put her back into her own bed.