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Pre-School and Daycare
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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Re: Getting kids to go back to sleep
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.
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.
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.