Toddler waking up in the middle of the night. Help!

michant · November 2014

We recently transitioned our daughter from our bed to her own toddler bed or her bedroom floor depending on her mood. It took 2 weeks to get from our bed to her room with me sleeping on the floor in her room since she would wake up through the night calling for me so it seemed like the right thing to do so she would be assured I was there. Over the weekend she would fall asleep and I was able to escape to my own bed however the last 3 days have been so disturbing. She wakes up 3 to 4 times a night screaming at the top of her lungs and refuses to lay or sit. She wants me to stand up and hold her which doesn't last long because she weights too much to hold like that for a period of time which then causes more screaming and crying and a battle to convince her to sit or lay down anywhere. I just don't know what to do anymore. Gave in last night and put her back in our bed after all the hysteria and she did not wake up once. Anyone with advice would be helpful and appreciated. I am to the point where I'm crying right along with her in the middle of the night. Thank you. She will be 2 at the end of the month.

greyt00 · November 2014

DS1 has autism and we had to do some difficult things to get him to stay in his room at night. This technique may be a last resort but it's something you could consider. DS1 was coming out of his room multiple times per night. We couldn't go on like that anymore. So, one night when he came down into our bedroom, I put him back in bed as many times as it took for him to stay there. The first night it took 2 hours, and most of that time, he was screaming. It was horrible, but I don't think there was another way. And BTW, his occupational therapist is the one who recommended this, and she is a kind person and I have a lot of respect for her. The second night, it took 1 hour and 15 minutes, again with him screaming most of that time. I made sure not to speak to him at all, not do anything that could be considered positive reinforcement, and calmy and quietly put him back on top of his bed. Usually he was standing because he was upset and screaming and immediately climbed down and followed me to the door. The 3rd night, he came out once and screamed for 20 minutes. After that, it was MUCH BETTER. We've been a little up and down since then, but it's so much better than it was before. He was older when we did this (3 years and 5 months) but in some ways more like a 2 year old due to developmental delay. If you do this you just have to stay calm, though. Go into robot mode.

I will do this with my younger child as well if I have to, once he's in a real bed.

michant · November 2014

Its just so hard to figure out what is, the end of co-sleeping, night terrors (something I just learned about) and anything else you want to throw into the mix. Not so much of an issue putting to bed. Its the 3/4 times a night waking up screaming bloody murder. Seems like the higher up she can climb my body the better.

greyt00 · November 2014

If she is not quite 2 and only recently transitioned, then what I did may be a bit harsh for her. Did you do any "big girl bed" type books when you transitioned her? You could pick up where you left off (with laying down on the floor in her room) and do that for a couple of days and then move toward the door a bit each night. If she is waking up later on all freaked out, then that may not be the answer, but you could try a "big girl bed" book routine for a little while during this period, too, and see if it helps.

michant · November 2014

I shall pay a visit to Barnes and Noble this weekend. Thank you for the advice

Toddler waking up in the middle of the night. Help!

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