Help! My daughter is getting out of her bed several times every night and sleeping on the landing at the top of the stairs (near her bedroom door), peeking into our room, crying in her room, etc. She says she can't sleep in her room, and wants to sleep with mommy and daddy. This behavior has been going on for two weeks now, and started after we got back from a two-week vacation, during which time she had slept in the same room with us (and her baby brother). I'm sure it's because she'd gotten used to sleeping in the same room with us, but it's been two weeks now!! Before this vacation, she had never slept in the same room with us (with the exception of the 1st 3 months of her life, and other vacations), nor had she ever even wanted to. We have even put in a second nightlight in her room at her request, and threatened all sorts of things if she woke us up again.
What should we do??!!!
My daughter has gone through fits and spurts with this, and even after 2 weeks I can assure you it won't last forever. Try extra check ins-- I'll come back and see you in 10 minutes, then 20, but only if you stay in bed. Give extra kisses and I love yous, chances are she'll be asleep for the second check in. It has helped in our house, good luck!
I think 2 weeks is a long time for a child this age to sleep w/the family. She is used to others being there. Now that she's back home it seems strange to be alone. She's having a hard time readjusting. Try to figure out a way that works for you, to re adjust her. Maybe let her sleep in your room for a night or so, then move her to the hall way, then her room. Maybe allow her to get into bed w/you (or in your room) for 5-10 min then she has to go back to her room, Then 5 min., then you will come to her for 5 min. What ever will work for you.You will loose some sleep, but it will be worth it to get her back on track. It seems normal behavior to me (although frustrating to you!). Good luck! :)
If she starts the night in her bed, then moves to the hallway, let her stay there till morning. Eventually she'll stop getting up and going there. Good luck!
I'd put a sleeping bag on the floor in your room and when she wakes in middle of the night, then she can "camp out" on your floor instead of crying half the night, sleeping in the hallway, ect. But if its still early and jsut after you tuck her in for the night, then you'll need to do the extra checking in, sitting with her until she's asleep, ect. Change up the bedtime routine a little and see if something different works. Maybe pat/rub her back, read an extra few pages at storytime, sit in the dark on her bed for 10 minutes. Sounds like she's frightened, her imagination is probably running wild... its a stage (my 6yo is going through this again). The sooner you can reassure her that she's ok in her bed at night, the sooner she will go back to sleeping through the night.
You really have two options here:
Be tough and put her back into bed repeatedly, ignoring the crying and standing your ground. No discussions or arguing or pity.
Or, tell her that she can sleep on the floor there in her sleeping bag until Thursday, and then she has to sleep in the hall right outside her door until Saturday. Then she has to sleep on the floor in her own room until Monday. By next Wednesday, she should be back in her own bed. Just stick to your guns and make sure she understands that the goal is to get her back to sleeping in her own big girl bed.
I would definitely try to get to the root of the problem.... why doesn't she want to be in her bed? Bored? Scared? Something else? I think the age has a lot to do with it too - very common at 4, 5, 6 years to start having sleep issues. My daughter had "tigers" in her room for a while (under her bed, closet, behind the door... etc.) I "ordered" tiger spray to "get rid of" the tigers and "make her safe". I basically got a mason jar, printed off a picture of a tiger from the internet, taped it on, put some food coloring into it - and that was it. Then we took a tsp of the "tiger spray" put it into a small spray bottle (she helped me with this), diluted it with water (so no color would end up on walls, clothes, etc. when we sprayed), and it worked like a charm. You could make "monster" spray, "ghost" spray, etc...
My daughter went threw this. What I did was schedule a sleep-over every weekend. Friday night I would sleep in her room and Saturdays she would sleep in mine. We'd watch movies and eat popcorn. This limited the weekday coming to my room.
