Help! My 26 month old is visiting me all night long!?

Question

My daughter wakes up 4 or 5 times a night on a regular basis. She comes into my room and calls me, then i get up, and lead her back to bed. if I leave, she pitches a fit! I can't have her wake the entire house at 3am. I have a 5 yr. old who is sleeping! I don't know what to do. It isn't hunger or teething. She just wants company. She can't seem to fall asleep without me in the room! After she notices an hr. later that I'm gone, she comes in again! If my husband goes in, she goes bananas. I'm losing my mind! Any suggestions? Please comments from experienced mom and dads with sincere help!

She has a night light in there and she sleeps in atwin bed with bedrails. I'm just afraid if I let her sleep with us, I'll have a terrible time breaking the habit. Not to mention my very jealous 5 yr. old.

Answer 1

If she takes a lot of naps still, try to keep her awake longer during the day so she will sleep better at night. Tell her a story or something at night before she goes to bed and sit with her until she falls asleep. Try making a small deal with her. Like if she can stay in her room all night like a "big girl". She can have a suprise in the morning. Just my thoughts. All kids are different though.

Answer 2

I know some people won't agree here, but it's just an observation from my life and what I've noticed around me.

Kids who are constantly pushed out of their parents bed want to keep coming back the older they get. My sister snuck into my parents room nightly until she was almost 12. My dad would pitch a fit and make her leave... she was almost 12!!! I have noticed this similar behavior with friends' kids and other family members.

Yet the kids who were welcomed w/ opened arms into their parents' bed - even purposely created a family bed w/ no intentions of buying a crib from birth - they're the ones who decide on their own as toddlers/preschoolers that they're ready to have some stretching room. Or they're at least more receptive to transition to their own bed, then their own room.

The latter is what happened in my house. My daughter slept w/ us pretty much since birth. At about 18 months, we added a toddler bed (pinched between our bed and the wall). At 20 months our bed started moving further and further away from her bed to the opposite end of the room. By her 2nd bday, she claimed the master bedroom and we took on the other room (worked out because she had more room to play, and we hardly had any bedroom furniture anyway). She's now 4, sleeping in her own room, only coming to our bed when she's sick or there's a thunderstorm.

Answer 3

This is probably not the best answer, but honest. I also have a 26 month old daughter and have had the same experience. My husband and I moved her toddler bed into our room. I know a lot of people cringe at that, but sleep is important to everyone. She probably just feels more secure with you right there, and what is wrong with that?? Just like everything else this will pass. Face it she will only be little once. Trust me I also have teenagers, and they will not be bothering you then!!!! I just try to remember every minute I get to spend with her is precious, at 3 am or 3pm!

Answer 4

This may sound mean, but it'll work. My son was 2 before he got his own bedroom, and moved him into a toddler bed at the same time. I was worried that he would wonder around the house while me and his dad were sleeping, so we put up a baby gate so that he couldn't leave his room when he was suppose to be sleeping. This kept him in his room. For your daughter though, if she gets up and starts crying, you have to just ignore her. I know it's gonna be tough, and that she's going to wake up the house, but it'll only last a few days at most. After she realized you're not coming, she'll stop getting up. She's only doing this now, because you give her the attention she's looking for. Cut out the attention, and she'll calm down and go to sleep for you.

Good luck.

Answer 5

hello there! i guess your baby girl is getting long naps during the day,or shes not getting enough excersise.cut the naps short or none at all.maybe you putting her too early to bed. dont over feed her at night,after you decide wich of these aply,its time to bring the playpen in to the babys room!!! shes going to cry,oh,is she!!but you have to be strong,try setting next to her an already sweated night gown of yours or a t-shirt,the softer the fabric the better,but it had to be worn by you.stay with her if you wish,but you have to go in and out,staying longer every time outside her room.all this i done it before ,it works.im the proud mother of 7daughters mostly grown up,but for the past 10 days i have been taking care of my 10 mo. old grandaughter,who didnt wanted to go to sleep ,until she decided and she had to be rocked also,she needed to be hold all day long,and didnt want to stay in her playpen or crib for an instant.after 4 days,she was on the floor,she gets her 10 am nap,and goes to sleep sharply at 9 pm,no need to scream,or discipline them,her mom came a little while ago and was amazed to find her already in bed,and she dont wake up in the middle of the night either.but the younger they are ,the easier it is to imply routines,the secret is not to give up ,be consistent,and dont let yourself be manipulated by the little tyrants!!!may god blessed you all.

Answer 6

dont let the child sleep with you in the bed cuz then they will get used to it. just sleep with her in her room but sleep on the floor dont sleep in the same bed as her. when she finally falls asleep leave but this time put a towel on top of the door and close it so that the child cant open the door but you can. dont give into the tantrums

Answer 7

Maybe your other child could sleep in the room with the baby. This would give the baby, your other child, and you two, privacy && a restful nights sleep. Just a thought.

Answer 8

my baby did that too. I give her a sippy cup and a night light in her room. Also she will sleep longer if you dont let her nap as long during the day. let them play and play after dinner that may mean taking them out side letting her run around or a toy she likes to play with as long as she it moving she will sleep longer

Answer 9

My dad broke me of the habit. I'd go into their room and sleep, they'd take me back to bed.

No matter how many times I did it one night, dad would put me back in bed.

I had a four year younger brother in the house too.

Dad broke me of the habit.

Answer 10

She sounds like my son, who loves to sleep with mommy and daddy. He's 3. I let him sleep with my pillow (it has my scent on it) and it seems to work. He sleeps in his bed all night long. We also let him sleep with a night light in the room. This seems to help out as far as fear of the dark.

I hope this helps you out.