4 year old insomnia?? At my wits end!!

onlyroz

In addition to what I said before, I should say that I had a problem with my son when he was about 3.5 years old and I was pregnant with my daughter - I just couldn't get him to stay in bed. In the end I just kept putting him back when he got out of bed - no eye contact, no talking and physically pinning him to the bed if necessary. This, in combination with rewards for a "good" night, and sanctions for a "bad" night (e.g. taking toys off him) worked in the end, but it wasn't easy.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

headcrash27 wrote: »

She has now progressed from sleeping on the floor to coming into our bed, arrghh!! I wouldn't mind if she would just sleep but she climbs on me sits on me, jumps on me etc. There is nothing i can do to stop it as if i tell her off she just starts screaming and crying. I woke up this morning with crippling back ache from it all. I am just really hopeful that the cd player and light will work but i have my doubts.

It does make you understand how an older person might be secretly thinking that she'd change her tune if she got a smack each time she behaved so badly.

faithcecilia

I have only whizzed through this thread so if someone has already said this, I am sorry. I am a chronic insomniac (hence I'm up at 2am when I know my alarm will go of in under 3hrs time!) and one thing I was told years ago when I sought advice is to keep the bedroom soley for sleep. i was sceptical but it did work. So it might help if you let her play in a lounge etc rather than her room and found somewhere else to use when she has been naughty - corner of the kitchen, a step, etc. She may also be frustrated about not being able to sleep, I think we all know how horrible it is to want to be asleep but just unable to drop off.

It might help if you started to talk about how she is a big girl now, and big girls go to bed nicely and stay quiet if they wake up and its still dark. Maybe take her to choose a new 'big girl' duvet cover, lamp, or whatever.

Both you and your daughter have my sympathy, it takes a long time to not get stressed over being awake when you 'should' be asleep.