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scared of bedtime!!
Hi everyone,
Im 28wk's pg with baby no.3 & my 3 year old ds has recently started making a fuss at bedtime or waking through the night screaming & shouting that he's scared!! Im obviously tired enough at the min & want to nip this in the bud before newborn arrives!!!!!! so any advice greatly appreciated.
He has been an angel since he cut his last tooth & has always gone to bed when it's bedtime with no prob's. We've always shut his door & this has never bothered him.
Then in the last few months we've had the odd night where he's woken crying but been easy to settle. Since thurs night he's started screaming when i put him in bed & i have to keep going in. I've tried leaving his door open but he' shouts mummy shut my door so have been leaving it ajar (there is a stairgate on his door so he know's he cant get out) & i've bought a nightlight. Last night he hadn't had a nap in day & fell asleep on sofa at 7pm (which he's done plenty of times in the past & never been a prob) & he woke briefly & cried when i took him up then settled TILL 11:30pm when he woke crying & no matter what i did this carried on till 1:15am!!!!!!!!!! Im doing my best not to give in and put him in our bed as i've been here before with my eldest & dont want to start a bad habbit.
I feel at a loss as its not something i thought i'd have a prob with with him.
Jacqui x
Im 28wk's pg with baby no.3 & my 3 year old ds has recently started making a fuss at bedtime or waking through the night screaming & shouting that he's scared!! Im obviously tired enough at the min & want to nip this in the bud before newborn arrives!!!!!! so any advice greatly appreciated.
He has been an angel since he cut his last tooth & has always gone to bed when it's bedtime with no prob's. We've always shut his door & this has never bothered him.
Then in the last few months we've had the odd night where he's woken crying but been easy to settle. Since thurs night he's started screaming when i put him in bed & i have to keep going in. I've tried leaving his door open but he' shouts mummy shut my door so have been leaving it ajar (there is a stairgate on his door so he know's he cant get out) & i've bought a nightlight. Last night he hadn't had a nap in day & fell asleep on sofa at 7pm (which he's done plenty of times in the past & never been a prob) & he woke briefly & cried when i took him up then settled TILL 11:30pm when he woke crying & no matter what i did this carried on till 1:15am!!!!!!!!!! Im doing my best not to give in and put him in our bed as i've been here before with my eldest & dont want to start a bad habbit.
I feel at a loss as its not something i thought i'd have a prob with with him.
Jacqui x
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Replies
You did the right thing getting him a nightlight I think. Make his bedroom as lovely and homely and comforting as you can, give him a good bedtime routine, the same every night, if you can. When he wakes, don't let him into your bed, but comfort and reassure him while he's crying and then firmly settle him back down to sleep. I think you will just have to be consistent till he grows out of it.
I know how you feel, my ds1 went through a similar phase when I was expecting ds2, and i remember nearly crying when I thought about dealing with him, and a newborn! He stopped before I had baby though.
Just a thought - could it be night terrors? Both my boys had these about this age.
Mims x
We have a good evening routine as after my prob's with eldest child i instilled this quite early on with ds. Im sitting here now dreading bedtime!!
My oh works away all week so it's me that has to deal with this all week (not that oh is any use as both kids only really settle for me lol)
Were your boys wide awake with night terrors??? I've heard with night terrors they look like they awake but asleep & im certain my son is awake so think he's had what you said, a bad dream & now started playing up.
I dont think i'll cope with new baby, oh away & ds screaming at bedtime so it is a worry!!!!!! Hopefully he'll settle before lo arrives like yours did (fingers crossed)
jacqui x
With the night terrors, they would seem wide awake at first, and would have their eyes open, but I would realise they weren't properly awake quite quickly. They would be inconsolable, and often seem terrified of something in the room. One time, ds2 was screaming and kept pointing under his bed! (spooked me out I can tell you). The only thing to do was to wait for them to recover from it (would take up to 20 mins). Thankfully, these episodes were pretty rare.
What age gaps will you have? Mine are 7, 5 and 23 months. I won't deny that no.3 is hard work, but in some ways it's easier as the first two have each other to play with. My oldest was also very helpful with baby (and they both dote on her).
Hope bedtime was ok tonight! Just keep telling yourself it will get better! My dh occasionally works away in the week - and I always dread it. But as long as I get myself organised I always cope lol.
Mx
Well last night was much better (hope it lasts), Took Ronnie to bed at 8:30 & decided i'd try reading him a story as its not something i normally do. He enjoyed the story & was asking for more but i told him we'd do it again each bedtime if he was a good boy. I kissed him goodnight & left the room, he was soon at his gate crying that he was stuck (he wasn't) so i went back in & firmly put him back to bed & said goodnight. Guess what??? He stayed till 6am!!!!!!!!!!!!
I dont expect he's going to do it every night but least he had a good night & we all got rest, although i have to say i kept waking as i was half expecting him to start!
My eldest child (Olivia) is 9 & Ronnie will be 3 on the 4th dec. This baby (another boy) is due on the 17th feb so it'll be good for the boys to be close in age im hoping. DD will be a big help when lo arrives, she's already a dab hand since we had Ronnie!!!
jacqui x