4.5 year old waking up 1-2 hours after falling asleep and won’t go back down?
Our daughter has slept in our bed for the past year or so. It began because it would take hours to get her down only for her to wake shortly after and come looking for us. Our bed was the best solution because she would go down quickly and not wake up, believing everyone was going to bed. Perhaps it was our fault for deceiving her because she woke up one night a few weeks ago before we’d come back to bed and we had to explain that Mommy and Daddy get out of bed once she’s asleep. This started the whole cycle again.
We decided to follow our pediatrician’s advice of keeping the door closed and do check-ins but nothing is working. Unless one of us lays in there with her she won’t go back down. She has about 10 special stuffies in bed to “protect” her, she knows how to turn on all the lights, she has books & quiet toys as well as a water cup and a Yoto player with her bedtime songs, favorite books/podcasts and recordings of Mommy and Daddy talking to her. Typically she falls asleep around 7 and will wake around 8 or 9 screaming for Mommy. I’ve tried going in and setting her visual timer for when Mommy will be back or even talking to her through the baby monitor but both seem to make things worse. Next on my list to try is a reward/sticker chart though I don’t love that idea I’m at my wits end. I try to be firm with boundaries but she just screams and cries for hours on end it’s heartbreaking.
Any suggestions? Anybody who can commiserate or give hope that there’s light at the end of the tunnel?