What the heck is going on - and how do I fix it?

[deb]

The last couple weeks Josie has been going through, well, SOMETHING. Her night sleep has been HORRIBLE, waking at least once almost every night. It's taking a toll on her behavior too, which has been to the point where I won't take her anywhere if I can help it. :oops: She wakes crying because she can't find a particular pillow, and last night she was up sobbing at the top of her lungs because she couldn't find a USED TISSUE in her bed. :? :roll: Honestly, the last week I think Josie's had me out of bed more often than Natalie. :shock: I need SLEEEEEEEEEEP!!!!!!!!!

She takes forever to fall asleep, and I know she's waking early because she hits "Play" on her CD player to play her bedtime CD over again and I can hear music in her room at 6AM - after she FINALLY fell asleep the night before close to 9PM, despite an 8PM tuck-in.

HEEEEEEELLLPPP!!!!!!!!

[jacks mom]

Wow, Jack would be a mess too if he slept that little. They get so tired, and just come unglued dont they? Is there any way you can get her to sleep earlier? Jack is about half way through cutting out his naps and on the days he naps he seems even more awake at night,its weird, but he gets like that 5th wind and he is HYPER! But also, If I dont put him to sleep earlier on those nights, he will wake up in the middle of the night, and wake up earlier in the morning. Even though he is running through the house like a madman at 7:30PM,  , I still can lasso him him into bed and he will be asleep within minutes. If I wait to later, he will fall asleep later, and then the shorter sleep, etc.  You have probably tried that , just thought I would throw that out there, good luck!!

[Xavier and Erica's mommy]

Not sure what is going on, but Xavier is out of wack a bit right now also.  I think change in seasons is causing alot of it.  I wanted to recommend to you a book called "the boy and the bear  a children's relaxation book"  it's by Lori Lite.  It's a great little story for kids about a boy and a bear who climb a mountain from opposite sides, when they get to the top they are tired and happen to meet up on a rock.  The boy teaches the bear how to relax with systematic breathing and relaxation.  A friend told me about this and I got it on overstock.com and we read it last night for the first time and Xavier immediatly wanted to try the technique.  It really makes a difference and I have told him he can use this when he is upset or overstimulated, or just to help him sleep.  He's very excited about it.  It may help Josie to relax and sleep, but also give her a sense of control when her emotions get the best of her.  Good luck!

[deb]

At the moment we're trying to work our way toward bedtime/wakeup at the time change, which will hopefully be 7:30PM and 7-ish AM. We've tried and tried and tried to get J to bed earlier, but to no avail; DH tends to fall for her stalling tactics more than I, but both of us are usually trying to keep her quiet enough not to wake up Natalie. (She'll have a different bedtime too after the time change.) On the occasions when we DO get her to bed earlier, she'll be up chatting and singing to herself till 8:30-9Pm anyway. And Heaven forbid Josie has a NAP - THEN she won't sleep till at least 10PM. :roll:

Gotta run, N up from her nap and HUNGRY!

[Ami ~ 3 girls' mom]

Ashlyn does the same thing when on a no-nap strike, only she goes to bed just fine and wakes up in hysterics a couple times.  It corrects itself when she starts napping again, but we're working on two weeks here.     Up at 7:30 AM like clockwork, no matter how she slept that night.

I am ordering that book!   

[annabellesmommy]

Hey Deb,

You know something we use occationally for Annabelle is a Highlands product called Calms Forte 4 Kids.  It's similar to the Teething tabs that dissolve.  On the label it says:

*All Natural
*Relieves Restlessness, Sleeplessness, Night Terrors, Growing Pains, Causeless Crying, and Sleeplessness from Travel.

Anyway, we picked it right after dd was sick.  She had this lingering cough that I am all to familar with, you know the itchy one.  When I am like that I just need to get in the right position and relax enough to overcome the cough (even with cough meds) and go to sleep.  So, we tried it and it works.

Now, we use it when a nap gets missed because she is still a bit of a Spirited and Touchy toddler - it's like having a cup of Bedtime tea.  Now, that I have rambled.  You might try it and see if it helps get the sleep ball rolling.