3 yr old afraid to go to sleep

[Gina M]

OK, so I know this is a phase a lot of kids go thru, but would love some advice.

My 3 yr old DD is afraid of loud noises - we have had a lot of thunderstorms lately and the 4th of July fireworks and my neighbor has a loud motorcycle and the other one does construction, so needless to say noises are everywhere. White noise does not work.
She is PETRIFIED. She shakes, cries, sweats, and walk in walk out does not work. Either me or DH has to sleep with her.
With that being said I also have a 6 mos old who I am nursing. I cannot sleep with the both of them. My DH is traveling next week so I will be alone in this and have NO idea how I am going to juggle the 2 of them.
I also work from home and get much of my work done at night. UGH.
I have tried to stay with my DD til she falls asleep and then sneak out, but she always wakes up. Our wooden floors and stairway creeks loudly it is a dead give away when I sneak out.
Even if I stay with my DD I have to go get the other little one to bed, take a shower, clean the house, do my work, get everything ready for the next day, then go to sleep myself and get up at 4am to feed my 6 mos old who then goes back to sleep til 7am. I typically get up at 6am to get some stuff done before the kids wake, but if I am sleeping with my DD she'll wake up when I do.
I can't win. I again have NO idea how I am going to do this when DH is away.
DD has not napped or gone to bed before 11pm in 3 days. Her behavior is therefore awful as well.
HELP!

[elf]

It was around this age that my DD needed a dim lamp on in her room so she could see at night.  She doesn't want to sleep in the dark.  She goes to bed listening to classical music and when she wakes in the night she knows how to press play on her CD player and it helps her fall back to sleep.  I was worried that my DD would find it hard to sleep properly with the light on but it seems to take away any sort of fears.  I think around age 3 the imagination (more so for some, and especially in the case of my girl) can get the better of them...

[Shiv52]

We were having some of this a while ago (scary monsters with googly eyes in his wardrobe and lions etc) and we did lots of talking about how mummy and daddy keep her safe and we looked for the monsters and told them to head on home to their beds etc.  Nightlight and music here. 

I think talking to her about nighttime and that she needs to stay in her bed and then you just need to follow through.  If DH is away next week then that should give you a few days to get it started and she'll know whats happening for when he is away.  I wouldn't lie with her but maybe sit at the door for the first 2 nights if WI/WO wasn't working and then after that move out the door and just to putting her to bed after your winddown.

After our winddown together DD1 lies and looks at some books herself (gets her really relaxed) then I go back in 5/10 minutes later and put her music on and give her a kiss night night and then leave.  It took 3  nights of this new routine for the bedtime nonsense to stop so hopefully once she realises you mean business bedtimes and nights will get easier again.

HTH xx

[~inbalance~]

At this age my DS1 is starting to have more fears as well.  I find talking to him about them is the best route.  We talk about what scares him, both during the day and before bed.  He needs a lot of reassurance.  I would do wiwo so she knows you will be back to comfort her when she needs you, and as obviously you can't be spending all night with her.  We found a nightlight has helped a lot as well. 

[tripleblessed]

At this age my ds started having fears too.  We have found the sound machine helps a lot as does a twilight turtle for when he is falling asleep.  lots of stars and a moon to look at.