Almost 3, suddenly waking up at night. HELP!

[Vskids]

My daughter, who will be three next month, has been a good sleeper since she was 6 months old.  She transitioned well to a BGB, and to sharing a room with her older sister.  In the last few weeks, she has suddenly started waking up multiple times a night and screaming until my husband or I goes in and lays down with her.  She wakes up the whole house, including 7mo baby brother who is already waking multiple times a night. 

Any ideas how to get her to stop?

[*Becky*]

bumping up x

[momtonb&ab]

could she be having a nightmare?  we have gone through a huge developmental stage here lately and with it came nightmares and loneliness - an awareness of being more alone than ever before.

[Vskids]

She's very verbal and she hasn't said anything to make me think it could be nightmares. 

I've been working on slowly moving away from lying down beside her to get her to sleep, showing some progress.  In the last week, she's progressed to the point that I can sit beside her bed instead of on it.  I'm hoping this will help her learn to self-soothe and reduce the number of times she's calling for parental help in the middle of the night.  I wish it was moving along more quickly, because my 7 month old is still waking 4+ times each night also and I am exhausted.

[anjabibby]

Hi, this is exactly what we are going through. DD will wake 3 -4 times screaming or crying for mummy, we don't actually have to lie down but have to go in and soothe her before she goes back to sleep. We are going to get a night light today - letting her choose and telling her that when she wakes up that she doesn't have to be scared as the light will be there so she can just go back to sleep. Hoping this will help. Let me know if you have any luck.
I am also exhausted as DS (nearly 6 months) also not STTN.