27 Month Old Night Wakings

[milliesmaw]

I haven't posted here for ages but am looking for some guidance on dealing with the dreaded night wakings! My DS is 2, spirited and was always a challenge to get to sleep. However for nearly a year he's been sleeping through more often than not.

For the past few months (I've lost all track of time!) he has been waking a couple of times a night and as he shares a room with my DD I've been taking him into our bed so he doesn't disturb her. He has also been demanding milk or juice and being the weak-willed sleep-deprived mother that I am I have been giving it to him. So it seems that he is now waking every 4 hours, wants to sleep in our bed and needs a drink to get him off to sleep. Aaaagh what have I done!

Well to be fair he has been unwell for the past couple of weeks and we were staying at the inlaws for a week, I've started a new job so I haven't had the energy to deal with it. However now he's over his cold I need to work on changing things.

I think he is going through some separation anxiety but the main problem has been that my DD is in the same room!

We are hoping to transfer him to a bed soon so I wondered if we should do that and then deal with sleep when he's in his big boys bed?

What I thought I would do when he wakes is move DD to my bed - I think she would be fine with that if I explain why I'm doing it.

And i would do the mattress on the floor GW thing??

Anyway would love to hear any ideas and suggestions...

TIA

Jo

[andibig]

Hmmm difficult with two.
i'd be more tempted to do wi/wo with his night wakings.i don't think it is sep anx more a case that he is expecting milk/juice/parents bed when he wakes up rather than settling himself back to sleep.
is it possible to set up a little bed in your room for DD (like a sleeping bag) so when he does wake you can do wi/wo without disturbing her.
HTH
Andrea

[milliesmaw]

Hi Andrea - Thanks for your response. Yes the bed is a good idea! Do you think I should wait until we transfer him to a bed? He might see it as a fresh start but there again he'll be able to jump out and come and get me when I WO!

J

[andibig]

Well when we moved Sasha to her big bed she was already having NWs at the time (plus trying to get her out of her cot ) so DH and I thought we might as well kill two birds with one stone IYKWIM.Funnily enough she never attempted to get out of her bed .
Can i ask why you are moving him to a big bed?If he is happy in his cot/crib i'd leave him in it and deal with the NWs.
HTH
Andrea

[Shdef]

I would agree and put DD in the room with you for a wee while. You can explain her the situation, as she is old enough.

WiWo seems to work wonders after the first exhausting nights 

[milliesmaw]

Thank you ladies!
We were going to put him in a bed for practical reasons really. DD is getting a new bed and he is going to have the one that she has been using. It's a small house and we have no space for extra beds/cots etc. He likes to try and sleep on her bed and hey...it just seemed like a good time. So I'll get started before we get DD's new bed

I'm sure I'll be back...

[andibig]

Good luck and keep us posted