3 year old sleep regression

[Mum2lucy]

Hi,

My LG has just turned 3. Has been self settler for a long time with dummy which she still has. We’ve been on holiday for 10 days which has knocked her routine out but just looking for advice.

She is saying she doesn’t want to go to sleep and gets out of her bed multiple times where I keep putting her back in and telling her sleepy time. She gets really upset being put back into bed. When I eventually give up of this getting up and putting her back in, I’ll stand at her door and she goes to sleep quickly from me being there. This can be 30-45 mins process.

Her routine is 7.20am (sun clock, unsure when she wakes) to about 7.30pm. No nap. When she does fall asleep, she tends to sleep through

Do you think she is OT just now with all the crying and in and out of bed or does she need her routine pushed out later?

She is so hard to tell. Frustrating!
Thanks

[Conniesmummy]

Sorry not sure I can help but think we are going through this too 🤦‍♀️
Regardless of what time we put her to bed dd wakes mega early, 5:30 ish as an average. She is downright horrible in the day cos she’s to tired. We’ve been nap free for about 2 months now 🙄
This morning we got 6:15 with a 6:55 asleep last night. This has been going on for about 2 weeks so far. We have had early mornings before but never since the nap drop. It’s a very long day til bedtime 😳😔
We’ve got a massive car journey today so no doubt she’ll fall asleep and then refuse to go to bed tonight 🙄, especially as first night of our holiday.
Who says newborns are hard work hey?! 🤦‍♀️😳

[Mum2lucy]

Ha yes toddlers are worse as they have attitude 🤣
 Last night she cried at 9.30 briefly and then awake at 7am (didn’t wait for sun)

Today she was in the car about 4.20 and fell asleep and she was so hard to wake up but I did wake her as she can’t have any day sleep if I want a normal bedtime.

However it was the same again, goes upstairs for bedtime routine fine and then when it comes to going to sleep and saying night, she goes crazy saying she doesn’t want to go to sleep and mummy you sleep with me.

I’ve never ever slept with her even as a new born so this is very out of the blue. I said she has her bed and I have mine to sleep in but mummy loves you etc. today I tried to talk to her about bedtime and she said nothing was bothering her about it. She’s a very articulate 3 year old but I’m well aware she may not be able to convey her feelings about it.

Anyone got any ideas? x

[Conniesmummy]

Amazingly mine stayed awake on a 6.5 hr car journey!!
She’s been mental all afternoon, especially when her cousins arrived to stay with us in their tent. We had a later teatime due to setting up so was a bit teary after tea.
Bt was an hour late but fingers crossed straight to sleep. First night is always a killer tho 🙄😳
We’ve tried the ‘I want to sleep in mummy’s bed’ in a few occasions and I’ve just been firm and to the point that we have our own beds. Again, mine has never co slept!! 🤦‍♀️
I know my nephew, just turned 4, has every excuse under the sun some days and even tries to bargain with my brother and sister in law at bedtime. My brother is like me and quite stern and to the point but my sister in law is a softy x

[Katet]

Developmentally it seems that it's not uncommon to not like being alone at 3yo & needing that extra help to go to bed. It's definitely a "this too will pass", but a lot is that they are more independent at the same time as noticing that they need a trusted person more & throw in tiredness if they aren't napping etc.

From my own experiences, I'd have to say it's in many ways a problem with western society's expectation that they can just go to sleep on our desired routine, rather than a problem with a child's ability to go to sleep. Mentally they have huge leaps in the toddler/preschool times & the high amounts of mental processing going on mean they can't always switch off their brain like they did when younger & need the security of a parent to switch of one part of their brain & relax. Sometimes a longer routine works, for my eldest we found (for whatever reason) he'd settle to sleep in our bed & we'd carry him to his (didn't disrupt night sleep), whereas with my youngest, he was sharing with his brother & a shared bedtime & longer bedtime stories sorted it for us.