Toddler night waking

DD was never a great sleeper. Didn't sleep through the night until almost one and still wakes when sick, etc. now at 3.5 she was waking say 1-2 a month, usually do to stuffy nose/cough or sometimes bad dream.

The last 2 weeks it's now every night and often multiple times. She is not sick. I think it's for attention/comfort but nothing big has changed in our lives.

She wakes inconsolable and the baby is in room next to her. The only way to get her to stop is close her door for 2 mins which she is scared of. Then we tell her to go back to sleep and stop crying if she wants her door open. Usually she complies.

We've stopped being super sweet and nice rocking her, etcetera as we thought that's contributing to her need for attention.

Do we make her cry it out?
Give her love and attention if it's a bad dream?

I don't know what to do it this is not sustainable. The baby still wakes in the night too and we can't go on like this.

Toddler night waking

yes be consistent and stern. When dd was doing that, we had to not be very nice about it, not mean where she was scared but very stern and she went back to normal sleeping after a few days.

For bad dreams, I remind her it's a dream and not real etc and comfort but still stern

Toddler night waking

You sound like you are describing my DD, also 3.5.
I don't know if they are at an age where they have a hard time falling back to sleep or what. But it can drive you crazy.
I try talking to mine thru the monitor first, I just tell her to roll over and go back to sleep. Sometimes that works. Other times she asks to have her door open and the hall light on.

Sorry, no great advice but I do feel your pain :)