Sleep issues - Preschooler and infant

My kids have always been great sleepers - 4-5 hour stretches from day 1 and STTN at 7 and 5 weeks. However, I all of a sudden now have two problems:

DS - at 3yo, DS wakes up at least once during the night and sometimes again between 5-6am. I can count on one hand the times this child has woken in the middle of the night - teething, sick, nothing's ever bothered him. Starting right around his bday, he'd wake up crying and we'd go in, calm him down and he's fall back asleep. But that was waking DD up, so I told him to not to cry and just to get up and come get us. BIG MISTAKE as I now wake up to his door flying open and find him in the hallway every night at least twice

Tonight he told me to leave the light on when he sleeps. He's got one nightlight but actually likes one lamp on when he falls asleep and we turn it off when we go to bed. But if I leave it on, how will he know when it's truly morning? Do I just get a second nightlight to make it a little brighter? Does this mean I should start getting rid of his nap so he's more tired at night? He still wants/needs at least 2hrs during the day. It's also taking an hour to put him to bed now. We used to read two books and he was done. Now that he feels brave enough to get out of bed, he gets out at least 3 times to tell us "he's having trouble falling asleep."

DD - For a couple of mos, she's been waking around 6am. We give her the paci and she falls right back. I'm afraid she's becoming too reliant on it but we dont want her fussing to wake up her brother. DS was a very early riser though so I feel like she might be too and the paci is the only way we get an extra couple of hours with her. Would you try to start weaning her from the paci (she's 6m)? She only uses it to sleep but I'm afraid she's not learing to self-soothe and it will be harder later.

Sorry if that's too long.

Message edited 12/6/2010 9:31:47 PM.

Re: Sleep issues - Preschooler and infant

Ok - it must be the age.

Jack has to sleep with the lights on now - and if we shut them off in the middle of the night and he wakes up, he will flip out.

I actually remember (and my mother reminded me that I had to sleep with the lights on too) -- I feel if this makes him comfortable and he is able to sleep with the lights on dim then I am going to keep doing this.

As for DD - I would keep giving her the paci for some extra sleep. Both of my boys are up by 6 am so I would take advantage of whatever extra sleep you can get - any way you can get it.

As for having good sleepers so early on.....I'm really hating you

Re: Sleep issues - Preschooler and infant

With Nate...it's the age. At 3 Lucas started going through the same thing and even now he will ask for the ligth to stay on once in a while. For the past 6 months he has a nightlight everynight. He was also doing the nighttime waking - he was screaming and it seems like he was experiencing night terrors. That, thankfully, has passed. Lately he wakes around 7am and I am usually up already with Gregory.

As for Charlie...I hate to give advice on pacifiers. Lucas never used one (HE didn't want it) and with Gregory he was super dependent on it but when he started daycare at 3 months I took him off (took two weeks for him to get over it) because I didn't want him having it there. I substituted a lovey (a cute little blanket from Baby Jar) and it seemed to help.

Re: Sleep issues - Preschooler and infant

Posted by Diana1215
As for having good sleepers so early on.....I'm really hating you