3 1/2 year old wont stay in her bed to sleep, any suggestions?

by Cassidy Boelk
(San Diego)

My 3 1/2 year old daughter has sensory processing and motor planning and lately she will not stay in her bed to sleep, every nite now it is a huge struggle to have her lay down and not come out of her bed yelling and screaming and as of late now she is waking up screaming alot bc of nite mares.




We are doing our best with her but it is extremely exhausting and trying, if anyone has any suggestions on how to help her calm down and rest peacefully I am all ears, thanks so much!



Comments for 3 1/2 year old wont stay in her bed to sleep, any suggestions?

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Jun 25, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		We, too
by: Anonymous

See if your child's neurologist recommends melatonin, a natural supplement that helps one fall asleep. It doesn't make you sleep but does help a child fall asleep. It's been a miracle for our family since the neurologist recommended it.
Our child also sleeps with us- she needs to touch someone in order to sleep. We don't mind and she gets sleep. Good luck.
Jun 19, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		was an easy fix for us!
by: Anonymous

The OT at my son's school suggested that we have him sleep in a kids sized sleeping bag! It has been miraculous!!! Good luck!!!
Jun 16, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		3 1/2 year old's fears
by: Anonymous

I recently went to visit my grandkids - by trying to tidy up my 3 1/2 year old's room, I hung up all her little dresses in the closet which were folded before. That night she had nightmares and woke up screaming and would not go back to bed even though her little rainbow light was put on. When we asked her in detail what scared her she said it was the dresses that were hanging in the closet. Next day she understood they were not monsters and was ok.
I hope your little girl's problem is just as simple.
Jun 15, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Help!
by: Krista

My four and half year old son has SPD and until about 9 months ago we had the same struggle (along with many other struggles:)
His OT suggested this listening program and having him listen to it for 15 minutes a day - in the evening, close to bedtime, and preferably he did it while swinging slowly. We got a hammock style swing and put it in our basement.
The program is called "The LISTENING Program" and it's a set of 10 CDs. It comes with instructions for which songs to play which days, etc. It did miracles for our son!! We noticed a a big difference within the first week and now he sleeps through the night! Our therapist got it for us but I imagine you could talk to your OT or check e-bay??
Good luck!
Jun 15, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		A Good Nights Sleep
by: Anonymous

Make sure that the room is dark...no night lights.

Maintain a consistent bed time making sure that the child gets at least nine hours of sleep a night. Some children need more.

Do make sure that her bedding does not have dust mites or any other parasites that may be "bugging" her. Many children are very sensitive to dust mites.

Do some research into Solfeggio frequencies, biaural beats and invest in a few good CD's to play at bedtime. They are wonderful.

Nature sounds are also very calming.

A quite warm bath before bedtime is comforting.

Almond milk: it has more minerals, less fat, no sugars and more calcium than cows milk. Calcium is a key factor in good sleep.

Coconut milk..the same as above.

I don't recommend soy for kids. (Do your research.)

Make sure that the child is properly hydrated...dehydration causes restless sleep.

A healthy snack before bed will also help. Nothing with sugars. Depending on your child, caffine can act as a sedative for toddlers.

Sugar does not always make children hyper, however, it is present in many foods and is not good for anyone.

No artificial sweeteners...they are toxic waste to our bodies. (Do your research.)

Check out a natural food store and ask for some suggestions. Herbals could work great for you.

Massaging the scalp. (Do some research.)

Keep the child away from electronic equipment of any kind for at least one hour before bed. (Do some research on this.)

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to The SPD Q & A.