Well folks we are having some troubles. Emily has a terrible fear of bedtime. It's not a normal fear. It's complete panic here. If I go upstairs after dark, she panics. I have to go upstairs to my laundry room, which is where I spend half my life. But if it's after dark, Emily just falls apart. She screams at night if I put her down....not a normal scream, but like something out of a horror film. She is terrified. I have lights on in the room because I know she is fearful of the dark, but this fear of bedtime, I don't understand it. She wants to sleep in my arms. She has NOTHING to do with her bed. She sleeps in a crib next to us. I can touch her, but she wants me to hold her. I have never seen a child so scared....
Has anyone every experienced anything like this? My son had night terrors, but that is after you are at sleep. She is scared of the whole process.....pj time is panic time, because that means bed.........I'm really worried about her. I kinda wonder if she wasn't tied down or something at night?????
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Some problems
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8 comments:
Wish I could help you out on this problem... hope things work out soon. Our next trip is next weekend - we are going to Tampa Bay but it is for the East Meets West Conference a thing we have to do. Then the next big trip is back home and that will be in January... can't wait to get back home...
Emma likes to have some light, so we put a night light in her room. Up until just last week, she mostly slept with us. She usually falls asleep before we go to bed, so we are now putting her in her crib. A couple nights she made it through the night, the rest, about mid-way through, she wakes and wants to be with us. I think it's just all new. Remember, she's been in a different place and bed pretty often lately, so, I'm sure she will adjust. Love, Regina
My suggestion (and I am no Dr Phil) is to start a nighttime routine - stick to it - to the T - I did that with my daughter and I would say after about 2 weeks it was a different child (she slept fine in China) and when she came home was a little/lot jet lagged -so each night I would do a bath(5-10 mins) lotion, then we would sit in a chair in the TV room (not her room) and I would talk to her about the day- (maybe 5 mins) no tv on - I started by letting her fall asleep in my arms - then each night I backed it up a min- so right before she fell asleep I would take her and lay her down- and yes some night she would scream - I would go in tell her I love her and it is night night time-and lay her down - set the timer and stand outside her room-for 2 mins and repeat-over and over-I wanted her to know that I was there - but that she needed to go to sleep on her own-soem people don't agree with me - but in about 2-3 weeks I would lay her down and she would roll over and be asleep ina few mins - always the same bedtime etc - people made fun since I had her on such a tight routine - but it worked for her...and yes some night she would cry - but I would do it over and over - set the timer as 2 mins with a crying child is a LONG time. Also I used a sound machine in her room - started it out low and increased the white noise a little each night.. send me an email if you want to chat more - your daughter is adorable - in a few months this will all be behind you - lots of love-exercise/play - and she will sleep better...
just my 2 cents!
Carol in FL
do you read TBG Happenings? They had trouble with their Sophie and they took the crib, removed one side of it and literally attached it somehow to their bed. This way, Sophie can sleep in "her" bed but still be connected to mommy and Mommy can still get some sleep. Apparently this has been working like a charm. I beleive the blog is
http://tbghappenings.blogspot.com
How awful, Carol! I don't have any useful advice because I've never dealt with it. You may need to do a lot of rocking. Poor little sweetheart.
I don't have any real knowledge, but perhaps she is just used to having so many other kids near her at night... noise and people may be a comfort to her.
Thank You for sharing this with us. We are waiting for our peanut and will find this info very useful later! Things will improve...hang in there!
It's possible she was tied to the crib at night, but everything is still so unknown/uncertain at this point for her. Does she have a lovey/soft cloth to sleep with? Hang in there - think structure and consistency. It won't last forever.
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