Has anyone used a sleep therapist?

[bcarp30]

I feel like I'm at a breaking point with DD and I don't know what else to do for her and it's breaking my heart! We transitioned to a toddler bed after a vacation where she slept really well in a twin bed the whole time. The first two weeks of the toddler bed were great. She woke up early, but went down well, loved her bed, was happy. She's 2.5 FWIW.

Something happened and she one night hated it. She screams hysterically, will get so worked up in the course of 5 minutes that she goes to the bathroom on the floor and can't breathe. She's been potty trained for months so this is definitely unusual for her. She tells me she doesn't like her room, doesn't like the bed, wants to sleep on the floor in our room, etc. We took apart the toddler bed and put the mattress on the floor and it didn't make it better or worse. I don't care if she doesn't go to sleep right away, I'm fine with her playing or reading books but she won't even stay in her room to do that.

Since this has all happened there hasn't been anyone else putting her to bed (so I'm not worried about a bad touch situation) expect for when she spent the night at my mom's house and slept really well there. The hysterical crying is so unlike her that it just makes me so sad. I don't let her cry long and as soon as I get her she stops and is laughing and playing.

Ugh, sorry this is so long! Any help is appreciated. Thank you!

[Brie]

Possibly @lauralynne?

[mlt]

What is she afraid of? DS1 went through a phase where he was terrified of wolves. We made a big production of finding "anti wolf spray" (hair spray) and spraying it around his room when the wolves were there.

That quelled the fears somewhat.

[bcarp30]

I've tried asking her @littlemoxie but she gets so worked up as soon as I say bed or night night that she starts sobbing. It's so sad!! Her teachers thought maybe a bad dream and she can't verbalize it to us for us to explain that it wasn't real. She doesn't communicate really well (she's more physical than talkative) but when I'm in her room with her she's happy, playing, will lay down and the second I leave she's screaming.

I'll try The breathing thing, that's a great tip! we are seeing her pedi on 7/22 for a 2.5 well check so if things aren't better by then I'll bring it up and see what she says.

[bcarp30]

mlt she can't verbalize to tell me what she's afraid of but I think making a spray would be a good idea. If anything, she has fun spraying that stuff so it could be a really good distraction! Thanks!!

[krisim]

Does she listen to music at night? I bought my DD Disney princess cds to listen to at night and told her that monsters were scared of/hated princess music and it worked like a charm!

[bcarp30]

krisim she has before but I just hear her yelling "Elsa! Ariel! Rewwa!! Rora!!" And wanting to change the music to her princess of choice haha! But I can try a Beethoven or Chopin bedtime music option! Thanks!

[Deleted]

We have a sleeping bag at the foot of our bed on the floor. DS has slept there, off and on, for a long time. He's been back in his bed more lately, but not of my doing.

I'm a "do what it takes to survive" person, so I'd probably let her sleep somewhere else for a few weeks (or even months) as long as she didn't freak the f out.

[Deleted]

Is there a noise going on outside of her room she hates?

DD did something related though not as bad.

She would scream hysterically. Want to be in our room on the floor. Someone to sleep with her you name it.

Some of it was separation anxiety she couldn't verbalize I think.

The rest was she heard The Russian banging around the kitchen making his nightly tea and it kept scaring her. She thought it was monsters or someone else in the house. We finally got her up to show it was just Russian and it was a lot better. I think she was just in such a deep sleep it startled awake and she had no idea what was going on in her confusion, even though it was a perfectly normal thing.

[bcarp30]

@tokenhoser that's where I am but DH wants her in her room. I get that but she's still my baby and her being so upset breaks my heart. I did look for sleeping bags last night so if nothing g else I may just get her one.

@justdairy I've thought about that but haven't heard anything unusual. She has a white noise fan in there that blocks out a lot of noise and she likes to play with it so I don't know if that's bothering her. I thought maybe the dog too but she always wants him to sleep in her room so probably not him. I'm going to keep an ear and eye out though to see if there are any weird noises I don't know about.

[Deleted]

We almost always moved him back to his bed after he fell asleep. He knows he can come back and sleep on our floor and not get in trouble, though. Anything to try to get him to NOT WAKE ME UP.

Sometimes we give up the ideal because that's what our kid needs, right now. There is no way I'd fight that fight every night. If your husband wants to, well, I hope he enjoys doing bedtime alone until this blows over.

[krisim]

Jul 7, 2015 11:41:55 GMT -5 bcarp30 said:

krisim she has before but I just hear her yelling "Elsa! Ariel! Rewwa!! Rora!!" And wanting to change the music to her princess of choice haha! But I can try a Beethoven or Chopin bedtime music option! Thanks!

Of course she isn't happy with her choice--girls' gotta change her mind!  

[Marmee]

Yes, I had one for DD4 at 10-11mo old. I'm in Denver & can try & see if I can find her info. I got her through EI service & she helped us a lot.