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devondad · Jan 2, 2009, 10:06 AM

Hi Guys and Gals,

This is my first question on this 'ere site, so sorry if this question has been asked before, but I could really do with some advice.

I have two little girls, aged 4 and 18months, who for the past 8months have always shared a room

The problem being, is that every time the youngest one wakes, or even stirs during the night, my eldest one immedialtly wakes up. She wakes up really grumpy, and obviously really tired. But, no matter what we try she can never just settle and go back to sleep.

She gets really upset, and starts crying and saying "I can't sleep", it really gets to me, as I know how active she is during the days, and therefore realise how tired she must be in the middle of the night.

What we end up doing, most nights, if Im honest, is put the eldest one in "mummy and daddys" bed, but I REALLY don't like sleeping with her, so I go and sleep on the sofa, this is leading to me having really bad night sleeps, and therefore going back to bed in the mornings.

Im lucky that I run my own business from home, and don't start work till the early afternoon, but I also don't like the fact that I am rarely there for the kids and the mrs during the first couple hours of the day.

Anyway, has anyone got ANY advice on how we can encourage our 4yr old to stay in bed all night. As I really need to sleep better soon!

N0help4u · Jan 2, 2009, 10:19 AM

I think it would be better for now for you to get a bassinet and keep the 4 month old in your room until she starts sleeping through the night.

devondad · Jan 2, 2009, 10:28 AM

You have mis-read, or I have mis-implied,

I have a 4yr old, and an 18month old.

N0help4u · Jan 2, 2009, 10:33 AM

Oh sorry I was thinking 4 and 18 month old

Is there any way you could put the 18 month old in another room?
I know it is hard but the 4 yr old waking up has to be the hardest since you are dealing with not only getting the baby back to sleep but the other daughter too. I think the solution is figuring out other sleeping arrangements so they are not in the same room. Your 4 yr old sleeping with you all the time is not good because it could be very hard to break her of that.
The 18 month old in your room would be better for a temporary fix.

devondad · Jan 2, 2009, 10:40 AM

Unfortunately, we only have a two bedroom house,

The children's bedroom is the bigger of the two, and our youngests one bed just wouldn't fit in our bedroom.

The 4yr old has already got into the habit of sleeping in our bed, she certainly knows how to pull the heart strings. And unfortunately when me and the g/f are both tired, having the energy to calm her down and keep putting her back to bed is hard work.

N0help4u · Jan 2, 2009, 10:43 AM

Maybe switch bedrooms giving her the smaller one and you have the bigger one so there is more room to have the baby in there.
Sit down with the older one and tell her she is a big girl now. Maybe think of some incentives like decorating the room special and/ or staying up a half hour later if she will stay in her room.