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Results tagged “sleep” from Momtourage: Need Advice?

My 8-year-old daughter still sleeps with me. What should I do?

THE QUESTION :

My 8-year-old daughter still sleeps with me. I love having her with me, but I know she needs to sleep in her own bed. My mom died ten days after my daughter was born and I've really been over protective of her, so it's hard to let go. My daughter is also shy and doesn't have many friends outside of family. She cries or stays up all night unable to sleep when I try to put her in her own bed. What should I do?

THE ANSWER:

You don't fully define the members of your family outside of yourself and your daughter. Is her father involved? Does he have an opinion on the co-sleeping? My sense is that perhaps your nuclear family consists only of you and your daughter, and the situation has been going on for a very long time -- perhaps the entire eight years of your daughter's life.

Marilyn Augustyn

My two-year-old wakes up screaming every two hours. Would teething cause these outbursts?

THE QUESTION :

My two-year-old has always been a good sleeper, usually going down at 7:30 p.m. and sleeping until 7 a.m. Recently, he's been waking up every two hours screaming. He doesn't have a fever or any signs of a cold or flu, but he is drooling up a storm and seems like he's in pain. When I ask him where it hurts, he always points to his mouth. Would something as simple as a new tooth cause this much stress? He seems so upset. He's not complaining during the day, so I'm baffled.

THE ANSWER:

Since you have a history of a consistent bedtime routine and your toddler previously slept well, it does sound like something is causing him discomfort and disrupting his night. He's at the right age for teething and some toddlers do experience quite a bit of pain as teeth poke their way through sensitive gums...ouch!

Tanya Remer Altmann

How do I stop my son from sleepwalking?

THE QUESTION :

My 6-year-old son has been sleepwalking, and it scares me. Will he grow out of this? Also, does it mean that he's stressed or upset? He has no recollection of it the next morning. What can I do to help him?

THE ANSWER:

Sleepwalking is common, especially in kids ages 4 to 8. We don't know what causes sleepwalking, but it does tend to run in families.

Tanya Remer Altmann

Should my athletic kids have such trouble waking up for school?

THE QUESTION :

I have 3 kids, ages 5, 9 and 11. My oldest plays football and my 9-year-old daughter cheerleads. But they are tired in the morning and don't want to get up, so we are becoming habitually tardy for school. Any advice?

THE ANSWER:

Although playing football and cheerleading certainly can be tiring, the physical demands of these two activities for an 11- and 9-year-old shouldn't be enough to make them habitually late for school. My guess is something else may be causing the problem.

Curt Hinson

How can I get my newborn to sleep better at night?

THE QUESTION :

I have a two-and-a-half-year-old and a newborn. My first child did not sleep through the night until she was a year old, and now I feel my newborn is heading in that direction. Do you have any advice on how to get my newborn to sleep better? I have tried swaddling and he does not like it at all.

THE ANSWER:

Your newborn still needs to feed when he wakes up every 3 to 4 hours at night. That said, good sleep habits are best formed at a young age, and there are some things you can do now to make it easier for your little one to begin sleeping through the night in a few months:

Tanya Remer Altmann

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