Advice needed on how to handle a change from crib to bed!!

So we finally got my dd whose 4 a bed. In the crib she slept from about 8 to 7 waking up only to use the bthrm. Now in the new bed she wakes up 2-3 times a night crying that no one is watching her & she's scared. She asked that we put a gate on the bed; we got her a bed rail & that didn�t help. She now decided that I have to sleep with my eyes open so I can watch her. When she wakes up in middle of the night she calls out from her room asking if my eyes are open & watching her, if I don�t hear here & answer back she ends up coming to my bed & waking me up (she goes back to bed nicely after I convince her that my eyes are gonna stay open to watch her) she'll do this 2-3 times & she started waking up at 6:30 AM no matter if we put her to bed earlier or later & she keeps coming to ask me when im getting up which is usually around 8. (When she would wake up at 7 from the crib she would play nicely on her own)
She refuses to go back to the crib & I�m going nuts from being woken up from her especially that I have my baby waking me up too at different times.
I need advice & ideas how to get her to start sleeping through the night again
& not to get up so early. (we tried bribing her with prizes & trips but that didn�t work)

did you get her a twin size bed? some kids feel too much empty space around them when transitioning. can you fill her bed with stuffed animals so she feels more surrounded? how about lying down with her in bed for fifteen minutes at bedtime? is she more comfy sleeping on a crib mattress on the floor? how about getting her something like this (you can get them cheaper)

http://www.diapers.com/p/pacif.....amp;ci_kw={keyword}

Silver Member Joined: May 01 2012 Posts: 629

That is so annoying. Esp. if you didn't get a full night's sleep to begin with! ds was begging for a bed at age 3. We did the bed with guard rail and he also began visiting us nightly. I didn't mind so much when the beds were together, but other times he would fall off! Oy!
No foolproof solution here, but for a while I put some folded blankets on the floor near my bed so if he came in I could transfer him to that "bed" instead of all the way back to his room.
It's hard to balance their need for comfort and security with having your sleep!!! Hatzlacha.

Mummiedearest- She sleeps already with 3 of her dolls but I guess that�s not enough security, the tent looks like a cute idea but no room for it.
Syrima- I only let her sleep in my room when she's sick & b'h we can enforce that rule.