3 year old comes to my bed every night!

Active Poster Joined: Nov 27 2006 Posts: 66

So, my daughter just turned 3 and I moved her out of her crib a couple of months ago. She goes to sleep really nicely, BH, but walks to my bed every night at about 2 or 3 am and sleeps with me till the morning.
Aside from the fact that I really want her to break this habbit and at that hour, I just dont know what to say to her, I am also expecting soon and want her to stop this before I have another baby in my room!
Any good ideas?!

Senior Member Joined: Feb 04 2007 Posts: 221

is she old enough to bribe?

Give her 3 pennies when she goes to sleep.
eveytime she gets out of bed she has to give you one, whatever she has in the morning are hers to keep. If you want you can tell her when she has 20 pennies (or whatever number you want) you can give her a bigger reward.

If she is too young to bribe I got nothing.

My friend did this with her 7 year old and had to use quarters. Got expensive after a while but it did work.

I have had a few kids who did this, even some at 4 or 5. Once it got to be a little too much to have them in my bed (due to pregnancy discomfort!), I told them they could take a pillow and blanket and make a "bed" on the floor next to mine. I think, sometimes, they get nervous in the middle of the night, and just need a little parental comfort. They aren't sad enough to cry, they just need the closeness of a parent. I really try to roll with it and not make a big deal. They do grow out of it and realize that their bed is a lot more comfortable that a pillow and blanket on the floor!

my dd is 4 and comes into one of our beds every night. I have made charts where after so many nights of sleeping in her own bed the whole night she gets a prize. it worked but only until something changed - like she went to sleep really late, we slept somewhere else for the night...

she's generally a huggy, touchy kid and she like to slepp next to someone. problem is that next to someone is literal - if u move over, she moves as well so after a few hours ur almost off the bed. if I am awake when she comes into my bed then I take her back to her own bed but if I sleep through her arrival then im just stuck with a terrible sleep, bec when I wake up I think its 6:00 or something so no point in switching her back... and of course its 2:00.

I started sleeping smack in middle of the bed so if she comes into my bed, she will wake me up. but being a smart girl she chooses to go into dh's bed knowing he wont get up and take her to her bed. doesnt solve the situation, but at least I get a chatzi decent sleep, until I make a new chart.

Active Poster Joined: Nov 27 2006 Posts: 66

Thank you all for the suggestions. I think I have to do a combination of the bribe and firm parenting. its just so hard in middle of the night....

Senior Member Joined: Nov 05 2009 Posts: 189

Lock your door. Now that your daughter is used to being allowed in your bed, it will be very hard to break the habit. You need to break it now before you have another kid in your bed too.