Long Nights

I have a baby who is under six months old. Therefore, I don't expect to actually sleep totally through the night.

What I didn't anticipate was it would be my FIVE YEAR OLD waking me up several times a night.

For whatever reason, Riley has really been struggling with nightmares at night. She will have one and get really spooked, come wake me up-crying, and ask/try to sleep in my bed. But she can't sleep in my bed because she's such an active sleeper that Matt and I can get no rest if she's in our bed. The last time I tried letting her sleep on the floor in my room, she also had a nightmare that there was something under my bed, so she won't sleep there either.

I'm almost at a loss what to do. She's had a different nightmare every night this week (so far). And I can't really pin-point any changes that would prompt the sudden rise in nightmares. Her movie habits are the same and she doesn't get to watch tv except on Saturday mornings and I've seen all the shows she watches. They are harmless NOT scary things.

It's really frustrating because I like to sleep just as much as the next person. And heaven help us if she actually wakes Matt up. Let's just say he's not as compassionate in the middle of the night as he can be during normal waking hours.

I just don't really know how to help her. I remember having horrible nightmares when I was younger, so I really do empathize with her. I think this is what helps me keep my cool in the wee hours of the morning, when she's awakened me again for the third time (and yes, sometimes she is coming into my room three, four, or five times). I try to talk through her fears with her, sorting out reality from imagination. We discuss being brave, knowing she is not alone-even at night, and also thinking of "happy thoughts*" as she drifts off to sleep. But so far none of that is working.

All I know to do at this point is wait it out and hope this phase passes quickly.



*As a side note: The phrase "happy thoughts" actually appeared in our house back when Adrianne was going through a phase where SHE was having bad nightmares. I don't exactly remember how old Adrianne was at the time when she was struggling or how long it took her to get over it. But if I remember correctly, Adrianne only seemed to have trouble falling asleep at night, not waking up. Riley can fall asleep just fine, but wakes frequently in the night.