Night wakings 3.5 yr old...help! (LONG)

I thought maybe some of you girls could offer some advice.

When my son was a baby I used the ferber method very successfully. He basically slept thru the night until he was about two. But then he started waking up and climbing into our bed occassionally...which became more frequent until we stopped that behavior. He appears to have some rather scary nightmares (not night terrors, but mares>) So some nights I can understand his fear and sympathize. But other times I know he is in the habit of waking...or something. HE is once again waking nightly (which has been a consistent cycle since age 2- 2 months waking nightly, then two weeks sleeping thru the night>) So basically he is waking nightly more often than not. Every night for at least 4 months we have bought him back to his own bed and made him sleep there (except once when he had 104 temp. I don't get it, how come he never breaks the habit and always ends up trying to sleep with us or at least just waking in the middle of the night. Tonight he woke 3 times between 1-4am. Which is why I am up. I have used several methods to try to keep him in bed to varying degrees of success....Smiley charts, seeing a special show on days he slept all night in his own bed, threats of closing his door. Nothing is working now. He just wants to sleep with us and he has been crying for 40 min in his room now. I really do not know what else to do. I considered gating off my room but on nights when he wakes terrified from a nightmare I do not want him locked out. He goes to bed fine alone in his bedroom each night, but then......Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Forgot to mention I am due with my second baby this month. I might blame that for his sleep issues, but this has been going on way too long.

Message edited 8/8/2007 5:33:34 AM.

Re: Night wakings 3.5 yr old...help! (LONG)

Anyone?

Re: Night wakings 3.5 yr old...help! (LONG)

Mine are only 1/2 and 5 months so I don't have personal experience. Maybe you should close his door or gate it so he knows that he can't get out of his room and come to you. He knows now that when he wakes up he can go into you which is why I bet he keeps doing it. I would suggest putting a monitor in his room so you can hear him. A few days of his CIO at night should work.

Re: Night wakings 3.5 yr old...help! (LONG)

Thanks. Maybe I will try that. I just hate having him locked in his room for safety reasons which is why I have considered gating off our room. I also think it is unfair to ignore him when he actually has a nightmare. Maybe with the monitor gating his room will work.

Re: Night wakings 3.5 yr old...help! (LONG)

I wish I had advice my son is 5 years old and still wakes up at night. He wants someone to be with him