Ok....Please help....

MyLuvBugs wrote: I've been debating what I was going to ask/say b/c I'm still very upset and confused by this, and I don't want you all to think I'm a bad mommy.

For the last couple weeks, Lorelei has been waking in the middle of the night (around 3-4 am). Sometimes she'll get up and play with her dollies and books, but she's quiet and will eventually go back to sleep in bed. Other times she'll make a huge racket, talking to her dolls, getting into the dirty clothes, etc. and I'll need to go in there and crawl in bed with her to get her to go to sleep.

This morning just made me cry. She'd gotten up sometime in the middle of the night (I didn't hear her on the monitor. She can be quite stealthy) And at 8am when I went in to wake her up, she'd fallen asleep in front of the door to her room. Apparently she'd gotten up, grabbed her baa baa and blankie and curled up on the floor in front of the door. I feel like the worst mommy, and I don't understand. I don't know if she's scared, or cold, or bored, or not tired......And I've tried to teach her to open the doors, but she refuses to do it.

I just want to understand this. Maybe it's sleep walking? I really don't know, but it breaks my heart to have my baby sleep on the floor in front of her door.

luvmykids replied: It does not make you a bad mommy!!!

Macie has been sleeping on the floor for weeks, I don't have any idea why and neither does she. She just says she likes it. I figure if she isn't waking me at night then it must be some phase type of thing where in her 2 year old mind she likes it for whatever reason, she is perfectly capable of getting back in her bed and just doesn't.

I don't know if you remember Judy, mamajam, but two of her boys slept on the floor for years and it was a big upgrade when they got them to sleep on a mattress on the floor.

MyLuvBugs replied: It just makes me sad. I'd almost rather her wake up and come in and get me, ya know. Dh and I talked about it today at lunch, and I think we're going to try leaving her door and our door slightly open, so that she can come in and get us. We'll see if that helps. I just wish she could tell me what's wrong.

A&A'smommy replied: you are NOT a bad mommy I'm sure its just a phase that she is going through!!!

ZandersMama replied: my boy has a little toddler pull out couch, and some mornings when I go to check on him he is asleep on that, he gets out of bed and curls up there. Kids are weird!

Boo&BugsMom replied:
How does that make you a bad mommy?! It certainly does NOT!

For the longest time when Tanner was about 2-3, he would wake up every day around 5am and crawl in bed with us and fall back asleep. Was ok with it for awhile, until he started putting his feet and arms in my face while he was asleep. He also had night terrors....those were fun...NOT!

If I had to assess the situation with what you just said, I would guess that because she knows she is allowed to get up in the middle of the night and play and you don't make her go back to bed, she keeps doing it. I would be willing to bet that she got up, started playing, but was too tired to crawl back into bed.

Perhaps you should redirect her back to her bed when she gets up?

MyLuvBugs replied: Problem is...she's stealthy and I don't hear her half the time. Unless she's talking (which she also talks in her sleep so that's not always helpful) or banging the books around or in the laundry basket (which makes noise as it opens and closes), I can't tell when exactly she gets up. KWIM? We'll try to see if she can just come in and wake us up for awhile....maybe then she'll get a good nights sleep.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
What a sneaky kiddo! I guess we've been lucky (well, kind of) because Tanner has always came and woke us up. Not good on saturdays though. I would try the door open like you said. Talk to her about coming to get you when she gets up. Does she know how to read numerals yet? If she can, perhaps try putting a digital clock in her room and tape numbers below where the time would be. Tell her when the numbers match she can get up. Only problem with that is.....if the time passes over that, will she get up because they wont match anymore?

My2Beauties replied: You are certainly not a bad mommy! Oh my goodness Hanna has done some crazy things in her sleep. Some kids would just rather sleep on the floor. Honestly it does not make you bad, like Tannerbugsmom said she probably just woke up, played really hard and was so tired that she didn't even feel like crawling back into bed. I'm sure she knows it's ok to come in your room, she would probably just rather play. This is fine and if you ask me, you're very lucky that she can go back to sleep on her own, lots of kids can't do that - mine was one of them for a very long time!

na81 replied: That does not make you a bad mommy!! As for what to do.... it sounds like it's just a phase. I'm not exactly sure what you can do. If she isn't upset and crying like she needs you, then I wouldn't worry about it too much even though it breaks your heart. Hope things get better soon!

mckayleesmom replied: Your not a bad mom.....If she was scared...she would cry right? She is probably just restless and she gets up and plays for a little bit and doses off where she is playing last. Russell is hardly ever in his bed when I check on him. We just have his mattress on the floor right now and he usually rolls off and uses the mattress as a pillow...

redchief replied: If she needs something or is ill, she will come get you. Maybe she doesnt WANT to wake you in the middle of the night. Lord knows the strange places we found our kids in the morning. At first we were a little concerned, but in time we were amused. You're not a bad mother if your child relocates her sleeping place in the middle of the night.

AlexsPajamaMama replied: I think its a normal thing, Alex does this too. I would not feel like a bad Mom
IMO...The only thing with allowing her to leave her bedroom is she might be wandering around & get into things that could hurt her while you are sleeping...that is my fear with Alex anyway.

MyLuvBugs replied:
I wish she could read already. LOL but she's only 19 1/2 months old. We still have some learning to go.

However, DH and I think we've figure out why she's wasn't sleeping well.....Lacko food and activity! The last two nights she's slept all the way until 8 am. However, on nights when she doesn't eat all her dinner and hasn't had a lot of running around during the day....she'll wake up.... It's at least a theory that we're going to test some more. I'm sure I'll have to post more about it later. LOL