We finally figured out how to get Squeaky out of our bed! She has been sleeping with us, for a LONG time now. Mostly my fault, as most things are. It started with Tim working nights…there was no reason to move Squeaky to her own bed as it was just me in the bed. I didn’t want to sleep alone as much as she didn’t. However, when this started, she was much smaller! And as she has grown, and now Tim is no longer working nights (he hasn’t for some time) there were just too many bodies in our bed.
There are also days when I am up at 4am for work…or I am not getting into bed after 11pm after working all night. Neither are good for her sleeping habits. I am sure Tim hates being woken up at those times, but at least he is an adult. I need her to get a full nights sleep, and not be woken up mulitple times throughout the night. (plus, I have to leave even if she is awake at 5am when I leave, so it really sucks for the one still home and wanting to sleep if the 4 year old has decided it’s wake up time!)
Once we figured out what it takes to make her a “big girl” the rest was easy. She has done wonderfully sleeping in her bed. She picks out three books, 1 for me to read, and 2 for her to look at to fall asleep on her own. I read the book, give hugs and kisses, leave her light on so she can read and I am out the door. Some nights she needs a drink, but it goes easily if I just give it to her…the nights I try to ignore that request take her longer to fall asleep.
One night, she wanted soooooooo badly to still be a big girl that she brought her pillow and blankets into my room, made a pallet on the floor and slept beside the bed on the floor! I am not sure what had scared her, but she did what she could to NOT crawl in bed with me. This was all done after I had fallen asleep and before Tim had come home from a late night working.
And Away She Goes….