Attached to Daddy

Victoria - posted on 11/07/2008 ( 4 moms have responded )

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My son's been driving us a little crazy this week (just started this week every night). He wakes up in the middle of the night calling out loudly for his Dada. He ends up screaming. I feel badly because my landlord lives in the bottom half of the house and sleeps right under our son's room (granted he's super sweet and doesn't get mad about it when I ask if it bothers him).



My husband actually let him sleep on him for a few hours before putting him in between us in bed where he'll fall asleep. Then he'll wake up fully energized at 5AM (thankfully I am used to waking up at 5:30 normally anyway since I was a child). He did this for a few days and my husband got a fever because of lack of rest. I told my husband he was spoiling him and that he shouldn't make it a habit and that our son needs to be in his own bed.



Last night my son woke up at night yelling and crying for his Dada. I closed the door of his bedroom and wanted to try to let my husband sleep, while for 30 minutes I tried calming my boy down best I could. Eventually he started drinking some milk and calmed down and fell asleep through the rest of the night and woke up at 6AM (which is the usual time he had been waking up before this week). I am glad that I was able to get him calmed down.



If he does it again do you know of maybe any ideas why he is like this?

Have any of you experienced this?

My husband plays with him after work and so there really isn't any missing his daddy factors causing this. They have fun together. My worry is that he will do this even more often when I am due to have another baby around Christmas. My son doesn't understand that he is going to be a brother at allllll so I don't think he is upset in that mannerism. I just don't want him to end up doing this anymore when I'll have an infant to tend to as well in the middle of the night.

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4 Comments

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Angie - posted on 11/12/2008

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My daughter does the same thing. My husband slept with her on the couch a few nights ago, and the next night, she was up yelling for Daddy again. Unless she's really upset, I don't go in her room at night. She usually talks herself back to sleep. I've noticed too that if she eats a lot before she goes to bed it's worse. Good luck!

Victoria - posted on 11/12/2008

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I was actually thinking that he is so ready for a toddler bed. He likes to climb into our bed randomly. We are getting a toddler bed (that goes into a full bed) soon anyway because we're having another baby next month.



He's been a little better with going to sleep without screaming so much and does it before going to bed now rather than at 3 AM which is better.

Genevieve - posted on 11/12/2008

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Is he still in his crib? My doctor said that sometimes when children all of the sudden develop trouble sleeping (and there is no reasonable evidence as to why) it may be because they are just ready for a new bed. I know the crib is preferable because it keeps them out of harms way, but with serious baby proofing and maybe a trial run to see if it will work, you may be able to get some sleep again. Good luck!

Sarah - posted on 11/07/2008

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Some kids are Daddy's girls or boys and some are Momma's girls or boys...my 6 year old has always been a Daddy's girl...if she is sick or gets up at night, she still asks for Daddy and doesn't want me to bother her. My 2nd daughter, on the other hand, is a Momma's girl! You will hear her from her room calling "Mommy, mommy". If I don't go to her she will start calling for Daddy, but she prefers me. Not sure what a third child would do! Anyway, I think you did the right thing by trying to comfort your child and let his dad sleep. If you keep it up he will learn night time is for sleeping, not Daddy play time. And he will still be a Daddy's boy! A lot of parents let their kids in bed with them every night, but I am a strong believer that mommy and daddy's bed is mommy and daddy's place...a place to have some alone time (which gets harder and harder to come by). Hope all goes well!