Does anyone have adcvice on getting my almost 7 year old to start sleeping in her bedroom again? This has been happening since just before school started. She started on the couch, and is now sleeping half-way in her room, and half-way in the hall outside her bedroom door. I have tried everything from moving her into her sister's bedroom, to just making her go in her bed and

Stephanie - posted on 05/05/2009

I have a 7 year old daughter as well. Her big thing is sleeping upside down in her bed. I don't mind of course, because she is in her bed. However when I was a kid, I hated being in my room. My mom made me a tent (made of sheets) in my room. I had a sleeping bag in there and flashlights and lots of books that I would read before I went to bed. She also put a fan in my room to mimic the wind. I loved 'camping out' in my room. If she's a Harry Potter fan, you could tell her she's at the Quidditch World Cup! Just a thought, hope it helps!

Amanda - posted on 03/24/2009

try giving your daughter a cd story to listen to that way she has company tell here that you will come and check on her after the story has finished and that way she will want to listen to the tape have it on low so she hass to lie still to listen to it, they last about 1 hr and by the end of it she should be asleep in the bed. it worked for my daughter, let us know if it works.

Shanell - posted on 02/23/2009

try laying down with her till she goes to sleep, or try leaving a nite light o for her.

Fawn - posted on 02/17/2009

My 3yr old and 5yr old are consistatly trying to sleep in the living room or our room on the floor, I only have 2 problems with that.  A fire, or the fact that the floor is a lot colder than their bed and I don't want them getting sick.

My husband and I are always on the same page when it comes to the night time rituals, weither or not he or I put them to bed or what time it is.  We tuck them in (they have a bunk bed) there is a small night light and we have a music box that plays for about a min and 1/2, works great for us

Deanna - posted on 02/05/2009

Hi Diane, thanks so much for the suggestion!! I will let you know how it goes.

Diane - posted on 02/03/2009

Quoting Deanna:

Does anyone have adcvice on getting my almost 7 year old to start sleeping in her bedroom again? This has been happening since just before school started. She started on the couch, and is now sleeping half-way in her room, and half-way in the hall outside her bedroom door. I have tried everything from moving her into her sister's bedroom, to just making her go in her bed and

Deanna, having a 7 year old sleeping half-in and half-out of her bedroom is probably bothering you a lot more than it is bothering her. This has become a control issue for her. So I suggest you offer her a compromise. She can pick anywhere in her room to sleep - the closet, under the bed, in a nest of stuffed animals in the corner, but it has to be inside her room. At about the same age, I went thru a period of sleeping in strange places. My mom still tells the story of how she frantically searched for me the first time I disappeared from my bed. I was sleeping on a pile of shoes in the closet (with the door closed). I can still remember hearing her calling my name, but I was too sleepy to bother to answer. My mom never let me know at that age that it bothered her where I slept. So I eventually moved back to the bed  which is more comfortable than a pile of shoes. So make the suggestion that your daughter find a nice comfy spot in her room, but tell her she can't sleep in the doorway anymore because her doctor said hall sleeping is not allowed. Using the doctor defuses the control issue because it isn't you telling her where to sleep, it's an outside expert. Let us know if you try this and if it helps. Oh, if your daughter already knows Harry Potter, you can always use her favorite professor in place of the doctor.