Trouble Sleeping

Brian snuck this picture one morning when Sam woke up way too early, so I let her jump in bed with me and we both fell asleep again.

Ever since we went to the insectarium, which Sam was terrified of, and had a thunderstorm the same night, Sam has had trouble sleeping. At 1st, I thought she was just stalling and not wanting to sleep since she has always been a great sleeper and would always go to sleep on her own. She starting saying she had to potty and she would sit there forever right before bedtime and then she would cry when I put her in bed. She would say she didn't like her bed and her room and make a comment about not liking her window. She mentioned bugs. I would show her the window every night and we would look out and see Mrs. Lisa (our neighbor's) house and she would see that everything was okay. She still did not want to stay in her bed. Since she had always been a good sleeper, I hated to have her sleep in our bed. I let her try a few times, but she is a chatterbox and all she wants to do is talk. So we tried to figure out what to do for her to stay in her room. We hung a sheet in her window, so she can't see out of it, and we gave her a spray bottle that she decorated with stickers that is her magic spray bottle for when anything scares her. We also started leaving the hall light on for her. The first few weeks were rough because we would lay by her to get her to sleep (which would sometimes take a long time) and she would wake up several times crying throughout the night and try to get in bed with us. I wold have to put her back in and lay with her again or she would cry. I started a sticker chart and would give her a sticker for every night she stayed in her bed until morning and for every nap she took. I told her once she got a certain amount, she would get the Rapunzel nightgown she wanted. She has gotten that and a few other prizes and has been doing so much better! We really don't even use the chart anymore. Now I read to her, turn on her air purifier, cover her up, leave the hall light on and she falls asleep on her own again and has been staying all night. She sometimes wakes a bit earlier than usual, but I can deal with that. I am so proud of my big girl and can't believe she is turning 3 this month!