What is the REAL harm?

OK -- I need guidance. Other's thoughts. Someone to tell me to get over it. Or, some reason as to why Zoey needs to sleep in her own bed. Here is the deal. Zoey slept in her bed with no problems until last Christmas -- right about the time we got back from Ukraine. Of course in Ukraine - we slept together every night of the 12 days we were there. We came home - she slept in her bed fine. Then, my parents took her to a Christmas light display - and there was a Grinch display there. She was terrified. That is the reason she says she needed to sleep with me. At the old house - she said he looked at her through the window. (on 2nd floor - and my bedroom was just down the hall) Since then --- I fight with her every night to get her out of my bed. At the new house - her bedroom is upstairs and mine is down. She usually waits for me to go to bed - then comes down and gets in my bed. I was walking her back upstairs for a long time. But, she'd come right back down. Then, repeat. I'd do this 3 or 4 times a night --- then I'd get tired of it. We were both suffering from lack of sleep. The interruptions were causing me to lose a lot of sleep --- cause I have trouble going back to sleep once I am up.

I am to the point where I am tired of fighting it. This last week ---I said to heck with it --- and just put her in my bed to start with. Here are my observations.

1) She goes right to sleep. If I put her in her bed, she comes down stairs, needs water, needs kisses, hugs, to pee, to tell the dogs goodnight, etc. You get the drift. It takes her like an hour to go to sleep. There was a lot of yelling going on with this method.

2) She gets more sleep. Her bedtime is 8pm. She was waking as soon as it hit daylight and basically getting about 7 to 8 hours of sleep. And, was a holy terror. At school, at home, etc. When she sleeps in my bed. She goes to sleep at 8pm --- and has been sleeping till like 8:30 or 9am. THAT IS HUGE. She has never done that.

3) Her behavior is more tolerable as she is not so tired. She doesn't act out. But, she wakes up wanting to know if she can sleep in my bed all night again the upcoming night. It seems to occupy her every thought. She is so worried she will have to sleep in her bed. She asks me about it on the way to school, on the way home, during dinner, after dinner --- it is a constant thought for her.

So what is my problem? She isn't the greatest sleeper. She gets very restless and thrashes during the night and it drives me crazy. Though I have to admit --- since she has been in there the whole night -- it is subsiding. I have a sleeper couch - she won't sleep on it. It is beside my bed. She says my bed is very comfortable. (and it is) Also, I don't want her sleeping with me forever. My parents tell me all the time I slept with them till I was 16. But, I didn't - though I remember being about 8 to 10 and slipping into their room. Be that as it may --- I don't want her to repeat my bad habit.

OK - what does everyone else think. Am I being too uptight? She is 4. I'd like her in her own bed. I am not married or cohabitating. Of course, I still have hope God is going to drop a man in on me someday - so I don't want her there when it finally does happen. :) So, what is the harm? I know it is a security thing with her --- I can tell by the way she sleeps that she feels very secure in my bed. I thought by having Jasmin upstairs with her --- she'd feel better about being upstairs --- but she doesn't.

Also, Jasmin is doing well. She is starting to make friends. She is warming up to Zoey and being a lot more interactive and helpful with her. Some days I want to ship her home (she is a teenage you know) --- but mostly she is a keeper. Really helpful around the house and good sense of humor.

BTW --- My contract company found me work --- so I start on Monday 10/27 working on projects. It is project based work --- which is fine by me --- and the first project lasts for 4 weeks. I just hope they find me continuous work and I can keep it up. I know a lot of you have prayed and I have felt the prayers --- thank you so much!

Happy Halloween.