2 1/2 Yo Not Staying in Bed at Night

Don't put her crib up. That's confusing to her. Plus, you'de be making it comfortable for her to stay out of her bed. She maybe hears you and daddy or brohers and just wants to be closer. She sooo tired, she falls asleep there. Closing the door is not a good idea for the very reason you said. Keep the boys quiet or tell them they will have to go to bed earlier. They have to be respectful to the little ones sleep. You'll be o.k. mom. Phases come and go; this one will also.

My suggestion is to keep on keepin' on. At least she gets up and goes right back to sleep. My son was just over 2 when we took his crib out of his room and gave him a full-sized bed (not a toddler bed)-- and we did it all in one day. He would wake up sometimes and we'd find him asleep in the rocking chair. So we'd just pick him and put him back in his bed. Since your daughter is sleeping in the doorway, just pick her up and put her back in her bed. Eventually, I believe, she'll just stay there.

Try talking to her about it. Maybe some special sheets that she picks out will help to keep her in bed. I told my son that he has the best bed and how special it was. She may also enjoy a teddy bear or stuffed animal in bed with her. Good luck.

Hi H.!

I know how difficult it can be when transitioning children into a new developmental phase of life. Usually after 2 weeks with any change you may see children behaving differently after the novelty is over. Most children's challenging behaviors are a result of an unmet need they have. Upon identifying the need, you can help them work through it. It is hard to say with a 2 year old what is going on because they don't have specific words to describe the feelings generated from the experience.

I am wondering if she is having bad dreams or possibly sleep walking. Maybe she still has a need to feel close to you leading her to go close to the doorway. Maybe she is able to see the light from the living space where you are located and it comforts her. When she is on the floor, is it close to the bed? Maybe she feels safer there for fear of falling off the bed. How are you currently responding when you discover her on the floor?

I hope some of these comments are helpful. If you need any additional ideas, feel free to call me at ###-###-####.

HI H.,
When we moved our 3 year old to his toddler bed (crib that converted) we told him he needed to stay in his big boy bed or we'd have to make it a baby crib again. We gave him a few chances, but then told him we needed to put the rail back up b/c he wasn't staying in his bed. We left it a crib for about a week and would remind him at night why we had to put the rail back up. Once we made it a big boy bed again he stopped getting out of bed. Every night he tells us the rule: Stay in my bed, and we've been good since then. That's what worked for us. Good Luck!

H., My feeling has always been to leave kids in the crib as long as they are happy and not climbing out. I think moving a kid out of a crib is an adult focused milestone which really isn't important for a child. I would put the crib back up and start putting her to sleep in it. If she doesn't want to get out, it probably means she likes the security of the sides and how contained she feels. She will probably eventually just point to the other bed and say she wants to sleep in it. I don't know how verbal she is but perhaps you could give her the choice at this point but let her know if she chooses the toddler bed she needs to sleep in it. But I think I would try the former solution first. Good luck. Your sleep and safety issues can really kick in when they are moved out of their cribs too soon. A.

Please forgive me for saying this, but i'm not quite sure what the problem is. Are you concerned that she is not getting enough sleep, or is she later getting up and disturbing your sleep? My friends and I often joke, who cares where the kids sleep as long as they sleep. If she moves to the floor and sleeps there, I would just leave it alone as long as she sleeps. She'll get tired of it eventually and stay in her own bed. I wouldn't make a big deal about it.

H.,
how about moving the bed if it is a toddler bed it is on the small side. Try moving the bed.
J.

I put this in another post...it seemed to be the same issue...

Have you ever watched SuperNanny? I purchased her book and here's what she says about this, "First, eliminate all excuses for getting out of bed - thirst, pee, etc. Then the first time your child gets out of bed, escort her back and explain that it's bedtime. Give her a kiss and hug. Then leave. The second time, put her back to bed and say, "It's bedtime, darling." Give another cuddle and leave. The third time, put her back to bed without saying a word. Subsequent episodes should be treated the same way. No talking, no conversations, no debate. You must get a grip on yourself and understand your emotions (the parent). You are not being mean, you are just teaching your child to stay in bed."

"It is very important with this technique that the parent who put the child to bed in the first place is the one who takes him back to bed when she wakes up. Follow through is essential. This lets the child know that he cannot play one parent against the other." - SuperNanny, Jo Frost pg. 196

She goes on to talk about a reward chart for staying in bed. If you've ever watched her show it seems to work very well, but it takes a few nights for the time it takes them to stay in bed to be immediate.

Hope this helps!

H.-
I had to laugh when I read this! Our youngest daughter who's now almost 5, did the same thing, on and off for about seven months at that age. We never knew where we'd find find her: in the hall, next to our bed, in the bathroom. We just kept scooping her up and putting her back in her bed. Sometimes we'd find her in the hall in the morning again. I think what finally got her to stop was we promised to go to the donut shop if whe stayed her bed all night for a week straight. It worked. Either that or she just grew out of it.
Good luck

Could it be a little high for her? How about surroundng it with a pillow or two for easy climbing or the mattress from the crib next to the bed. (We did the mattress thing for a bit). At least if she lands on that she isn't blocking the door. Just some ideas.

Why did you have to move her to a toddler bed? I would just ask her why she gets out of bed and sleeps in the floor. If she wasn't climbing out of her crib, I would just put her back in it. She is only 2. Try some of the other ideas of getting her new sheets or special toy to stay in bed and see if that works. If not, I'd just put her back in her crib.

You could put a tension gate at her door?? Or tell her big girls who stay in their beds all night get a special surprise in the morning. Maybe she gets a bagel with cream cheese while others have cereal. Keep it simple but special or things get out of hand quickly.

I have 2 kids (3 and almost 2) and both of them would get out of bed and sleep on the floor. I don't really know why they like the floor, but they do. My oldest has been staying in her bed now for about 6-7 months, so I guess she just figured her bed was more comfortable, but most nights my husband or I still have to pick my son up off the floor and put him back in bed. My 2 kids share a room and lately my son has wanted to sleep closer to my daughter, so right now we have his mattress on the floor next to her bed, and for the past 2 nights we haven't had to pick him up off the floor.