2 Year Old Does Not Know How to Get Back to Sleep by Himself

I have to tell you I have been co sleeping with my two year old and she has had her own toddler bed since september last year. She starts off in her bed and around 4-5 in the morning she comes into mine. Not a big deal for me but I honestly am so tired that I do not even bring her back. What I have tried is bringing her back laying with her until she falls asleep and then I leave. I think that is the best way. Good Luck and do what is comfortable for you

Hi,
we have a 19 month old with the same problem and have been trying to find ways to help us all get better sleep. right now we've transitioned our son to a toddler bed that he "helped" pick out. he feels more in control when he can get up and leave out of the bed when he wants, also we lay down with him in his room until he falls asleep and then go to our room. if he gets up during the night and comes to our room we take him back, get him to sleep and put him back in the bed. We're down to waking up once during the night. Some nights are better than others but you should do what you feel comfortable doing, i can't let him cry it out so this works for us.
hope it helps.

Hi J.,

I live in Sparta also and I have 10 year old triplets. I know how much sleep is valued. I would put him in his own bed and sleep in his room on the floor until he falls asleep. If he wakes during the night, put him back in his bed and stay on the floor until he falls asleep. He may do this until he knows that you are always going to be there for him.

Hope it helps.

J.

I like Attiya's advice. Just be sure you stay consistant with the method you do choose.

A.

J. - Dr Farber's method is the best by far. There are many misconceptions about his methodology but that is usually because people haven't read the actual instructions on how to do it properly.
Just crying it out - people say it all the time, and YES that is sort of the methodology BUT it has all kinds of timing scenarios involved in doing it properly so that the child does not feel 'abandoned'.
Be sure to read the book, don't just let the child 'cry it out'.

good luck!

Did you try taking him out and getting a comforter set of his choosing. Also a cool night light. Make his room his favorite place to be. Try a baby monitor. And please never lock him in his room. When he gets up at night, just take him back to his room.

I kind of posted the same question and got a lot of great repsonses. See my post "tansitioning from crib to bed". I know it's a little bit of a different situation b/c he wasn't co-sleeping with us, but a lot of mom's out there were giving good advice. All I know is that it takes time... I am not ready to post my updated yet "I don't want to jinx it", but trust me, it'll get better.

As difficult as it may seem hearing the cries of a 2-year old, he understands at this point that whenever he cries, you and your husband will both respond. 1st suggestion: make sure he's dry and fed. 2nd: buy a few cds like Baby Mozart, etc. and let him listen. Ignore him when he starts crying(sounds cruel but you need to break him out of that dependence) and see how it works. Good luck!

Of course he doesn't know how to get himself back to sleep, he is all alone now! You created his behavior by getting him used to going to sleep with you, and that is fine but anything you do with a child more than once, they come to expect it as what will always happen. I think your only choice is to let him cry it out. Check out the Ferber method, letting him cry it out will hurt you more than it will hurt him and it will only take a day or two. I have 9 year old twins and although we did not let our girls co-sleep we had trouble keeping them in their beds. Using the Ferber method is the best thing we ever did, for their sleep as well as ours.