2 Year Old Sleep Issues (Brand New!)

These sleep issues will pop up every once in a while like SH and Dawn said..

Is he tired when you put him to bed? Does he maybe need to go to bed a little later?

Do you all have a quiet routine when he comes home from daycare?..

Quiet dinner.. no TV...

Make sure dad does not come home and start tickling, chasing and too much wild crazy playing.. It takes a child a very long time to calm down.

He also should be calm in the tub.. Quiet bath.. Maybe use a lower watt light bulb.. Use strong strokes when you wipe him with the wash cloth..

No TV's.. No Cell phones calls around him.. It makes him think there is a lot of excitement going on without him..

When you read him a story at night.. rub his head his arms, his back.. like a massage. DO NOT engage him in the book.. This is not the time to be animated or asking him questions..

As you read each page, read .....slower.

Then when you leave his room.. You are done for the night. His room is child proofed so no matter what he does in there he is safe.

So what if he ends up sleeping on the floor? Kids do not get sore like we adults would.. Leave him in there with the door closed.

My answer is the same, except perhaps that if he KNOWS you are outside the door, you shouldn't be outside of it.

You need to make his room totally safe. That way you don't HAVE to be standing outside in the hall.

What time do you put him to bed? Once it's dark, it's dark, right? If you are putting him down at 7:30, that's too early. Keep him up until 9:00. Do the door thing I told you about so that he can't get out.

You can do this, Mom. The ped is where I got the door thing from - I didn't end up needing to do it, but I would have if I couldn't have kept him in his room...

Hugs~
Dawn

Sorry, I stand by what I said the other day, and ditto what Laurie A. advised about what his evening routine should be, make his evening as plain and boring as possible. Sounds as if he has a lot of energy at bedtime, so wear him out, too, let him run in circles for hours if it tires him out. I take my 3 year old out to get "exercise" in the afternoon so dinner and his bedtime routine are welcomed, he WANTS to go to sleep.

Also, I believe the reason this is happening is that your son senses what is about to take place, that someone new is maybe going to take HIS place, and he is saying in a childlike way, "Look at me, LOOK AT ME!"

He isn't a baby anymore, sleeping patterns frequently change no matter how good a sleeper they are when babies, and he is showing his independence like they all do at his age, he's growing up. As much as you want to, you CANNOT get him to fall asleep, it's one of the few things in his life he can control, that along with what he eats and when he goes to the bathroom. You can make it easier for him to go to sleep, but he isn't going to go to sleep until he is good and ready, as evidenced by all you've tried. And whatever you establish now you'll have to maintain when the baby is born. If he is having problems in school make sure they know what he is doing at home, and see what advice they have to offer. The more of a deal you make it to him, the more of a deal it will be and fuel his desire to get your attention.

I would sit by his bed in the dark, not engage him when he chatters and tries to talk, not even to "shhhhh" him OR gate and ignore him no matter how much light he has flooding his room, he is past the age to know how to soothe himself to sleep, if he takes awhile to lay down in the middle of the floor, so what? Take his toys out of his room, make sure the room is childproofed, change those curtains he throws open or add a darkening shade he can't lift up and leave him be.

Don't allow him to frustrate you, you can't "win" this for now, and the school has seen this before.

I disagree with putting him down later. I think you need to probably put him down earlier...sleep begets sleep! It sounds counter intuitive but it is NOT! If he is overtired then start the whole routine earlier, by about 30 minutes.

I don't really have any other sage advice though, sorry! My 2 y/o went through similar issues when we moved her to a big girl bed and I was also very pregnant at the time and it was horrible!!! I cried every night!

I would decide on whatever method you're going to do and tell him about it earlier in the day, that worked for me. I had to prep my daughter with exactly what I would and would not do all day long and that did make it a tad easier at night. Personally I think you need to leave the room and make him think you're not lingering outside of it. Make him stay in his room and eventually he will go to sleep. He may not do it right away and he may fall asleep on the floor but eventually he will tire of this game as well. The key is that you have to stay incredibly consistent even when you want to stop, cry, throw in the towel, yell, etc...cuz you know you will ;) but you can't or then you'll have to start all over again.

Hang in there, Mommy! I know absolutely how hard this is, but you can do it!

You could try playing audio books for him while he is in bed. It won't work every night, but it will allow you to rest a little more.

Put car window tint on his windows...the blackout stuff. If you are afraid he will tear it off put it on the outside. :)

i had this problem-so i got creative-did a tea party before bed..sleepy time tea works wonders..my kids were almost 8 before they caught on-its natural,tastes good with a bit of honey-relaxes them n knocks them out..good luck