"2Yr Old Who Won't Sleep in His Own Bed Maybe Only for 2 Hours"

Hi H.-
I had the same problem with my son. I read the book "Ask Supernanny" I tried her advice and it worked. My son now sleeps in his bed all night.
Good Luck,
K.

You need to be stern and be consistent. I know it's hard but it's best. It's called tough love. My oldest son was doing tht and occassionally does it and in the beginning I would walk him back to his bed and tell him I love him and can't sleep with Mommy and Daddy. Then after a while, I didn't haveto walk him back to his bed. I would say, "We love you, but you need to go back to your bed like a big boy and if you need to go potty, go potty and then go back to bed and he would. The funniest thing he used to do, he would wake upin the middle of the night, tke the potty chair put it in our bedroom and go potty then go back to his bed. We have no clue and still don't have clues why he would do that. I have never seen him do that but why would I find the potty chair in my room when I wake up and that was around the time I just delivered our third child. I have also noticed in the past that it was because he wet the bed and he didn't wet the bed all the time, but he would go back in bed because it was wet. Now, I tell him, you do not come in to Mommy's and Daddy's bedroom tonight, if you need to go potty, go potty then go back to bed. If you have bad dreams and then you come and let me know. Okay? and he'll say okay....but we are finding him sleeping on the couch and we still can't figure out why. H., please be consistent because then he and the new baby will not believe anything you say and know that they can run the show. Hpoe all is well and congratualltions on your new baby!!!!

Hi H.. I would suggest some tough love. let him cry it out or if he comes into your room, turn him right back around and march him into his bed. It will be difficult, but after a few nights, hopefully he'll be sleeping throught the night in his bed. Supernanny uses a technique similar. you start out sitting by his bed then wait 5 or 10 minutes and move a few feet and keep that up until your outside his door. something like that... I have two sons who go to bed on their own (well one does and the older one we have to lay with him till he falls asleep) andusually by morning everyone is in bed with us. It's all about what you are comfortable with as a family.
good luck!!

Dr. Sears suggestion is this; have dad sleep in a bed next to baby in his room, every day move the bed a bit further away until it is out of the room, it may take a month but it will help ease the transition. Or you can try the chair method, when he comes in to your room have dad take him back to his room and sit in a chair until he falls asleep. Gradually move the chari way. I would avoid crying it out at this age. He may becaome very afraid of nightime or think he is being punished. Nightime is scary for little kids but you can help him transition to the big boy bed without tears or tantrums.

Hi H.,

I am a mother of 5. I have had kids sleep with us when they had a problem only ie. night terrors, nightmare. The last child who is now 4 we made the mistake of sharing our bed more often. Besides getting kicked and woken up it did interfere with the sex life. We dreaded changing her to a bed because she would not sleep anywhere else we did tentatively try her new bed. She was 3 1/2 years old before we adimently moved her to her new bed in her room. It took alot of effort and frustration at this age to move her but you must be firm, we visited her in the bedroom when she has a problem, when she woke up which was often in the beginning. We had extra difficulties because she threw up when she cried so much. About 4 weeks it took for her to sleep thru and be comfortable. Do it as early as possible the longer you wait the harder it will be on everyone.

R.

Hi H.. Do you mean that he is waking every two hours, or that he sleeps for 2 hours, then comes to your bed and sleeps soundly the rest of the night?
If he's coming in and falling asleep for the rest of the night, I would suggest taking him back to his room and settling him into his bed. If he is waking frequently, perhaps you can set up a toddler bed in your room for him and let him sleep there, with the understanding that he is not welcome to wake mommy and daddy just because he is up. Once it's bedtime, the rule is to stay in bed. While I don't believe in letting kids wail, I do think it's fine to set limits, to let them know that mommy and daddy need to sleep at night and that unless they are very scared or sick, you are not available to parent around the clock.
I don't believe in waiting in their room til they fall asleep, or changing around how much time you wait, etc, I believe you set one routine and stick with it so they know what to expect and how to soothe themselves when they wake up without needing you.

I had the same problem. Actually it was about 6 years before I had more than 2 hours sleep. When my 2nd one was due, I told my older one I would make a bed on the floor next to my bed for her and told her if she feels the need to come and sleep near me to go on in the sleeping bag with pillow on the floor, and it solved many problems. My older one had night terrors, my younger had nightmares and when she was older was a sleep walker, so I was sleepless in NJ, lol.

My step dtrs slept with my husband when I met with him. They had alot of trauma as children and toddlers due to their mother's alcoholism and this was the best way for them to heal. When I came into the picture we wanted them out of his bed long before we were married so they would not associate that with me. It took about 2 months. they were 20 months and just turned 3 at the time and shared a room. We would put them to bed in their room and they would sneak into his after about 2 hours and he would not hear. So then we got bells on the door and he would walk them back to bed. Then they figured it out and learned how to open the door without the bells ringing. So we got a gate and "gated" my husband into his room, so they would have to call out to wake him up. Then he would walk them back to bed, it was hard because they really wanted him. He stayed a few mintues in their toom so they knew they were safe, some nights he was so tired he fell asleep on their floor. He got pretty tired of doing this, so then we did a reward chart. First they got a reward for one night of staying in bed the whole night, a big reward, then the rewards got smaller and more spaced out, but still things they really wanted to give them incentive. Honestly, once they did it one whole night, it got easier for them. Plus their bodies got the uninterrupted sleep it really needed. The first 2 weeks there were lots of reqards, the next month they were smaller and more spaced until they stopped. It was hard process but well worth it. They are now still wonderful sleepers. Good luck!

We co sleep with our 13 month old too and one day soon will be in your shoes. Our plan is to get a small bed for our son that can go in our room as well. that way he's still close but he has his own space.

I think it's when they wake up and don't see failiar surroundings that they get upset. He naps alone in our bed and he seems to be OK as long as he knows where he is.

I've seen the small beds at babiesrus. they are like a miniature twin bed with a railing on each side.

H. this helps.