My son has never been a good sleeper. Now he is 3 and I just don't know what else to do to get him in his own bed. He takes 1 nap a day, usually 1.5 - 2 hours from 1-3. It takes a good 30 min to an hour to get him in his bed at night. And he will. not. stay in it. We've put up planets in his room, we have a fish tank in his room. He always ends up in our bed. Always. But once he's with us, he'll sleep through. When we get up and take him back to his bed, he'll get up with 15 minutes and be back in ours. This can go on all night. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. We've tried sticker charts (for a reward), putting his mattress in our room, sleeping in his room, earlier bedtimes, later bedtimes, nightlights, music, etc. Ack!
I have the same problem with my 3 year old daughter and have tried lots of things. We even bought her a new bed that she was so excited about and it didn't last very long. So if you get advice pass it on thanks.
My SIL had this problem and she tried a baby gate, only her son climbed over it. So she put up two of them (one on top of the other one). She said it took him about 3 sleepless nights before he realized that she wasn't going to back down and that he had to stay in his room. He also woke up the rest of their family with his screaming, but it did work. I wish I had a "kinder" approach for you. Perhaps somebody else might have your lucky answer! Good Luck!!
I would try doing without nap time for a couple of days to see if he is so tired he would just fall asleep. It worked with all three of my children. It is especially nice that the weather is changing for the better, since now he can use up all that extra energy outside playing. hope it works for you, good luck
Well K. I can sympathize with you. This is one bad habit to break. I noticed you said that you brought his mattress into your room? If he insists on being in your room, he needs to sleep on the floor. It may sound cruel, but he will really start to appreciate his bed. It will not happen over night, but you need to simply tell him that if he wants to sleep with you, he needs to sleep on the floor.
Good Luck~
L.
I'd recommend shortening his nap. My 3 yr old will NOT go to bed at night if she takes longer than an hour nap during the day. And if she sleeps anytime after 3pm she won't sleep either.
I'd also try the baby gate. We did that when we first transitioned our oldest from the crib to regular bed. That way they can get out of bed, just not out of the room.
Good luck!
I read an article in Parenting or Parents magazine about this as we were transitioning my son from his crib to a bed. It said that you should just return your child to their bed. The first time, explain that they need to stay in their bed. The second time, do the same and then the third and any subsequent times, just take them back to bed and leave without discussion. It said this may take a few days and many, many trips back to bed, but eventually your child will learn that getting out of bed does nothing but get him sent back to bed and he'll just stay. A friend of mine tried this technique and said it worked in under a week.
I agree that maybe shortening or elminating his nap might also help.
I would suggest getting a lock for his door and not letting him get out of his room. He will stop getting up if he isn't allowed to get into bed with you.
How about a baby gate to keep him in? Maybe you could take him to pick one out and explain why you're going to use it. I would also explain to him why it is so important for him to sleep in his own bed. You could also make a deal that in the morning when he wakes up he can come snuggle with you in bed for a little while (make sure he knows morning means that he can see daylight through his window). Good luck!
Hey K.,
I'm sure that's really frustrating. This may sound like a harsh option but it might work. If you can put one of those baby proof door knob things (forgot what they're called) on the inside of his door and keep it shut, you might just have to put up with him crying for a few weeks. It may also have something to do with your having a 1 year old as well, although he has always been a not great sleeper. I dunno, that's just my suggestion. I know how hard it is for me to hear my baby cry and I end up scooping her up within minutes.
M.
Hi Kimberly,
I agree with Katie's advice... keep on returning him to bed no matter how many times it takes. Supernanny does this all the time. Sometimes they have families on the show that have to take the children back to bed over and over for hours, but then it gets easier each night.
I also read some recent advice on Mamasource about a nightlight on a timer. When the light is on, the child must stay in his bed. I'm going to try this trick with my 2 1/2 yr old son, who is an early bird.
Good luck!
P.
