Bedtime - Bronx, NY

hi i am also a 29 year old woman with a 3 year old daughter and just went through the same problem where my daughter would not go to bed unless i would lay with her i usually feel asleep on the floor and then woke up in the middle of the night and then had to crawl out on my hands and knees only to have her wake up 1/2 hr and later and then she would sleep in my bed just so that i could go to bed so waht i did is went to walmart and bought a night light that has butterflies that spin all around at 7 p.m i would give her a bath for about 25 to 35 minutes read her 2 books the same 2 books everynight and then we would sing 2 songs while she lay in bed under the covers the whole time and then i would put the radio on in her room and tell her stay in bed quietly hold your baby and mommy will be back soon. she watches the butterflies listens to the radio and in about 10 minutes she is asleep.i found that she has to have the same routine everynight and then she feels safe and calm and then she falls asleep i wish you and your husband and daughter all the luck in the world write back and let me know how it is going it took us about 1 month to get this to work.

im going thur the same thing right now with my 3year old...he always ends up in our room by morning.

This is a tuffy! Have you tried laying with her in her own room? It could be that she just has a preference for your warm body being near her. (Who wouldn't?). You could try wraping up a warm water bottle and laying it next to her. Try playing some white noise or soft music while she is falling asleep and during her sleep (to help block out the noise). Also a regular bed time routine is a great way to signal to them that it is sleeping time. (this can be difficult for someone who is disorganized like me - but such a great tool for bedtime). Also, she is 3 years old and big enough to talk a little about what's going on. Listen to what she has to say and validate her concerns. Problem solve with her and stick to your decisions as a family.

Good luck!

i hope this helps a little, my daughter is three also and used to use her grandmother's hair to fall asleep, she would twirl it until she fell out, 9-10 may be a little to late to put her to bed, she may be over tired and unable to wind down because of it, also try a favorite toy or blanket instead of an ear, while my daughter was at the sitter's they gave a favorite doll to stroke and she went to all on her own, with out supervision.

My 3 year old (4 in januaary) just started sleeping in her own room this past january. What I did was redid her room. Had her pick out her sheets and blankets new pillow. And she picks one stuffed animal to sleep with (out of her hundreds!!!) Then after she brushes her teeth and flosses she says good night to her father and sister (10 months) and I put her to bed. We say prayers and then when she asks me to "lay down" with her I explain that mommy is tired too. I need to go to sleep in my bed with daddy. The same routine every night and it has been working great. She feels like she picked out her room so it is something that she feels comfortable in. And we have the same routine EVERY night even weekends. Every once in a while she tells me that she is going to stay awake forever. I tell her that is fine as long as she stays in her bed and has to be quiet because her toys want to sleep. They are tired from being played with all day. After about 30 minutes she usually falls asleep. Sometimes she will go 2 hours of staying awake, which is fine as long as she stays in her bed. Just decide with your husband what you are willing to tolerate and then when you two have agreed upon a plan stick to it every night. She will adjust. Try to have her rub a stuffed animals ear instead. .It will take time but it will work. Good luck. (The pay off to a couple nights of fussing and whining are SOOOOO worth it!)