How to Get My 2 Year Old to Sleep Through the Night

First, he may just need to pee. Take him to the bathroom before bed then as soon as he wakes up. Then, put him back to bed with something that soothes him (teddy, nightlight etc.). Secondly, explain to him that we can't get up (unless we go to the bathroom) until it is light. Logic (and potty training) always worked with my kids (even when very young).

Hi C. :)

I have four children & in each case, my husband & I committed to no sleeping with us. It is just too hard. I stay at home now, but when the 3 oldest were young, I wasn't able to & sleep was more essential then. With that, even with my youngest, it wasn't any different. If they were sick or had nightmares, we soothed them in their own beds. At times, when they would come in, we always walked them back to their bed affirming they were big enough to be in their own bed. Comforting them yes, but not sleeping with them. A few times, I laid down with them in their bed to pray or soothe them back to sleep, but they knew staying in their own big girl/big boy bed was essential & expected. My sisters have had issues with this, & I have recommended this same advice, you have to be firm. Set the rule as "no" in mom & dad's bed - but they can come in if something is wrong - just, they won't be staying. It works & they don't feel neglected or unloved. Good luck & God Bless!

Have you read the book "The Baby Whisperer Solves all your problems" by Tracy Hogg? In it she talks about Habitual Waking where children wake up at the same time each night. Her remedy is set your alarm for the hour before the child usually wakes up and go in and stir your child. The child will not wake up fully and then go back into a deep sleep and not wake the following hour. You need to do this for about a week (maybe more as your child is 2) and the problem is generally solved, as it re-sets your child's body clock. I know it sounds crazy but some friends of mine have used this method and swear by it.

HOpe you solve the problem soon.

xx
G.

What worked for me was talking to him right before he went down and telling him about the "sun up" rule- he doesn't get to come snuggle in mommy's room until the sun is up. If he comes into my room before then and he doesn't need changing, I gently turn him around and walk with him to his room. He gets into bed, I cover him up and tell him I'll see him when the suns up.

It really only took a few nights before he didn't bother getting up and coming to my room! If he knows he's going right back to bed anyway, he'll be less likely to get up.

Hi C., Your little guy is coming in like clock work because you have allowed this habit to be formed, you need to be firm but loving, and let him know that your bed is a special place for you and daddy and he needs to stay in his own bed. we went hrough this when My now 25 year old sonwas 2, and he dad told him he not to come into our room unless he ws hurt sick or something like that, he told him he would be disciplined if he came in our bed, he did it one mor time, y husband niped it in the bud and it never hapened again. J. L.

Kids weren't meant to sleep alone in a room away from their parents. Studies have shown that it causes a great deal of detachment and insecurity. When your son comes into your room half way through the night, simply scoot over, make some room, and go back to sleep. Easy.

Hi C.,
I also have a problem with my 16 month old. She will wake up anywhere between 11:00-12:00 pm. Most of the time I will change her diaper and then she will fall back to sleep. But recently she will start crying. She has had a bad diaper rash for the last 4 days and I know this has been a little painful for her. I felt bad the other night when she woke up and brought her into my bed to sleep for the rest of the night. Now I have to undo my daughters way of thinking. Last night she cried for an hour. She kept saying "out" and "down". I would say to her, "no, it's night night time." Then she would cry even harder. I didn't mention that after my husband leaves for work at 4:30 in the morning, my daughter will wake up around 5:00 am and then we will fall back to sleep in my bed for another hour to an hour and a half. I don't mind that time but not at midnight. Yes, I know, this is probably confusing for her. I just don't want to wake up so early.
My only advise to you is to just let him cry it out. I mean eventually he will get so tired he will fall back to sleep.
That is the only thing that works for my daughter. I hate doing it, because I always thing that she has got her foot stuck or has a poop. (she will scream like she is in pain)
I will be looking for responses to your question as well.
Good luck to you!
____@____.com
Feel free to email me, we have a lot in common!
M.

I have 3 kids, 7, 4 and 1. My 4 yr old still comes into our bed every night. No tips to get it to stop, but, we walk him back to bed. and he does stay. My other 2-no problems.

Mine does the same thing. He is not every night but every other. I DO let my kids in my bed...I would hate to turn away a frightened child...we finally put him in a "full" bed and now when he starts to whine, I just go in his room and lay next to him a comfort him..then I get up and leave him in his bed. Sometimes it requires I bring him into my bed and let him relax a little there then walk him back to bed. Believe me, there are nights I wish I didn't have to but I don't think he'll be 16 and still crawling into bed with me so I just try to be there for the little guy...its what us moms just do. :)

I suggest you try "silent nights" sleep patches by Lifewave. Nontransdermal patch. No drugs No chemicals. It is the safest thing you could ever use. I was using them on my boys when they were having trouble sleeping, but now they sleep thru the night. I use them on myself when I find myself tossing and turning. Try them, you'll be glad you did. Lifewave.com/kherihealth

Hi C.-I scanned some of the other responses so I'll try not to repeat too much, but let me just say that if you really want your son to stay in his bed you'll have to be unwaivering. It will be tough, but worth it. Our son did the same thing at 2yrs, but his reason was due to a new baby sister. We had to walk him back to the bed EVERY SINGLE TIME. Almost always he was crying loudly. The way we handled it was having my husband walk him back. We kept talking to an absolute minimum (my husband would just tell our son he loved him & that he had to go back to his bed) and stuck to our guns. I will not lie to you, some nights it was HELL. The first night we did it, my husband walked him back 26 times. Yes, 26, and no my husband basically got no sleep that night. The second night it was only 7 times and the third night he stayed in bed all night. We did several things to help it all along:
1. We made a stickers rewards chart.
2. We picked out special sheets with him at the store that he was excited about and we talked endlessly about how cool it was to have a big boy bed.
3. We stayed with him at bedtime for about 10 minutes to reassure him and then we gradually paired that down to a minute or 2 before leaving him awake in the room, happy.
From start to finish it took 5 weeks total. Consistancy is the key, we wouldn't have had any success if we'd caved in when he was being hysterical. It was tough, but so worth it.
Good luck!

Have you read or tried the book The No-cry Sleep Solution (by Elizabeth Pantley)? I'm currently trying it with my one-year old and i think it will work.

Hi C., my name is K. Smith and I am a Sleep Consultant and Parenting Coach in Sherman Oaks. Please check out my website and contact me, I know I can help. www.theindependentchild.com
K.

Hi,
We had the same issues - we still do and he's 4 1/2. he doesn't wake up every night but... The best thing that worked sometimes was cutting out all sweets/desert and juice (we even watered it down and it still was too much sugar), anything that could keep him up at least 2 hours before bed time. We also gave him "calming" foods as often as possible like bananas and turkey in the evening. It did work, he woke up a lot less.