Please Help Me......I NEED SLEEP!

I am having a hard time also with my 2yr old but it is with going to bed. When he wakes up in the middle of the night he usually comes into bed with us. I have stopped putting him down for a nap. Now with you working full-time I don't know if that is possible. But something to think about. Congratulations on your second one. Hope you get some sleep soon. My 2yr old is the youngest of 3 and last night he actually slept in his brothers bed and not his crib. So I am thinking that he needs a big boy bed.

K.,

Wow do I know how that goes. I think you have two approaches - both of which Daddy needs to help out on. First, the "bribe" approach. Let her earn stickers towards something she wants. Even if it's 5 stickers for ice cream out or 10 stickers for lunch out with you. Every parent has done it for potty training, sleeping or something. Kids don't understand value at this age, so to her ice cream may be a big deal. It's not about the monetary value, it's whatever is valuable to her. Bottom line is she needs to stay in her bed and not call out to earn a sticker each night.

Second is the strict approach. You can put a footpedal gate on her door and tell her that you WILL NOT be coming to her at night anymore. Be up front and explain that mom and dad need sleep too. And that she gets lots of hugs and kisses before bedtime, but when you say goodnight, "That's it." And stick to it. You don't give in to crying, yelling, etc. You know she is not being harmed. You know it's just a tantrum. And believe me, you want to stick to your guns so she learns when you are serious about what you say. Who cares if she falls asleep on the floor in front of the gate. The bottom line is you need to stop babying her because you've already seen what happens when you keep going to her. (If you want, do the 'supernanny thing' and just walk her back to her room EVERY TIME she gets up/leaves her room. No talking, no engaging her, no eye contact, just take her hand and steer her back into the room.) IT WILL WORK!

I hate to say it, but we tried the stickers. It didn't work in this case for us. We did the gate. Dealt with the crying. As long as I was already awake I just kept saying (from afar), "You're fine dear, good night."

My kids will tell you, "Mom says goodnight and that's IT."

I really thought that my "babies" just needed more love, support, understanding, etc. until it really started interfering with my ability to function during the day. The love and attention was NEVER enough. You will be a better mom to her and your new baby if you get some sleep.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

Feel free to email me if you like! I'll be your rah rah.

Sara

does she walk into your room? or just yell from her bed

I have a bad sleeper too. I'm going to start cutting the naps short. She's been sleeping more durning the day because she's tired from taking so long to go to sleep in the evening. I'd hate to eliminate the nap entirely because she seems to need 1 and I need the break but maybe that is the answer for all of us. Try a shorter nap for a week and if that doesn't help try no nap for a week and I guess of neither helps then well let's hope it's just a bad phase. Maybe a diet issue?