Toddler Sleep Issues

What is it about his playroom he loves so much? Are there certain toys you can relocate to his room? Can you set up a temporary bed and let him sleep in his playroom? Maybe if you let him "camp out" in there for a short while he'll outgrow it and want his bed again. My girls go through phases where they want to sleep in their sleeping bags so we throw them on the floor and they love it for a few nights. As long as he's safe in the playroom, why not have a little fun and let him sleep there! You may get the sleep you need too :-)

Just wanna say hang in there!! Be persistant and u'll finally win this battle. I want to wish you the best of luck and some fun filled sleepless nights..lol Take Care!
M.

I know it's hard, but you have to break him of this habit. Do whatever you can to make his bedroom "sleep/bedtime-friendly". Have him decide what animals, pillows, and blankets he wants to sleep with, so he has some say. And maybe have a cup of water readily available to him. Do you have a set bedtime routine in place? The next time he gets up, I would take him back to his bed, reassure him, and tell him he has to stay in bed. Have you ever watched "Super Nanny?" She has parents keep placing the child back in their bed, not making eye contact. The first time the parent says, "it's time to go to sleep." The next time they say, "Good night." and all the times after, the parent puts the child in bed silently. It will be extremely rough the first couple of nights, but if you want to change the behavior, you really have to be strong. Good luck to you.
R.

I agree with Rachel. To take him downstairs or let him sleep in the playroom is giving in and letting him have what he wants when, long term, its not the best solution. To take him downstairs is just enabling him. And, you are prolonging the situation.

This is where tough love kicks in. You need to stand strong and make him stay in his room/bed. Like Rachel said, the Supernanny technique works pretty well. Although I altered it a little for my DD initially. When they get out and are making demands, instead of putting her back in bed silently, I tell her why she is not getting what she wants and let her know that if she continues to get up, I will continue to put her back. Then the games begin. So you have to say what you mean and do what you say! After that, you should just caringly and silently put him back into his bed each time. The first couple of nights may be sleepless but you are establishing the boundaries and rules for him and eventually he will realize his efforts are unsuccessful and he'll give up trying.

Its hard as the parent, but if you take the easy way out (enabling) you'll regret it later. Resolve to have a couple of nights w/o sleep and then stay strong!!

Good luck!

D.

This child is three and still a baby. You are not creating bad habits by letting him sleep downstairs if that is where he is content. Set him up a bed downstairs, for goodness sake. I am a mother of 5 and a grandmother of 10 and at this stage of my life have discovered that some things just don't matter. All my children slept with me and my grandchildren sleep with their parents and everyone eventually moves out of respective beds and into their own. Sleep for everyone is very important, so making things as easy as possible is a good idea. I am NOT permissive, very particular about my children's behavior when they were young and also about my grandchildren's behavior. But this is not a behavioral issue. This is a trust/nurturing issue. Let him sleep downstairs.

I would suggest you let him sleep in the playroom or wherever until the novelty wears off. As long as he is safe and cannot bring harm to himself or others, does it really matter where he sleeps? Eventually he will tire of it and go back to his room. Good luck!