Two Year Old Wont Sleep in Bed

My child is almost 3 and he still sleeps in a crib. I had to buy what's called a crib tent to put over the crib so he couldn't climb out of it. They attach to the top of the crib and they zip up like a tent, but it's mesh so you can see through it. I've also known people that have kept their kids in their cribs until they were 4. You have to find something that works for you and it sounds like the twin bed isn't doing the trick! Good luck! :)

I think a lot of little kids go through this phase when they can get out of bed. Putting a gate or a 1/2 door up is a good idea. At this age they get into a lot quickly (I'm sure that you are already familiar with this) even more so if they are a climber. You may have already have done this, but I would recommend removing or securing all items that your daughter could potentially get hurt on since she is so young and will be about the room unsupervised. You can get safety tethers that attach to the wall and any dressers or other furniture that she might climb on and could potentially pull over on herself. I think that I would remove anything that had electrical cords, you don't want her to pull these things over on herself or chew on the cords. You also want to make sure that she cannot pull out the safety plugs that go in outlets. Put any items (possibly diapper care - lotions, wipes) items that you don't want her to get out of reach.
Other than that I would recommend setting up a nightly ritual that signals to her that it is time to go to bed. Each night our children put on their pj's, brush teeth, read a story book, say a prayer and get a hug. When our children were little we skipped the toddler bed and got a twin bed. I would lay down with them a little while until they settled down enough that they were almost asleep - then I would get up and most of the time they would go ahead and fall asleep - occasionally they would get up, but not often. If she has a t.v. in her room - I would remove it. T.V. probably stimulates her at this age and makes it too hard for her to settle down and if she knows how to turn it on it is a great game that will sabotage your efforts to get her to stay in bed. Listening to gentle noise (rain or ocean noises) or soft music may be okay. Good luck.

The best I can offer is to put a gate on her bedroom door. I can never close my children's bedroom doors, just a personal issue, so I used a gate for mine until they learned to stay in bed. It kept them from waking my husband by coming into our room 15 times a night. Each time they called, of course, I heard them and would take and place them back into their beds. That's the best i can give you! Take care and best of luck! May help to take the tv out of the room....they often will stay up late if they watch tv at bedtime...I had to learn the hard way with my three!!

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Personally, from a nurse's viewpoint, sometime "almost" 2 yr olds are too young to be in a twin bed or a toddler's bed. It sounds like she has stored up energy at night. Does she take a nap in the day? Maybe that is why she doesn't seem tired at night. Try getting her on a schedule routinely of not napping, but having a nice warm bath at night and let her fall asleep in her crib. Pull the sides up so she can't get over them.there are also netting you can buy to go over cribs, that the child can see through but can not get through. Maybe she can rest better. Don't give her any sweets at night!! You didn't say what her bed time was, is it around 8 or 8:30? Then when she gets the idea- it that's too early; try to extend her time staying up with you a little longer. Good luck.

If you're serious about having her stay in bed, just take one or two nights (should be all that's needed) and PUT her back into bed EVERY time she gets out and repeat, "You stay in your bed to sleep," or some such finite phrase, and she WILL get the message. I've seen on Nanny 911 (LOVE that show even after raising 4 kids to adulthood) where they've put the kid back into bed as many as 30-40 times (maybe more like 70-80), but it takes ONE session (or two at most with the second session requiring much less reminders/replacements)!

Good luck and God bless!

You need to retrain her that her bed is for sleeping not playing. It is not an easy or quick fix. You need to start by telling her the bed is for sleeping at night and naptimes. Do not let her play on it. You will have to be firm and repeatedly put her back in the bed to sleep. If you do not already have a bedtime routine, you should start now. We used bath, if she likes to play in the tub add in extra time. then brushing teeth then reading. At first I would read until they fell asleep then as they got older I would limit it to 1-2 small books or if we were reading a long book a certain number of pages or minutes. Then it was lights out for sleep. Something else we had were books with casette tapes. They could also listen to those and and follow along in the book or the sometimes just enjoyed laying down and listening to the story on the tape. God Bless and I hope it goes well.

Do you read to her at night, this might help, also turn on tv?? Does she have one in her room? You may want to try no tv if she doesn't stay in bed. Also with my 3rd child I have had to sit on the rocking chair with her when she was 2 to get her to sleep and now she is 3 and goes right to bed. You may want to try some different things till you hit on the right one.

Get a set of those cloth/netted guard rails. It may give her the added comfort or security as her play pen did and possibly deter her from getting out of bed.

My son will be three in a couple of months and we are going through the same thing. The best thing I can do for him is to make sure he is good and tired before bed and like the others have said, we do have a bedtime routine that consists of reading a couple of books. I will put him in the bed as I read them. Then he has a little turtle that lights up and puts stars on the ceiling and play lullaby music. Sometimes I have to pat his back and lay with him for a couple of minutes. But I tell him that I will only lay there for one song and then it is time to go to sleep.

I used to threaten to put him in his crib when he wasn't cooperating. But then he did so well and we took the crib out, now I don't have that. I've learned with kids this age, you must be consistent with your actions. Don't give in when they cry or whine as unnerving as it can be. My husband is great at this (giving in) and drives me nuts because then my son will cry for daddy because he knows he will get what he wants with him.

I agree with the other posts about the tv. I don't think kids this young need a tv in their room. But that is just my opinion.

good luck!

D. W.

Just a thought...how about playing some soft music in her room or a book on tape - she may be very young, but may be enough of a distraction that she lay down and listen. Add a few picture books or texture books that she loves - as it may also distract her enough to stay put and fall off to sleep.

a playpen or crib still may be the way to go for a few more months as safety is an issue. Just a suggestion that the powerstrip on the TV be turned off as that may become a target to watch if she knows how to turn on.