L.M. asks from Lake Worth, FL on November 18, 2008
2 Year Old Not Sleeping Through the Night
On top of my already bad sleeping situation my husband started when I was working full-time at night(my son won't sleep in his bed to fall asleep). I get my son to fall asleep with us then I transfer him to his big boy bed. He wakes up about 3 hours later, he sometimes will go right back to sleep if I give him his pacifier that fell out of his mouth. Generally the only way I can get him to go back to sleep is to bring him in my bed again. This is one of the reasons I stopped working full-time because nobody was getting any sleep in our bed. I have no problem letting him scream it out if it would work but my husband disagrees with it. My son when I tried it in the past(in his crib)would scream forever and not fall asleep. Now he can get out himself, what do I do? We need our bed back and our privacy!
More Answers
D.G. answers from Boca Raton on November 19, 2008
A very neat little way to change a habit that my MIL gave me was use a birthday. If you can hold out until he's 3, start now saying "OK, but you know when you turn 3 this February (or whenever), then you have to go to sleep in your bed and stay there all night." When the times comes, though, you MUST stick to it. "Mommy and Daddy sleep in their bed, and you sleep in your bed. You are a big boy now." Chances are, if you keep reiterating it now, he will follow along with minimal fight when the time comes. Good luck.
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A.M. answers from Daytona Beach on November 22, 2008
This may not be the answer you want but...I'm going through the same thing with my son. Last night he fell asleep in the car on the way home. I layed him in his bed and he woke up. I got him to sleep again, took him back to his bed and he woke up again.
I do get frustrated but I try to remind myself that in just a little while he won't want to be doing this and I'm sure I will miss it. Time flies and I know it will seem like tomorrow when I'm looking back missing these days of them wanting to be so close to me. Although it is frustrating at times let's try to enjoy this time that we have with them.
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L.B. answers from Miami on November 18, 2008
Buy this book and do exactly what he describes for a 2 year old. Worked very well with my 2 year old (who couldn't fall alseep on his own and had never slept through the night by himself)
http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Sleep-Habits-Happy-Child/dp...
S.Z. answers from Miami on November 19, 2008
Screaming at night will not harm your baby. You may need to send your husband away for a few nights while your son works out his sleeping issues. It may take 3-5 days, but if you're consistant, and don't give in to the screaming, he will sleep in his own bed. Does he have a toddler bed yet? You could make a big deal of it and let him know that that is where big boys sleep. If he gets out, put him back in without words or eye contant (otherwise you would be reinforcing the behavior you don't want). And after he learns this new big boy skill, DO NOT allow him in your bed again, or all your hard work will have been for nothing!
Good luck,
S.
J.M. answers from Orlando on November 19, 2008
When we moved our daughter from the crib to a twin sized bed, she was in our room many times each night. What we did was get up, without saying anything to her, and put her back in her bed. You may have to do this 30 times (or more!) depending on the stubbornness of your child. But eventually he will get the message that he is to stay in his bed. It's important that you don't yell at him or talk to him or interact with him in any way, because that is just reinforcing that if he gets up, he gets your attention.
We also put a sleeping bag and pillow on the floor of our room and told Emily that she could sleep there if she got scared at night. She was to come into our room as quietly as possible, get into her sleeping bag, and go to sleep. Once she realized that she wasn't getting into bed with us, she stopped coming in.
If your son is anything like my daughter, he'll start sleeping through the night when he is ready. Emily is almost 3 and has just recently started sleeping through--well, actually she does wake up once in a while but she has finally learned to find a comfortable position, put her covers back on, and go back to sleep. I know that is not very comforting but believe me, this, too, shall pass. Good luck from another tired mom!
V.W. answers from Jacksonville on November 19, 2008
Tammi F has it spot on. One thing that I did not see mentioned yet though, is that you need to have a discussion with your hubby before you start ANY new method and be sure that you both agree to whatever the plan is. That you both will enforce whatever the plan is. That you both will work together at the plan. If you take 3 days or whatever, like someone suggested, and do it alone, then Daddy comes home and lets him back in your bed for whatever reason... you start all over. So discuss, discuss, discuss... so you can be a true team to win this one (and all the future ones... :) ).
Happy sleeping...
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