Getting Siblings to Sleep at Night

I connected with you because I have a 2.5 year old daughter and a 10 mo old son. We moved our son into his own room right after we moved into our new house about a month ago. He seems to be doing well with it. We usually put my son down first, around 7pm and then our daughter. It seems to work a little better because then if he does have to cry it out, he is done before we put her down. Granted, he is usally really good about not crying but for a couple of minutes. They have rooms right next to eachother. More than anything, she is the one waking him up because she whines when we tell her it's time to go to bed. It's a battle, that's all I have to say! Maybe we can get together since our kids are so close in age. Then we could bounce ideas off of eachother. Where are you located? I live in Southeast Gilbert.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi.....I always take a differnt approach to everything....why be ordinary when you can be extrodinary? I had the same problem....add a hot head husband to the screaming clid in the crib.....yeah thats was me....Ok....I got my idea from my favorite children's movie peter pan.....the cartoon version...anyways. I was watching that and it hit me.....everywhere else in the world families sleep together.....in the same room usually. Our country and our society think that we need to sleep alone....we expect this of our children! they are natually uncomfortable of the dark and being alone.....we all are.....so why not be different I thought.....I made a room with all beds.....my husband and I's the crib, the toddler bed and a twin.....the rules were....everyone had to remain in their own bed....I used the other rooms for a toy room, and an office/guest room.....I then after a month....moved the kids in to the office....now kid sleeping room....and they remained in their own beds....it was great! No more digging through toys to make paths to bed....I found cleaning each room easier than pie.....make beds pick up clothes.....other room....toss toys in the box...my friends marveled at how had 3 and a perfect house! I went to one room to put away clothes and not 3.....as time when on.....each had to move out of the nursery....and we made a big "girl" room for the oldest and she transitioned out.....She moved out at 10....we celebrated by watching peter pan:) Just an idea! allot of my girlfriend's applied my theory and did the same thing....misty has 7 children.....3 left in the nursery....

sounds like you've got the right idea. Just when your baby wakes up so early, feed him then put him back in his crib. I'm sure you already know about the whole routine thing, where you do bath, book, bed, same time every night. Works for 9m babies too, I always read my kids to sleep from tiny babies to now! (7 yrs old). Just be consistent, you are doing great, don't give up putting him in his own crib!

have you tried putting them down together (in the same room) reading the same book or singing the same songs.

Read the book "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problem's" by Dr. Richard Ferber. This book changed my life -- actually, it saved my life! I was at my wits end, and then I found this book. I cannot recommend it enough.

Good luck!

A. (SAHM of 3 boys - 9, 7, and 4 years old)

We co-sleep and love it. If you don't want to bring baby to bed with you, then that is fine, it's not for everyone. It does make those feedings a lot easier, though. Have you tried putting your son to bed earlier? I really don't see a problem with rocking your baby to sleep. Enjoy your time with him while he is young, as it goes so fast! He needs to know you are there for him. The No Cry Sleep solution by Elizabeth Pantly is a great resource. I would highly recommend reading it. There is a ton of great sleep advice on www.askdrsears.com too. Good luck!

Honestly, you are going to have to let him cry it out a few times even if it is waking your daughter up. Is she in the same room? Maybe you can put him down first if this is the case? I have 5 kids and my youngest 2 are exactly the same ages as yours. My 9 month old goes to bed before my 2 year old. (Not that you have to do it exactly like I do...) We have always taught our children to fall asleep on their own by letting them cry it out. And thankfully they have all been pretty easy. It should only take 1-3 nights of crying it out, and then you can all enjoy bedtime again!
Good luck!
~C. P.S. My 2 year old's birthday is also 9-28-05 and my baby was born on 6-15-07!!

I'm not sure if your children are sharing a room or not, but heres what I got. I have a 3 year old boy and a 8 month old daughter and they share one room beds, toys, and clothes. What we do is put the baby down first no later than 7:30 pm and then put brother down at 8pm. My daughter is a light sleeper so by the time brother is there she is in a deep sleep. I also have a box fan in the kids room that is on anytime they are sleeping. I have always slept with a fan since birth and always helps me go to sleep. So I figure it helps them.

I'm not sure if thi will work or not for you because we already had the baby sleeping in her own crib since birth it was just a transition of sleeping by herself then with her brother.

My 3 year old I had to use the cry it out method, and it took about a week to really get it down. They only way I could do it was to set a clock for 10 minutes at a time and go somewhere I couldn't hear him cry or else I would buckle.

It's very important to have that mommy and daddy time before bed and we usually get 1-3 hours together before bedtime.. I really hope this helps. I totally understand where you are coming from.

N.

Try a fan or white noise machine in your daughters room. It may help drown out the noise of your son crying.

Good luck :)

I have four kids four and under and three of them sleep in the same room together. With three of them, as 4-6 month olds, I let them cry it out to get them to sleep at night by themselves. (I never did this with my first, I ended up rocking her to sleep for two years!) Try putting the baby to sleep first, so if he cries your daughter isn't asleep yet. Once he's asleep put your daughter in bed. Or put him in the room by himself for a few nights till he doesn't cry anymore. All of our kids go to sleep by themselves by 8:00 p.m. Lord know we need the alone time!

We usually put my 4 year old in her room with a movie, and then my 16 month old I rock to sleep, but when he wakes in the night and is crying, I just go in his room with the door shut and rock him in there, I also keep a fan on so it blocks out the noise. Maybe put a humidifier or fan in your daughters room to blockout noise, and try it in your sons room too, some babies like the constant noise.

Try putting him down a little earlier than her so that he get's his time to cry it out, before puting her down, maybe even keep her up for 10-15 minutes later if needed while he's learning.