Hi, I was wondering if anybody has any advice on sleep. My son will be 2 in July and since the day he was born has been very needy. We have finally got him to sleep part of the night in a toddler bed, in our room, but he still needs to be cuddled to fall asleep. What are some good ways to break the cuddling and getting him to fall asleep on his own?
I say enjoy it while you can. When he's outgrown the need to snuggle up to you, you'll miss it. I know it can be downright annoying, but trust me if this is what he needs you're going to have a much happier toddler than if you did something crazy like putting him in a crib all alone and making him cry until he falls asleep from exhaustion.
He's still a BABY he needs you!
Hi S.,
My son who is three and a half needs a little cuddling before bed to. I love to do it but I always set a timer for 3 minutes and when it goes off he knows that mommy needs to leave. I then give him big hugs and kisses and off to sleep he goes. I make sure that he never falls asleep while I am in bed with him because I don't want him to need me in order to fall asleep. Anyway, good luck.
Chris
I will recomend you to place him in bed when he is awake. My son is also 18 months that worked for me . you have to le him cry and ignore him, he will cry for couple of days but then he will be use to ( it won't be easy to let him cry but you have to be constant if not you won't be successful). If you have an extra room try to place his bed there is not healthy for the parents( privacity is very important to keep a healthy marriage) nor the child to sleep in the same room. Also he need to have a rutine , for example put him in bed at same time every day. let him know 5 to 10 minutes before that is night, night time. encourage him to go to the bedroom by himself if you do that as a rutine he will learn to go bed with out problems. I'm Costa rican I'm giving you what have worked for me, I hope i can help you. Ah!!!!! never read book at the bed side or you will be a reader slave for the nex 10 years, instead take 15 to 10 minutes before bed to read in the living room play room enywhere but the bedroom.It is importantant to keep the rutine my son learned to fall slep by himslf because he was never place in the crip while he was sleeping he was always awake. Then I said is night night time and left the room, I have a night light so the room won't be so dark. My son hugs one of his favorite toys (cookie monster) then he fall a sleep. You have to send your son to bed earlier than yor bed time that is why sleeping in another room will be good for all of you.
Since my baby sleeps alone I have better days because I can have sometime for myself and my husband. I wish this advise help you.
K.
The best advice I can give is to start and enforce a routine. Doing the same things at the same time every night will help make him feel secure and help keep you sane. Allow a few minutes of cuddles at bedtime, then dwindle that amount of time down each couple of days til it's reduced to a few kisses and hugs and bedtime. I had to do this with all 3 of my kids, and my sister-in-law discovered that my idea worked for her FIVE year old who still had this problem. Best of luck to you sweetie.
I would start a bedtime routine with him. When you put him down to go to sleep, lay him down, give hugs and kisses, and walk out of the room. If he cries, let him cry it out. He he gets out of bed, just keep putting him back, without any communications. This will teach him that you mean it when you say its bedtime. It may take a few hours the first few nights, but stick with it and he will be sleeping on his own in no time. I hope this helps.
Cuddle him while you can. Get a routine. Bath, Jammies, Book, and then lights out (no tv in this span it winds them up). He'll be 13 and hating you before you know it......so that's why I say cuddling now doesn't hurt. my son is 2 and it only takes 2 books and about 15 minutes of rocking with mommy and he's out like a light. I love that we still have that time together.
C.
awww... i can't believe you got to marry your high school sweet heart!!! : ) awwww!!!
anyways... LOL, we've been struggling with getting my daughter to sleep since the first week she came home with us... she still sleeps in our bed almost every nite but for about the last two weeks i haven't had to stay in there with her until she was asleep...
now i always make sure to do the same thing when i put her down to sleep... we read a book, we talk about the great things we are going to do the next day, and then i tell her if she doesn't cry then i will check on her in two minutes... and i leave, and i don't go back if she cries, i'll call to her and tell her "stop crying and mommy will come fix your blanket..." and wait until she's quiet to go in there... it works!!! she only takes about 5 to 10 minutes to go to sleep ALL BY HERSELF now!!! : ) it used to take an hour every nite of me laying next to her, or rocking her or singing to her... now she can do it herself!
whatever you decide to try.... be consistent!!! or it won't work. believe me, i've failed many times in the last 2 1/2 years!
My first Daughter was very easy to get her to go to sleep on her own. She pretty much did it from the beginning. Now my second daughter she is a totally differant story! LOL She's much more dependant on us to help her go to sleep. You have to set a schedule and do the same thing each night. Maybe give him a bath before bed this may relax him. Find what works for you and do it. He may need to cry a few nights. It is ok for your child to cry themselves to sleep. I know there is conflicking views on that but I have found that they learn how to comfort themselves if you let them do this. Of course it's not easy to here your child cry, but he will learn that he has to go to sleep. Hope this helps~ L.
