CIO at 2?!

Ugh! I never had to do CIO for my DS2 bc he was always a great sleeper for nap and night. DS1 was a different story. We had to start CIO at 10 months after his top teeth came in.
Anyway, I've been posting a bit more about dealing with the terrible 2's for DS2. The last almost month it's been a fight to get him to sleep. He tries to stall for everything.... Another book, throws out his fav stuffed animal and calls to get it, needs a wipe, has a boogie, a booboo, needs a drink, diaper change, can he cuddle in mommy/daddy room, he needs a blankie, he doesn't want a blankie, etc
It can go on and on. I can't reason with him. DH has more patience. Anyone else have to do CIO at this age? He has to have the door open and lights on, but after he sleeps we close the door and shut off the lights.

Re: CIO at 2?!

I never really did CIO, but my DD is 2.5 and sounds just like your DS with the excuses and bedtime stalling. We switched her to a toddler bed recently, and that helped. She also needs the light on, and after a few stalling techniques I tell her it's really time for bed now and that if she doesn't lay down and go to sleep, I'm turning the light off. I've only had to actually turn it off a few times (and even then, I turned it back on once she was laying quietly. She knows I mean business now when I threaten to turn off the light.

We also tell her the exact number of books we can read ahead of time (2-4 depending on how late we start bedtime), and without fail she has to get up to pee after being tucked in every night. She's recently potty trained so I always let her try to go one last time. But once she's back in bed after the final potty trip, I tell her it's lights out if she doesnt lay down and go to sleep.

Re: CIO at 2?!

We had to do it with DD at around 2.5.
She was the same way..asking for things and just adding to the list every night. Then she started getting up and wandering the house in the middle of the night.

I tried a gate at her door with the door open and in her rage she just knocked it down. I ultimately had to "lock" her in her room and I sat outside her door until she fell asleep. I only had to do it twice once at bed time and once in the middle of the night but now she knows if she pulls anything I am going to close the door and she never does it anymore. It broke my heart when we were doing it but I knew for her safety I had to do something. (I found her sleeping by our front door one night)

good luck!!

Re: CIO at 2?!

Yes, we had to do it a month before her second birthday because she was getting so bad.
I actually called a sleep coach because I was at the end of my rope. DD was always terrible for naps & bedtime. She never went without a major fight & couldn't sooth herself to sleep.
I couldn't have done it without this sleep lady (who I thought was a waste of $ at the time) but it really did help.
She's still a little pain in the butt but no where near as bad as she was.
It was kinda like the ferber method. I would go in every few minutes until she calmed down. It was torture at first but then she got better. We stuck to a strict, consistent routine & eventually she knew I meant business.
Good luck! It's so hard!

Message edited 2/3/2014 11:35:01 PM.

Re: CIO at 2?!

Thanks all! I know it's a normal 2 yr old thing bc I'm finding other parents saying the same thing about their 2 yr old. I have been pretty stern after a while. I give him choices and tell him I will shut off the lights if he doesn't lay down, etc. I also don't want him to wake his 4 yr old brother.

Hopefully this phase goes fast!