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FirstMate
My lil cowboy
Member since 10/10 7790 total posts
Name:
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Help! I'm in toddler sleep hell - any tricks?
We transitioned my 3 year old to a big boy bed a few months ago and it was fine. Then we moved. And then he realized he can get himself out of bed.
This is the routine each night: bath, show, book, bed. Two minutes later, running into our room. Put him back in bed. Repeat the last two steps like 5 times before DH just goes into his room and lays down with him until he falls asleep. Then 3-4 am, he shows up, sometimes we don't even feel him, and there he is when I wake up. It's so dysfunctional.
He says he's afraid (but he says that when he doesn't want to do something) so I bought him a nightlight and we keep the hall light on. I have let him pick out a toy at the store and leave it unopened in his room telling him he can have it in the morning if he stays in his bed. No dice.
Any suggestions?
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Posted 11/3/14 7:04 AM  |
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Long Island Weddings
Long Island's Largest Bridal Resource |
SJSM
LIF Adolescent
Member since 1/09 764 total posts
Name:
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Re: Help! I'm in toddler sleep hell - any tricks?
no advice! Welcome to the club! my son will be three in Jan and has been in a bed for months.
I think( hope) its just a phase. Mine gets up and stands in the hallway -cries for me to pick him up and take him to my bedroom, followed by wanting to watch Barney and drink milk. I been up since 330
hope it gets better for
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| Posted 11/3/14 9:32 AM |
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MrsT809
LIF Adult
Member since 9/09 12167 total posts
Name:
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Help! I'm in toddler sleep hell - any tricks?
We switched DD to a toddler bed a few weeks ago. Everything was good for a little over a week and then she realized she could get out. I put a childproof cover over her doorknob and told her she needed to stay in her bed. Some days she still gets up and tries the knob at naptime but she jumps right back in bed.
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| Posted 11/3/14 11:17 AM |
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alli3131
Peanut is here!!!!!!
Member since 5/09 18388 total posts
Name:
Allison
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Help! I'm in toddler sleep hell - any tricks?
My DS used to tell me he was scared. So I left the actual bedroom light on and we would turn it off later....but if he woke in the middle of the night he would flip if the light wasn't on so we now just leave it on all night.
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| Posted 11/3/14 1:27 PM |
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teachermom
LIF Adolescent
Member since 8/11 843 total posts
Name:
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Re: Help! I'm in toddler sleep hell - any tricks?
I'm in this hell too! My daughter doesn't say she's scared though. She was always such a fantastic sleeper...I need that back!
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| Posted 11/3/14 5:39 PM |
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VickiC
Rocking the party
Member since 5/05 4937 total posts
Name:
Vicki
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Help! I'm in toddler sleep hell - any tricks?
Same thing used to happen to us. Try not to have your husband go and lay down with him - that is creating a bad habit.
After 2 months of him showing up at my bedside at 3am every single night, we figured out that he didn't want his door closed. I left it open one night and he slept through. He sleeps with his door open now, with a night light and his music playing and the only time he wakes up is if he has a bad dream and calls for me. Try leaving the door open and see what happens.
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| Posted 11/3/14 11:19 PM |
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FirstMate
My lil cowboy
Member since 10/10 7790 total posts
Name:
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Re: Help! I'm in toddler sleep hell - any tricks?
Posted by VickiC
Same thing used to happen to us. Try not to have your husband go and lay down with him - that is creating a bad habit.
After 2 months of him showing up at my bedside at 3am every single night, we figured out that he didn't want his door closed. I left it open one night and he slept through. He sleeps with his door open now, with a night light and his music playing and the only time he wakes up is if he has a bad dream and calls for me. Try leaving the door open and see what happens.
I actually have always kept his door open so the hallway light is illuminating his room and he knows we are down the hall.
As of last night, DS is switching things up to really make us nuts. Now he tantrums and runs to my room. We were trying to make him stay in his bed. DH ended up going in to lay down with him and that was not good enough. He wanted to be in my bed. After an hour of hysteria and me being extra pissy watching the Giants lose AGAIN, we let him in and after oh, maybe a minute, he was passed out so I picked him up and put him in his own bed where he stayed until this morning. Totally dysfunction junction over here.
Part of me, the wimpy, weak, lazy side, is like "He falls asleep quickly in my bed and can get a longer night's rest if I just let him do that and then I can carry on with my evening" and the other side, the normal parent side, is like "this is not a good habit. Fix it!" But I don't know how. Wah. Yes, I'm whining.
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| Posted 11/4/14 11:02 AM |
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MrsO
Big Brothers to Be
Member since 1/07 4521 total posts
Name:
Maureen
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Re: Help! I'm in toddler sleep hell - any tricks?
Posted by FirstMate
Posted by VickiC
Same thing used to happen to us. Try not to have your husband go and lay down with him - that is creating a bad habit.
After 2 months of him showing up at my bedside at 3am every single night, we figured out that he didn't want his door closed. I left it open one night and he slept through. He sleeps with his door open now, with a night light and his music playing and the only time he wakes up is if he has a bad dream and calls for me. Try leaving the door open and see what happens.
I actually have always kept his door open so the hallway light is illuminating his room and he knows we are down the hall.
As of last night, DS is switching things up to really make us nuts. Now he tantrums and runs to my room. We were trying to make him stay in his bed. DH ended up going in to lay down with him and that was not good enough. He wanted to be in my bed. After an hour of hysteria and me being extra pissy watching the Giants lose AGAIN, we let him in and after oh, maybe a minute, he was passed out so I picked him up and put him in his own bed where he stayed until this morning. Totally dysfunction junction over here.
Part of me, the wimpy, weak, lazy side, is like "He falls asleep quickly in my bed and can get a longer night's rest if I just let him do that and then I can carry on with my evening" and the other side, the normal parent side, is like "this is not a good habit. Fix it!" But I don't know how. Wah. Yes, I'm whining.
You have to do what works for you and not what the world thinks is right. This is to put things in perspective for you.
My 2nd ds had slept in our bed since he was 14 months. (Not our original intentions) When we moved to our house when he was 3 I tried to put him in his big boy bed. So we continued with him falling asleep on the couch while I put his older brother to sleep and then put him in his bed. He would quietly join us sometime in the middle of the night. It was working we were all sleeping. Along came ds#3 and ds#2 would not fall asleep anymore. So for sanity sake I laid down with him in our bed for 10 mins and there we all slept happily. I hated creating another bad habit, but with a newborn and going back to work we needed sleep. We had been telling him all along when he turned 5 he was going into his own bed all night. He kept to his word and so far it is working.
Good Luck - they are small for a short time - do what works and keeps you all happy and satisfied. Good Luck
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| Posted 11/4/14 10:56 PM |
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DaniJude
You're My Home <3
Member since 11/06 14815 total posts
Name:
Danielle
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Re: Help! I'm in toddler sleep hell - any tricks?
I'm not saying this is the way to go LOL...
But my brother was so bad with this shit my parents had to put a hook and eye on the door and lock him in there.
AGAIN, I'm NOT advocating this method LOL.
It was the 1970's lmao - anything went!!!
Hugs to you 
Message edited 11/5/2014 9:29:17 AM.
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| Posted 11/5/14 9:28 AM |
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mrsboss
my little love
Member since 12/09 5054 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: Help! I'm in toddler sleep hell - any tricks?
We've been in this hell for a year and a half. Same thing, walking out of Her bed multiple times, and begging to sleep in our bed in middle of the night. We had enough of the nonsense after a couple mos, no one was sleeping. So we took her crib mattress and put it on floor next to our bed. So now, when she wanders in at 2am, she goes right to her little bed on the floor. Not ideal, but we all sleep now and that's what matters. We can't function working full time on minimal sleep.
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| Posted 11/5/14 10:46 AM |
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Daisy21
My Little Loves
Member since 6/10 1133 total posts
Name:
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Re: Help! I'm in toddler sleep hell - any tricks?
We have twins and had to transition to toddler beds over the summer when my son started jumping out. We eventually had to put them in their own rooms because my son was keeping my daughter up and they stopped napping. The switch to toddler beds was our biggest obstacle so far.
They never stayed in their beds but I didn't want to close the door because they always slept with it open and they like the lights on in the hall, so we put a gate at each door. It took some getting used to for them, but they basically stay in bed now. It was a rough few weeks for us, but they're back to being great sleepers.
Good luck! It's not easy and I'm a strong believer in everybody has to do what works for them.
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| Posted 11/5/14 11:23 AM |
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