Need help with a very active 3 year old

My DD will be 3 in 2 weeks. She has been active since the day she way born. She had always been a horrible sleeper. The only thing that calms her down is a bottle. We took that away a while ago because she was truly addicted to it. Night time is awful . I don't have any sort of routine because she will not sit for a book or play quietly in her room. We have resorted to having her watch tv with us and she will eventually calm down and fall asleep. Last night it took almost 2 hours.
Anyone have ideas ? Once she is asleep she will wake up and one of us had to lay with her to go back to sleep. She sleeps more comfortably in a bed we have in our spare room instead of her crib.
Thanks for any suggestions!

Thanks you all for your suggestions. We are definitely going to move her to the big bed and establish a routine. My only concern is why DD gets upset she screams like we are hurting her and can't calm down. I could never do CIO with her because she could go for hours screaming! No joke! Nights are so stressful!! Thanks again for your help.

Message edited 2/10/2015 1:53:50 PM.

Need help with a very active 3 year old

If she sleeps better in a bed then switch and get her out of the crib. Also is she still napping? If so maybe you need to cut if down or put completely. My ds is def an on the go kid but when he is tired he just crashes.

Need help with a very active 3 year old

I agree with the above poster. maybe it is time for a big bed for her room. My DD is also very active, if I didn't tell her it was bedtime she would keep going until who knows what hour of the night. She is just not the type of kid to go to sleep when she is tired. So we make her go to bed at 7pm every night. She doesn't nap anymore, and she needs to be in bed by that time because she is showing signs of being tired. If I were you, I would get the new bed, and start a routine with a set bedtime. Make her go to bed at that time and stay in her room. You may have to be mean mommy for a couple nights, but it sounds like she is taking advantage of your kindness ;)

Re: Need help with a very active 3 year old

I agree with the above post.
Pick a time.
Put your child in bed or crib.
Tell them a short bedtime story (in the dark, while they are laying down)... I make them up.
Then leave.
At 3, it's easy enough to come back in if they scream and tell them to go to sleep, firmly. Don't give in to their demands!
If they do it too much, let them cry.
And stop naps if your kid is not tired.

Re: Need help with a very active 3 year old

DS also does best with watching a video before bed. But we do books and then a few minutes of a video before bed. He often asks for more, but we just tell him no. If he cries, we let him cry, but that rarely happens. He often goes right down.

She is testing you - trying to see how much they can get out of you. Don't let her win!

It also sounds like she might be ready for a bed, but then be prepared for her to keep getting up. You have to let her know who's boss!

Re: Need help with a very active 3 year old

Need help with a very active 3 year old

This is DD also although she just turned 2. I finally said you know what we are in charge here she is not gonna run the show and tantrum until we let her watch tv. At bedtime we turn all the tvs off, make sure it's quiet in the house. We find some booms she really likes and sit in her room in bed and read. Sometime she wants to read 10 books but when I'm sick of it all I tell her it's time for bed, no more books and to lay down and she will lay down with her dolls etc and fall alseep.

I say try getting her a big girl bed. Get her some nice sheets (we got her doc mcstuffins) also one of those things that play music and makes stars on the ceiling. I forgot what it's called but she likes that

Eta: fist few nights were tough but you have to put your foot down and make them go to bed

Message edited 2/10/2015 10:57:09 AM.

Re: Need help with a very active 3 year old

You have to make a routine even if she doesn't want to follow it at first. If I didn't have a routine my youngest would stay up until midnight.
I would switch to bed and make a big deal of it. Get some new sheets with a character or something fun she likes. Tell her that she is a big girl and than start with a routine. I would cut out the naps. Make her settle down a 1/2 hour before bed. No crazy shows in tv, no running crazy. It helps to get them relaxed.


Ours routine is pjs, Brush teeth, and stories I let them each pick 3 books after stories it's lights out. I sing one or two songs and than I shut the door. They call me in a few times but after a while they get quite and the go off.

It will be tough but once you establish a routine it becomes part of their daily life and they look forward to it.

Need help with a very active 3 year old

I agree with what's been said already. Switch to a bed, come up with a simple routine, 15-20 minutes tops and stick to it. We do pjs, brush teeth, DH and I each read her one book, cuddles, a song and then she goes into bed and we close the door. She's also old enough for you to talk to her before you leave and explain what you expect from her. DD will be 3 in a few months and suddenly started waking up at night a week or two ago. The first time it was a nightmare so i felt terrible and stayed and comforted her for a few minutes and then left. She cried for a little while so I went back in, talked and sang to her again and left. She cried again so I went in and was nice but firm and told her no more crying, it was enough and she needed to go to sleep and she did! No on the nights she wakes up I go in for a minute, give her a quick cuddle and tell her firmly she needs to sleep and she will listen. They're old enough to understand that it's bedtime and they are expected to stay in their beds and quiet until they fall asleep.