2.5YR OLD WANTING TO COME INTO OUR BED IN NIGHT

[LauraGas]

DS is 2.5 and moved into a bed about a month ago. He loves it and can't wait to tell/show any visitors his new "big boy bed". He goes to bed easily each night and settles really well. BUT he wakes anywhere between 11 and 3 every night just wanting to come into our bed. We have tried lying by the side of him and soothing him back to sleep and this will often work for about 30mins or so and then he's awake again shouting to come in with us. I know it's wrong but after several attempts and an hour or so of being up, we normally relent and bring him in with us. He can't actually come in by himself as due to layout the stairgate prevents him from getting to our room. When he is in with us he often wriggles so much that I end up having very little sleep and it's beginning to drive us mad. I've asked him why he wants to come in with us and he says that he "Just wants mummy" When I asked what we could do to make him want to stay in his bed he said "put mummy in it"! Very sweet I guess but not sure how we can rectify the situation. Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

[LauraGas]

Anyone?

Sorry, but getting a bit desperate!

[LynetteScavo]

Um, well iether DH or I (ususally DH) tends to end up in the childs bed when we are invaded.

[AmIOdetteOrOdile]

Can't help, but am watching with interest, as am in a similar situation.

[LauraGas]

We bought a toddler bed which I'm now thinking was a bit stupid as neither me or my 6ft 4 DH can get in it!!! Good to hear I'm not the only one although sorry your in the same situation AIO.

[FimbleHobbs]

I think you either

1. accept it straightaway, let him in to your bed, and maybe he won't have woken up so much and will sleep better and maybe he will grow out of this in his own time
   or 2) be firm and keep returning him to his bed no matter what. Which would probably = some nights of v little peace whatsoever but might work in the long run.
   Just depends what you feel suits you best really. I am a soft touch at night time and I just do whatever keeps them quiet really! And I don't see anything wrong in a little person wanting and getting a bit of comfort. I would hate to sleep on my own every night.

[ladyhelen2]

Totally sympathize! Had the same thing from 21 months old to present day. I wish we had put a stairgate on his bedroom door at the time we moved him into his bed. Friends did this and it totally worked for them ( on the advice of a health visitor so it didn't seem that the stair gate was a "punishment"" IYSWIM).
Its got better recently which has bizarrely co-incided with nappies and the dummy going at night!
I was hoping there was a magic cure for this when it started but it seems not. Just keep putting him back. Maybe he'll get the message eventually.

[2HotCrossBunnies]

My Ds1 has been doing this for about 6 months or so. He's slightly older though at 3.7 now. We have found with him that we can strike a deal - he can come into our bed for 5 mins and then its back to his bed. Very often when he gets up it actually for another reason (covers fallen off/lost his cuddle toy/done a wee) but then he asks to come into our bed anyway. Also depends a bit on timing - if it's after 6 he comes in with us as it's nearly morning.

We are suffering several night visits at the moment but are sticking to sorting out the original problem and returning to his own bed. Actually I think he gets cold in the night but doesn't realise that's why he's woken. Interestingly he has slept in 4 different beds over the xmas period with visiting relatives and not got up once. All of those beds were full size singles. We are going to get him a full size single in the sales with a "normal" duvet - hopefully he'll stay put more!!

Good luck with whatever you decide to do - a common problem around this age I think.

[LynetteScavo]

This may sound more than obvious - but just asking him to stay in his bed all night when he goes to be might work - maybe offer an insentive if you have to, such as a sticker in the morning if he sleeps in his own bed all night.

With DS1 we returned and returned him to his own bed over and over again - at first it was every half an hour in the night - but eventually after 6 weeks he got the message and staryed in his own be all night. I only did this becuase he used to wake me up by poking me in the eye a couple of times a night.

I wouldn't bother doing it again, though as I turned into a sleep deprived bitch it made me rather tired during the day for 6 weeks.

[walkinthewoods]

My dd did this at about 2.5 after transfering from cot to bed. The only way I did it was to keep putting her bback into bed time after time. The first night was over 4 hours but the 2nd was 1 hour and after that she didn;t do it again.
I now hav the same with my ds. I'm not doing anything about it at the mo as we have jsut moved and because of the time of year. He also sleeps in a large single so I have been lazy and co-sleep with him. Once things settle down, I will steel myself and do the same again (not looking forward to it but its worth it in the end)