2 year old going backwards with sleeping... help!

[Pootles2010]

My ds has suddenly seemed to realise he can object to being in bed! He was a great sleeper for ages, but has now totally changed.

He had a couple of illnesses one after the other, during which at times we let him come into bed with us, as otherwise no-one would have had any sleep at all. Problem is now, he of course wants this all the time.

He keeps waking between 12-2 am, crying his eyes out, then when i go through he starts giggling. I've tried explaining that its bed time, but as soon as i try to put him back down he becomes upset again. How do I deal with this?!

I'm not willing to have him in bed with us all the time, as the bed's not huge and he doesn't sleep well in there, and kicks us a lot as well...

[auntierozzi]

Put him back and keep putting him back...It won't go on for ever, but it will feel as though it is!!! When you or your partner put him back try and be really neutral, try not to react or be cuddley...(it is hard). Make it boring for him and it won't be something worth doing. If you get really cross then he's still be getting a reaction and that's what he's after...You can do it!!! You need your sleep too
;-)

[Pootles2010]

Right so the singing to him and cuddling him thing isn't good then...

[auntierozzi]

Singing and cuddling is lovely, at the right time!! He loves it that's why he wants to wake you up and get it all in the middle of the night! If you get your proper sleep then you will have more energy for all the nice things in the day. He has to learn that night is for sleep! That's what I think anyway. All the best to you :-)

[beela]

I feel your pain, unfortunately our DS is not the best of sleepers but since he had a nasty ear infection last week and slept in our bed for the whole some of the night for at least 5 nights it has got worse.

Now his ear has cleared up we are trying to break the habit. He keeps waking up and saying hopefully 'sleep daddy's bed?' and when we say no, he starts crying I'd happily have him in our bed every night if we got any sleep, but he is such a noisy sleeper that we don't!

I don't have any advice, just wanted to sympathise [hsmile]