Talk

Flip

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler.

Sleep

help!

9 replies

cheesesarnie · 23/02/2009 22:08

i posted this before but we're no nearer sleeping.sorry to bleat on but pleeeeeeeeease.mners know everything!!!.

tell me your routines for 3 year olds,tell me what you'd do,tell me how crap we are for giving in-just help!!!!!

OP posts:

Report

whyme2 · 24/02/2009 18:34

erm well, you probably need to make some rules and stick to them or carry on the way you are.
In our house children who get up in the night are returned to bed quickly. My 2girls, aged 5 and 3, have a nightlight in their room which helps.
We've just had a long battle with ds aged 2 who was repeatedly up in the nightand wanting to be in our bed. I let him do it a couple of times and he wanted to do it all the time after that. It took about 6 nights of the new system to teach him that he had to stay in his own bed.
Can you try a reward system for staying in bed all night?

Report

whyme2 · 24/02/2009 18:38

Sorry my reply makes us sound perfect - we are not but I am very precious with my sleep, especially since the baby arrived.
I do hope you find something that works endless nights of uninterupted sleep are torture for anyone.
Good luck.

Report

lovelymama · 24/02/2009 18:52

Hi Cheesesarnie. Oh you sound like you're at the end of your tether - not surprised to be honest.

Ok, I think any action you take is going to have to be fairly drastic. 3 year olds have far stronger will than any adult and whatever you do, he's probably going to kick up a fuss for a few nights. As he's 3 I'm guessing he's able to understand you and talk back to you (sorry if this sounds obvious but I do know some 3 year olds who can't talk). Can you try and decide exactly what approach you're going to take (like the approach whyme suggested) and somehow put it on a chart and explain very carefully to DS what you are going to be doing. Explain it a few times to make sure he knows what's going on. And keep it simple. "When you wake up, mummy is going to come and give you a cuddle and then you can get back in to bed and have a nice sleep" (ok this might not be what you want to say but you get the idea).

Of course DS won't want to do that and you'll be up and down a 100 times but eventually he'll get the message. But if he is good and does go back to bed the in the morning you can put a star on his chart with him and a star could equal a little toy car or whatever he's in to.

Loving the idea of the clock that nappyadict suggested. That worked a treat for my cousin on her 2 yo twins. Maybe you could try that in conjunction with the above?

Let us know what you decide to do and how you get on

Report

cheesesarnie · 25/02/2009 21:21

thankyou lovely mners!

last night we started on our mission!new bedtime routine-snack,quiet play,bath,story,bed.great fuss as he wanted daddy but daddys not strong enough to say no!then i explained what we are doing-oh and gave him big boys bed!-this is new big boys bed,this is your room and only you sleep in here etc etc but nicer so he knew what was going on.i kissed ,cuddled then left room.
he got up and out of bed so i put him back,he cried,i left him for 5 mins,put him back-kiss,cuddle etc,cried for 7 minutes,back in blah blah.then he slept!he only woke twice in night-both times i went in and kissed,cuddled-explained daddys not coming in and left!
he got a sticker and lots of praise this morning!
tonight he said he wanted daddy but within 5 minutes of saying goodight he was asleep!
so we will see what happens later!

OP posts:

Report

lovelymama · 25/02/2009 22:23

oh i love progress! good work for sticking to the plan. keep at it even if it gets difficult and you're so tired in the night that you feel like giving in.

looking forward to next progress post!

now can you come and sort out my 9 month old DS who screams every time i walk away from him for 2 seconds?!!

Report

cheesesarnie · 25/02/2009 22:26

he woke just now-nightmare i think but stayed in bed.i comforted him,gave him a drink and hes gone back to sleep.

i am worried though that if still going ok by weekend(i will not give up!)i work friday,saturday and sunday evenings so dh will be doing bed time.i just have to convince him to be strong!

OP posts:

Report

whyme2 · 26/02/2009 14:25

well done you.

Report

lovelymama · 26/02/2009 14:58

surely DH can see how well things are going if you stick to the plan and if he's strong for a few nights then he won't have to spend his evenings lying on his DS's floor and can watch tv/talk to his lovely wife instead?!

i don't understand men

Report

cheesesarnie · 27/02/2009 16:18

me neither!
last night i had to go in a couple of times after putting him to bed.then in the night only once!

im just worried dh will ruin it all this weekend!