Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Soooo fed up of having to sleep on thr floor in my toddler’s room

85 replies

Beachbooks · 24/07/2026 00:13

My son is 21 months and used to self settle and sleep 12 hours a night.

Last month he started fighting his nap and waking up at 5am. Everything I read online said not to start their day at that time so I went into his room and laid down on the floor to try and get him to settle again. Sometimes it worked sometimes it didn’t.

Then a week or so later he started kicking off at bedtime and climbing out his cot so we had to take the sides off. Initially he refused to sleep in the bed so has been sleeping on a mattress on the floor. He wouldn’t go to sleep unless I was in the room and was waking up at 4 and I was having to go into his room and sleep on the floor again.

This week things have got even worse - he’s taking 90 minutes + to fall sleep no matter what time I put him to bed then waking up a couple of hours later and will not sleep unless I stay in his room. I waited an hour when he woke up at 10 this evening and when I was sure he was asleep I crept out and of course he woke up screaming again.

So I’ve got another night of sleeping on the floor ahead of me.

I’m just sooooo fed up of it, the room is not big enough for another mattress so I’m on a yoga mat which isn’t really any help and I have a bad back anyway and this is making it worse

i don’t even know the point of this thread but I just need to rant as I’m just hating this at the moment and feels like every night is worse than the last. I just don’t know what to do with him.

OP posts:
Youwanthowmuchforit · 24/07/2026 00:33

LimeSegment · 24/07/2026 00:26

It's unfortunate with kids, but I've found you shouldn't do anything once that you aren't prepared to do everyday for the next few years.

I would just stop OP, if he cries, he cries. There's no way I could sleep even a minute on a yoga mat on the floor, there's no way you can keep this up.

Agree. Just don’t do it. It’s up to you to accept it or not.

TowerOfWashing · 24/07/2026 00:29

Take him in your bed? I always advocate the path of least resistance for sleep issues!

If he's fighting his nap, drop it and go for an earlier bedtime. My daughter was like this at about the same age. With a nap she would only be tired enough to complain about bedtime but not tired enough to drop off.

It was horrible for all parties as she just got hysterical and I spent all my evenings in a darkened room trying not to hit squeaky floorboards to escape.

Speaking of light, what about blackouts?

YellowDaffodil25 · 24/07/2026 00:29

Could you maybe share what his day and night looks like in terms of sleep? Wake time, nap time and length, and bedtime? Kindly, it may be that his schedule is off and you are aiming for too much sleep compared to sleep tank and so the sleep pressure isn’t quite right

LimeSegment · 24/07/2026 00:26

It's unfortunate with kids, but I've found you shouldn't do anything once that you aren't prepared to do everyday for the next few years.

I would just stop OP, if he cries, he cries. There's no way I could sleep even a minute on a yoga mat on the floor, there's no way you can keep this up.

Original poster
Beachbooks · 24/07/2026 00:26

pepperminticecream · 24/07/2026 00:21

We had this and we fixed it by doing the following:

  1. Conversation with toddler saying: "this isn't working for me anymore, you need to get sleep and so does mummy. From now on I will tuck you into bed, come back and check on you but I will not lay down with you and if you get out of bed you will be put right back."
  2. Bedtime routine: get ready, read one book, cuddle for three minutes and give a kiss goodnight. Tell them "I will come back and check on you in three minutes."
  3. Go back in three minutes, give a kiss and say "I will come back in five minutes"
  4. Repeat. Child eventually falls asleep.
  5. The big thing is, no answering questions, keep everything boring so no real engagement. If they get out of bed you say "its time for sleep" and walk them right back. No other talking and no other attention.
Its hard but you have to just stick to a plan. We also introduced the Yoto player and this made them also want to stay in bed to listen to the stories playing.

Thank you, I will try this tomorrow. He can’t talk proper yet so thankfully don’t have the endless questions stage.

I have tried reusing our sleep training from when he was a baby and going in every 3 minutes but he started banging his head against the wall so felt like I had to give in

OP posts:
Original poster
Beachbooks · 24/07/2026 00:24

TheSandgroper · 24/07/2026 00:21

Some kids are early risers and start their day at 5 am. You can’t believe everything that you read online (she says online). You just have to accept it and go to bed earlier yourself.

That might solve the bedtime shenanigans.

In hindsight a 5am wake up was preferable to the situation we are in now ! I think by ‘sleeping’ in his room for an hour at 5am I’ve made him feel like he needs me to sleep

OP posts:
pepperminticecream · 24/07/2026 00:21

We had this and we fixed it by doing the following:

  1. Conversation with toddler saying: "this isn't working for me anymore, you need to get sleep and so does mummy. From now on I will tuck you into bed, come back and check on you but I will not lay down with you and if you get out of bed you will be put right back."
  2. Bedtime routine: get ready, read one book, cuddle for three minutes and give a kiss goodnight. Tell them "I will come back and check on you in three minutes."
  3. Go back in three minutes, give a kiss and say "I will come back in five minutes"
  4. Repeat. Child eventually falls asleep.
  5. The big thing is, no answering questions, keep everything boring so no real engagement. If they get out of bed you say "its time for sleep" and walk them right back. No other talking and no other attention.
Its hard but you have to just stick to a plan. We also introduced the Yoto player and this made them also want to stay in bed to listen to the stories playing.
TheSandgroper · 24/07/2026 00:21

Some kids are early risers and start their day at 5 am. You can’t believe everything that you read online (she says online). You just have to accept it and go to bed earlier yourself.

That might solve the bedtime shenanigans.

Original poster
Beachbooks · 24/07/2026 00:19

Sadly I don’t fit into it as it’s a toddler bed and I’m substantially heavier than the weight limit !

OP posts:
SowWhatNow · 24/07/2026 00:17

Life's too short to sleep on the floor. I just get in their bed 😆 Is your toddlers bed an actual single bed? I recommend it.