My almost 2 year old just doesn't settle down to sleep at night !!!

[sofristrated]

I'm so frustrated, can someone help. I can't manage to beg my 21 month old son to sleep !

It's been like this for ages now. It seems nothing I do makes any difference.

I've shortened his nap and asked nursery to do the same.

He slept for 1 hour 10 minutes today and has been up since 1:40 pm. So why is he still climbing out of bed and trying to leave the room ? I've been upstairs with him for at least 45 minutes, trying to get him to sleep.

He hasn't slept in a cot since he was just over 12 months old, he just refused and wouldn't stop screaming. So he's in a double bed now.

Our routine is to have dinner, play a little bit downstairs, then if it's bath night we have a bath and ready for bed. If it's not bath night, then just get him in his pjs, teeth, milk and then I lie with him and his older sister in bed until they both fall asleep. I read a story or sing lullabies and have low lighting on. His sister falls asleep in 10-15 minutes and he's still up and trying to climb around laughing for another hour. EVERY night. My DD is 4, so no nap in the day. Both go to nursery full time.

When the clocks change, it will be even later. He's often not sleep until 9. Depending on the day.

What's the solution here ?

Honestly I think they’re all different. My 21mo is down to a half hour nap otherwise the night is awful. If he’s getting a ‘normal’ amount of sleep during the day (11-14 hours) and he doesn’t seem really tired, he probably doesn’t need a nap, or at least not as long a nap. I would try a later bedtime for him and see if it’s quicker - if he goes down okay and seems genuinely tired at bedtime then you know that he’s not going down because he’s just not ready for sleep. If it’s just as bad then it’s maybe more of a habit.

We cut our 2 year old's naps completely and it makes the difference between an 8pm and a 10pm bedtime. 8 is still late but so much better.

They are all different. I would try later bedtime initially. If that works it suggests he just isn't tired. It's a mistake to think that your second child is going to be the same as your first!

Gross parenting

I just want to say solidarity!! As I lay here with my 2 year old who needs rocked to sleep every night and even then this isn't always successful!!

Drop the naps!