To not want to spend 2 bloody hours putting my 2 year old to bed!

[GordontheGopher]

ARGGGHGHGH. I got so stressed tonight I ended up shouting at him and crying. He was so tired but wouldn't go to sleep. Kept crying, wanting something, getting out of his sleeping bag, screaming. Ended up giving him another bottle which I am trying to stop.

Why don't they sleep when they are tired?

Am now on the vino. Thinking of purchasing this.

Ok tell me where I'm going wrong.

6.30 change into PJs and half milk on sofa downstairs (changed from having it in bedroom with vain hope that he won't associate bottle with bedtime).

6.45 Stories downstairs then upstairs to clean teeth.

7 Put in bed (has recently moved into toddler bed but goes into cot if he's been messing around in big bed).

7-8.30 Endless going in and out. His language unfortunately is good so all I hear on the monitor is what is wrong or what he wants.

padboz - timing related to change in clocks?

Sounds reasonable - maybe story in bed/bedroom, could be that he isn't feeling secure enough in his room so you spending a bit of calm time in there with him might help?

Could it be the bed? Did it coincide at all?

Everything is fine until 7pm - take him to bed, give him 5 minutes, maybe another story and some cuddles, some chat, then leave. Do not go back.

Thats what I do, and it works.

But DSM he will scream and scream and I'm not strong enough to leave him.

Gordon - just realised I didnt say how much I sympathise - I meant to

rfb - possibly - even it is connected with the clock change, how do I address that? We have blackout blinds and we put nightlights on to make it feel like nighttime.

He will not scream for long.

Go back to him and say 'get into bed now'. Don't touch him, don't get into the room if you can help it, then leave again. Wait 5 minutes. do it again. Wait 10 minutes. Do it again. Repeat with longer spaces between 'visits' each time until he goes to sleep. You will not need to do this for more than a few days.

You have to be strong, or keep going the way you are. You will thank yourself in a few days.

Rapid Return

PS - the RR link is from my experience - Tanya Byron did it on much younger kids with the same success

Yep - thats the idea I was getting at.

Padboz - no miracle solution I'm afraid. I tried DSM's approach for about 2 weeks with no success (and yes, I did follow all the rules, just have the world's most stubborn child), that's why I tried pushing lights out back to 8pm (as per earlier posts) which worked for him.

I think sleep problems are phases that just come and go, and come and go, and come and go...

At one, dd1 who had been a perfect sleeper (7 to 7 from 8 weeks old unfailingly) would scream her head off for up to an hour at bedtime (even when I was in the room with her), both daytime and nighttime. She did sometimes gag to the extent she was sick. Only way she went to bed calmly was when anybody but myself put her to bed. DD2 has just hit one and is doing exactly the same thing.

At two, dd1 hit another phase and tried everything including rapid return and no day-time sleep - nothing worked until one day she just started going to bed again normally.

Now approaching three (and still sleeping 2 hours during the day so good job we didn't get rid of day time sleeps), wondering if it's going to happen again...

Not constructive I know, but it's a matter of getting into the frame of mind that it's a phase that passes and sticking to the routine as you say.

BTW, you're not being unreasonable...

GTG - Is your LO asleep yet?