How do I get my 2 year old to stay in his bed?

[Rebecca75]

My 2 year old went into his own bed a couple of months ago. He started off ok on the first week but since then repeatedly gets out of bed at night - last night it was 15 times!!!!! If I shut the door he gets out and then cries although he is perfectly capable of getting back in, if I leave the door open he either comes downstairs to us in the evening or pads into our bedroom at night and then we have to put him back. I just don't know what to do bar shutting the door and leaving him to cry - this is the last thing I really want to do. I wondered if any of you have had a similar problem and if so, how have you tackled it?

Thanks

What does he do or say when you go in (after shutting the door and he starts crying)? Does he stop crying immediately? I think he is just trying to get your attention and he knows that if he cries he will. If his crying is purely to get you to come back in, he is now getting his way so will keep doing it. Our 2-year-old tends to cry a little when we leave but gets over it in about 5 mins or so and then plays with his teddies in bed until he falls asleep. We kind of hover nearby and listen out for genuine crying, but he does tend to come up with all sorts of things like needing a wee, needing a drink to needing his toesnails cut!! We do take him to the loo or give him water if he asks, but then straight back to bed. I think you might need to firmly say goodnight and leave the room, at least for 5-10 minutes at a time to give him a chance to settle himself, even if he cries. If you go back in, don't say anything, just put him back in bed, then something like, "sleep time now, good night...".

We have this problem. DS is 2.5 and has started to get scared of all sorts. He insists on going to bed with the door open. However, it then seems to be too tempting for him to sneak to us or worse into our bed. We've put a baby gate on the door to his room and we leave his door open whilst he falls asleep. Whilst he's falling asleep we have to check on him and say good boy. Probably about 3 times over 10/15 mins. On the last time he's usually snoring so we shut the door.

That's what works for us now. I'm sure it'll change again soon! He can actually climb over the baby gate but seems to forget this whilst sleepy.

@capecath - he doesn't say anything at all when he gets up at night - strangely silent, comes running out with teddies in hand. I put him back to bed and he's fine - he only cries when he gets out of bed and the door is shut, or sometimes in the middle of the night when it's pitch black. Our problem is more that he just won't stay in bed... We are really firm with him, no niceness, sometimes he gets a real telling off but it doesn't make him stay - I agree, it probably is just an attention thing - just not sure how to handle the situation.

Last night he first got out at 10pm when I went to bed and the last time I put him back into bed was 3am aaaaagh. Iv'e really tired him out today so hopefully he'l stay put (always wishful thinking...)

Well, my hubby is working away from mon-fri next week so I think I might go cold turkey, shut his door and leave him to it - if that doesn't work I shall just have to accept the fact that he is a little rascal and I'm not going to rest.... not funny with no. 2 due in 7 weeks!

We have this with our two year old. We've recently got a sleep training clock - when the stars are showing he has to stay in bed and can only get up when the sun is showing. It's early days but DS seems to be showing an understanding.

I've never heard of a sleep training clock

Try a google search for Gro-clock sleep trainer.

(Sorry, better late than never!)

Thanks (@ loganmummy). I will try anything, it's just not funny anymore!!!

Bungi-rope. It's the only way

Hi, DS2 who is also 2.5 goes through good and bad phases with this. he shares a room with DS1 so I always go fairly quickly when he cries (although luckily DS1 is a very heavy sleeper). He is still in a cot and hasn't figured out how to climb out yet, but does sometimes cry, shout for me and then get insistent about coming into our bed. I tried a bit of negotiating - always a challenge and probably a bit over optimistic in the middle of the night, and it backfired. I told him that he could come in for a cuddle but then he would be going back to his, didn't bring him in until he agreed to this. We had a cuddle, when he was getting sleepy i brought him back to his bed. fine, until the next night... 'Mummy,Mummy, I want to come to your bed, just for a cuddle...' - bah.

During the day and more at bed time did lots of talking about how good boys/big boys etc stay in their own bed, his bed is so cozy etc. Seems to have helped, for now... Have also thought about getting one of those clocks

But i am delaying putting him in a bed as am wary of the midnight visits.
Good luck!!