Encouraging Toddler to STAY in bed!

[spacegirl81]

My DS1 is 2.3 and in his own bed, he takes ages to settle at night and at nap time as he finds it hilarious to keep getting in and out! We do rapid return and don't speak etc but doesn't seem to be working. Been about 6 weeks now.

Any ideas how to encourage him to stop in bed would be gratefully received! He has a teddy etc so is comfy and has always been able to self settle so doesn't need us with him to fall asleep.

Is he tired enough? 10-13 hours of sleep per 24 hours would be usual for his age.

At 2.3 many (but not all ) would be missing naps frequently or all the time.

Is his room dark enough?
Is he playing or just yelling for you?
If he is able to get out of the bedroom would you consider a stairgate on his bedroom door so he can't get out?...then you could consider ignoring and let him put himself back to bed (easier in the summer as you canput him back to bed if he falls asleep on the floor occasionally...too cold in winter)
Consider removing toys from his room so it is only for sleeping until this is sorted out.

if all else fails and the mantra "this too shall pass".

My DS (2.3) is similar, we have also stripped his room of toys for the time being until he's through this phase. Sounds like you're doing the right thing, Space, at least that's what we've been doing anyway - going in every now and then to pop DS back to bed and making minimal contact. We have a stairgate on the door too, which helps.

I think that some children do this and some don't and like fool says, it is just a case of riding it out. I get a bit frustrated with it at times, but he does go to sleep eventually (occasionally on the floor) and it does get better.

I have one of these... no suggestions I'm afraid. The only thing that works for us is for one of us to sit with him reading until he falls asleep or gets very close to it. Drives us mad, but less mad than repeatedly returning him to bed!

This too will pass...

We had this with dd! We tried the supernanny trick of returning her to bed but it just got worse rather than better. The worst night we had to put her back to bed 72 times.

The stairgate on her door was the only thing that worked. We would let her scream at her stairgate for 15 mins before putting her back in bed. If she got straight out of bed we'd wait another 15mins before returning her again. Although tbh she was usually so exhausted after 15 mins of screaming that she'd go straight to sleep the first time we put her back.

And it worked. She's now 2.9yo and if she can't get straight to sleep she reads books quietly in bed until she drops off :)

Thanks for the messages guys, he does seem to be getting slightly better. We do have a stair gate across the door, but reluctant to let him scream etc as DS2 is asleep by then and would constantly be disturbed

Did yours also get up in the night or did it stop when they learned to stay in bed?

of 4:
DD1 would just not go to sleep and used books eventually the be up at the crack of dawn....now at 11 she is still the same, needs less sleep than her peers, is a great reader is easily disturbed and finds it difficult to get to sleep (though there are signs that she may be learning to lie in like a teenager!)
DS1 would fall asleep in his dinner and sleep happily til the wee small hours...when he would appear for a "cuddle mummy" then return to bed until 5.30 or so
DD2 would fall asleep like an angel but would never ever go past 5am...and is still (age 8) a lark rather than an owl whatever time she goes to bed
DD3 finds it hard to get off to sleep but is log like once she gets there....and very hard to get up in the morning causing much angst and pain for all of us in term time.

it passes, whatever techniques we use....but it doesn;t feel like it at the time!

I'd look at your daytime nap. DS1 napped at lunchtime until nearly 3 but DD gave them up herself by 2 (annoyingly). If he does still def need I'd get it in early 12-12.30'ish and limit to 45mins max (wake him up if needs be). DD who is 3.5 sometimes needs a catch up nap once a week these days but if she takes it anytime after 2 and its longer than an hour she will not go to sleep at 7 and faffs about for ages

Thanks cherriepie we did try and drop it, but lately he's been waking at 5:30 and is shattered by 12, we do lunch and 11:30 and then nap so normally asleep by 12:30 latest. Usually has an hour. He takes ages to settle at night nap or no nap and still wakes in night and early. He used to be such a good sleeper! Couple of nights ago he stopped at grandparents, got out of bed once, asleep at 7:15, no wakings in night and slept till 6:30!! He can do it!!