Desperately need advice and help with sleep

[hanlong12]

Hi, This is my first post although I've been getting brilliant tips off other threads for months.
I need some adice on how to get our son back into a sleep routine.
In June we moved house and moved our son into a big boy bed at the same time. This actually went well and for first 3 weeks he would settle pretty much straightaway but would wake v early (5 ish).
In the last 2 weeks he has started to get up at least 10 times a night after we have put him to bed, he will stand at his door (safety gate in place) shouting for us. This also happens at 5am too! So if he doesnt get to sleep until 8.30 and wakes up at 5 he is not getting enough sleep and is majorly grumpy.
We have tried to get him to stay in his bed and read, or play with toys in bed or on floor but he always comes straight out. We also tried a sticker chart but with hindsight he is prob too young for that at the moment (he's 2yrs 4mths).
HELP! we are at our wits end...

put him back in cot for a couple of months. maybe moving house/big bed has proved too exciting, and some consistency would reassure him.

I'd explain that when he's able to sleep through without making a fuss then he can go back into the big boys' bed, so he has an incentive.

Fair point but do you not think that it would be just more disruption for him and would break any consistency for him that we'd built up?
(I'm not knocking your advice though, I'm willing to give things a try )

I think you really need to be consistent. If I were you i would not encourage the playing at night thing difficult i know. Keep taking him back to bed and just say it's night time you must stay in bed don't get into discussion or arguement just tuck back in and leave the room you might have to do this a million times but eventully will get the message. Good luck!

If you've watched Super Nanny at all, she makes the interaction when they come out of the room as minimal as possible. First time you take them by the hand and say "It's bedtime darling", put them in the bed and leave the room, second time say "It's bedtime", same routine again, after that you say nothing, just put them back in bed and leave the room, repeating as many times as necessary. No chatting, reading, games etc. It's sleep time and if they think they're going to get a fun time out of you, that's an extra incentive to stay up. If there's no interaction except being put back in bed, they seem to give up fairly quickly and decide they're wasting their time.

What's waking him up that often? Is it habit, or could he be too hot? DS is similar age and also in his own bed and we had a ropey few days before I realised that the duvet was too hot and just put a sheet over him. Now he's sleeping lots better. Poor you though - you must be knackered..

been through this with dd, at a similar age. hers was nightmares then jus tgot into a habit. my hv was fabulous when i phoned her - she suggested, quickly returning to bed with minimal fuss, leaving the door open, sticker chart, other rewards, shutting door for a minute each time they get out of bed, and just leaving her. dd has spent quite a few nights on the landing floor, and is now (after 4 months) beginning to settle down again.
a good hv will be willing to help you through this, and be supportive & helpful - mine has been