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2.5 year old wont get in cot

13 replies

XIIILC · 27/08/2015 11:16

Lately my two and a half year old simply will not get in his cot when he's awake. He'll scream and cry before he's even in it. If I put him in and simply leave him, he'll scream and cry until we get him out. Left him up to three hours one night and he did not stop screaming. We have to lie on the floor with him until he falls asleep and then lift him in. He's fine when he wakes in the morning, and he sleeps right through. As you can imagine, lying on the floor is doing my back in a bit, as we are sometimes there for a couple of hours.

We did move in April, before that he was fine about getting in his cot. When we moved he got his own bedroom, he was fine getting in his cot for the first few weeks, but then suddenly one night he woke crying and it's been as mentioned above since. I'm not really sure what to do as all advice says get him in, wait til he's settled and go, but he won't even settle. My partner thinks it might help to only have one of us in there at night, but I know exactly how that will go, it will be me every night, he will make excuses, insist I need to do it more often as he works late, and I'll have no free time for myself. So I'm reluctant to do that.

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JellyMouldJnr · 27/08/2015 11:20

Get him a bed.

Gileswithachainsaw · 27/08/2015 11:22

Get him a bed.

XIIILC · 27/08/2015 11:28

I can't afford to buy one

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Gileswithachainsaw · 27/08/2015 11:42

Can you take sides off the cot then?

If he's that upset then he's really at risk of hurting himself climbing out or maybe even pulling the cot over onto himself.

how's your dh at diy?

Gileswithachainsaw · 27/08/2015 11:43

or can you put the mattress on.the floor maybe?

XIIILC · 27/08/2015 11:48

Nah it's just a cot, previous flat was so small that was all that fitted. He sleeps in a grow bag that he so far hasn't learnt to take off. So he can't climb in the cot. I've thought about putting his matress on the floor but I'm not sure if it would just encourage him to run around at night. At least with a cot or my bed he knows that it's sleep time.

Dh... Let's just say I'm better at diy, and I'm not very good

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Gileswithachainsaw · 27/08/2015 11:52

You could try a duvet instead of a gro bag?

I'm. wondering if maybe he feels a bit "caged in" between the gro bag and the cot.

do you have any friends or family who could help you out?

I remember dd2 as a baby constantly whacking her head on the side of the cot.

She also got her leg stuck between the bars Blush

I'd also wonder if he's perhaps done similar which has hurt him

differentnameforthis · 27/08/2015 11:53

He doesn't like his room/cot or growbag. Or all three. Is he too hot? Too cold? Has he adjusted properly to being in a room on his own?

You need to figure out what it is, because this won't stop otherwise.

My dd learnt to climb out of her cot at 18mths. We couldn't afford a bed either, so took the side off the cot. It wasn't a cot bed, but it did act as one quite well for some time. It was sturdy enough.

Yes, he will mess about for a while, but that is where you need to help him adjust to a new bedtime routine. Either with a side less cot or mattress on the floor.

Gileswithachainsaw · 27/08/2015 11:56

Does he have a night light

XIIILC · 27/08/2015 12:05

We have a night light but don't use it, he tends to get annoyed if the room isn't dark enough. I wonder if something has made him uneasy but I've never worked out what. temperatures have never really bothered him that much.

Unfortunately I don't have any family and I don't have any friends. Might just have to bite the bullet and put mattress on the floor. I would try the side off the cot but I'm not convinced, my son is the size of a 4 year old, Id be paranoid it would all collapse

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Seeline · 27/08/2015 12:12

If he's the size of a 4yo no wonder he doesn't like his cot - I'm amazed he fits in it. Mattress on the floor. Most toddlers learn quickly that that still means bed. We had a stair gate across the bedroom door so at least DS was contained within his room if he did get up, but he didn't very often.

Gileswithachainsaw · 27/08/2015 12:16

Is the boiler in his room?

is the house "creaky"

are the dressing gowns hung on the door or over a chair?

is there a street lamp outside his window?

An owl or bird that hoots/squawks?

XIIILC · 27/08/2015 13:46

It's a very old building so maybe there are creeks but I haven't noticed. To be honest, I have no idea where the boiler is, I'm assuming it's in the basemeent as its communal, but we're on the top floor. There are owls and bats and stuff about but we had that at the other place.

I think the chimney is against his wall but I'm not sure, because it's also against the kitchen wall. Our electrics are in it so we can see into it, it a noisy on a windy day

Thanks for the help guys, think I'll try the mattress on the floor.

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