DS 2.4yrs - Is it time for a bed?

[ladyhelen2]

I have a little problem with DS sleeping and wonder whether to try and sort this with a bed of his own?

Here goes:

We have a good bedtime routine and he goes down pretty much without any difficulty.
The routine is tea, play/cbeebies, bath, then milk and story (generally on our bed) and then into his cot. He is in a grobag but has a pillow now.

It is a rare night indeed now that he doesn't wake at some point between 2am and 6am, start crying for mummy and daddy, and then (when one of us goes in - possibly a mistake ?) demanding to come into our bed. We have made a rod for our own back, I guess as we have been bringing him in for the past 3 months but he goes straight back to sleep with us and raises merry hell if we try to put him back into his own cot. He has also climbed out once.

Its SO hard to try the CC method - he has also made himself sick with hysteria once when I tried to sort it out using CC.

I don't understand why he won't settle - he goes down with no prob, has daytime naps in his cot with no prob. Is it time to try his own bed? Anyone else have this with their toddler? Would really welcome suggestions on how to sort this out.

Thanks

Although DS (2.3) is still in his cot bed we have recently given him a little quilt which he totally loves. He still has his gro-bag. I wonder if you could do the same and really build it up to be something special. He might feel warmer and more snug.

Hi, we put our 16mth old in a bed - she was v similar to yours (no probs with bedtime but would wake and be upset - IMO because she felt 'abandoned'). She LOVES her bed! (is now 18mths).

Didn't sort her night waking yet (mind you, there's always something - teething etc etc) but all the behavioural ones seem to have improved eg she self-settles better and is happy me leaving her, and tbh I find it much easier to settle her anyway and deal with her in a bed. Also we got one big enough that I can sleep in with her if necessary

I play lots of games with her where she plays sleeping in her bed and put dolly and bear to bed and then leaves them saying night night. I also told her during the day lots, you're going to sleep in YOUR bed tonight and mummy will give you a big cuddle in the morning (cue lots more games - where's mummy's bed? YEA, where's dd's bed? YESSSS.) Then it's just being consistent isn't it (easier said than done, huh?) and trying to keep bed as a fun, happy place (but being firm with whatever you want to achieve - eg sleeping in your own bed all night)

PS your routine at the moment sounds lovely - one night waking a night then into your bed and more sleep. Soudns great .

Thanks for your really quick replies!

All I want is for him to sleep all night happily in his own bed. I'm thinking about a quilt too and maybe getting him to help choose his own duvet cover so a trip to JOhn Lewis may be in order this weekend. May even get a bed too!

Mummymagic, you are right - we don't have too much I guess to complain about as once he's in with us he goes back to sleep, but quite often, it actually means either me or DH take him to the spare room so the other can sleep uninterrupted. It would be nice for us to wake up in the same bed (me and DH that is!).

Our son was 2 in June and he went in to a bed for the first time last night. While there was still room for gorwth in his cot, I felt he was waking up as he needed more room.

How did it go? Did he like it?

Our DS went into a bed at 21 months and loves it. Loves the freedom as well now! We had the same problem with you, i.e. Going to bed easily, but then waking up and coming in to bed with us. We let him do it for a few weeks but got fed up with waking with sore backs, not sleeping properly, etc.

We started by telling him (at normal bed time) that he was a big boy for sleeping in his own bed and that bear and Peter (his fluffy rabbit) would keep him lovely and warm and that we would see him in the morning. He slept right through for a few nights then started waking again and coming through to us. My DH picks him up and puts him back in bed (I'm too lazy) and TBH he does stay in his bed but moans for about 10 minutes then goes back to sleep. We have had to be very consistent with him though.

Our ds was around 2 when he decided to climb out of his cot. We turned it into the cotbed but he started falling out as he wriggles in his sleep. We then put a guard on the side but he still managed to fall out so in the end we bought a single bed. He looked so tiny but we have never looked back and he very rarely falls out. If he has a disturbed night ( not often) we only take him out of his room when really necessary eg when he was having bad dreams and he wouldn't wake up or calm down so we took him into the lounge, settled him and then took him back up to his bed. We have never had him in our bed and as a consequence he never really wants to sleep there, only for snuggles in the morning.
I was making blankets for the new baby and he asked for one for his toys as they 'were getting cold in the night' -maybe you could have something like this for your lo? He chose the colours and was really insistent that I finished it. We also have story reading pillows that he uses when we read stories and cuddles up to these during the night. I think what I'm trying to say is that we have given him lots of things that comfort him that we use at calm, comforting times for him to chose to help him get back to sleep.

Am really beginning to think that a bed is the way forward. You've all been really helpful! Just been on the JOhn Lewis website and now have the dilemma - toddler bed or single bed???? The toddler bed looks perfect - little side bars that I think may make them feel a little more secure - or do I go for a single bed that will obviously last him longer?

My 2.6 yrs old Niece has got a IKEA metal extendable bed which is fab!! and you have to buy the mattress seperate...my 3 yrs old DD is still in the cot-bed ?(now a bed) but its massive and should last her till she is 5.

here the one from IKEA

We bought a normal single bed from Ikea and then bought the wooden guard rail from Mothercare - we didn't want the extra expense a few years down the line of buying another bed. And the Ikea mattresses come with a 25 year guarantee.

lady helen
From our point of view the whole bedding situation is a sore point in our house!!

We bought a moses basket -ds was sooo long it lasted him 9 weeks and then we would have had to fold his legs to get him in.
We bought a cotbed so it would last until he was aroud 4/5/6? He climbed out at 2, then once in the cotbed he fell out -as I posted earlier.

For ds 2 we have bought a crib as is much longer, then we'll use the cotbed but only as a cot and then go striaght to a single bed.

Hoe safe are those extendable beds when you ds is a 'bouncer' who loves to bounce on his bed??

we bought the Ikea Vikare one - and extended it once already (so I can sleep comfortably in it too - mind you, I am only 5ft 2 ). We have a cot duvet for her and pillow.

The bed thing is fun - do it, do it, do it!!

ladyhelen2

He seemed to like it. We have been talking about it for a few days and he would say cot when given the choice. He then started saying bed. He got out 4 times last night but that is to be expected. We checked on him when we went up and he was asleep across the bottom of the bed ontop of the duvet. He looked sooo cute. Put him back to bed and he woke slightly and was a little confused. Slept until almost 7am so we were pleased, and relieved.

He asked for his cot at afternoon nap time today and only got up twice. Bit upset when he woke up but I think he needs more time to get used to waking up in a different bed.