Have taken cot sides off - now evenings are hell. Help!

[TaraQ]

Hi all - am hoping for some advice. Our twin boys share a room (2 years and 3 months) and have always slept well. They are put to bed at 7pm and have always chatted etc for half and hour before dropping to sleep. They then wake at 7ish in the morning but, again, are happy chatting until we get them up.

A month ago we took their cot sides off - mainly because when we go away in a couple of months they will be sleeping in beds so we thought we would get them used to it. Initially there wasn't a problem but now evenings are a nightmare. They view going to bed as "playtime" now. They muck about and are in absolute hysterics trashing their bedroom and jumping on the beds. We go in and out to put them back to bed but as soon as the door is shut they do it again. We have tried everything - shouting at them, bribery, but nothing is working. It is getting worse. It can be close to 10pm before they eventually fall asleep which leaves us without an evening.

For the past 2 nights we have tried putting one to sleep in a travel cot in a separate room but the other won't sleep alone so that doesn't work.

They are awake agin in the morning and out of bed by 6am. By 9 they are shattered and mornings are awful - they are clumsy and tired and the slightest thing is the end of the world.

Didn't realise it would be this bad - my dd went into her bed when she was 1 and a half with no issues but I guess 2 boys in together is a completely different story.

Has anyone got any tips, advice or strategies that we could try. We are very close to putting cot sides back on but, after a month of trying, feel that this would be a complete backwards step - they will have to go into beds at some point! Any help would be much appreciated!

Mine were a bit like this. I resorted to sitting in the corner of the room and telling them it was bed time every time they got up. After a while they get bored and go to sleep. Over time the novelty wears off - but it can take a while. (take a book with you !).

meant to say - don't engage in conversation - just tell them it is bed time and they need to sleep.

Thank you Throckenholt. How long did it take? Am at my wits end. Really don't want to put sides back on so may give this a try. Want my evenings back!

I can't remember (mine are 8 now !). I think a couple of weeks - but it may take a while as they have got into a habit now.

I remember the wanting my evenings back feeling.

What I did was sit in the room to begin with and then gradually over a few days move a bit out of the room until I was sitting outside the door. Pretty much as soon as they moved I said - bed time - you should be asleep. Kept the room dark and all very low key and boring - so being awake was no fun.

Good luck.

Thank you - will try this evening! x

Yes I did that with dd2. It wasn't such a bind once I had moved closer to the door and had enough light to read a book. It took longer than 2 weeks for us, and then there was a long time where she wanted to check I was out on the landing, but as I said before it was actually quite pleasant to sit and read for a while, whilst dp got dinner ready.

With my little lot, everything interesting was removed from the room, a gate fixed on the doorway and they had one book each and their comforter. I then did the sitting in the room with them, telling them to lie down if they sat up. Only took me 3 nights, but I did it from the start. Good luck!

Right - am sat in room as i type this. 1 hour in. one went to sleep within 30 mins, the other putting up more of a fight!

that sounds like progress then. At least having one asleep is a good start.

Hope it goes well over the next few days.

Mine did this - I totally feel your pain but it will get better. I really agree with taking every toy or object of interest out of their room. I also did a reward chart for staying in bed. Nowadays mine play in their room (no toys) for about 20 minutes before they go to sleep but rarely come out the room, so I am happy with that (consider it a bit like the 20 mins of reading I do before falling asleep).

I think the best thing I did was take the cot sides off in November when the evenings were dark so they just got in bed and was too dark to prat around!!! I've just had my 2nd set of twins and I'll time it forwinter again so hopefully these don't prat about :)

how's it going ? Hope you are making some progress.

I'm going through this as well at the mo! I have boy/girl twins who are 2yrs 4months. Our son is very stubborn and won't get into bed at all until he has screamed the house down, our daughter isn't so bad she will actually get into bed and start to snooze but George will wake her again with his screaming. We also have a gate on the door & taken out all the toys apart from a few cuddly toys & book each. Gracie usually wakes in the muddle if the night who then wakes George up again, she will go back to sleep but he will scream the house down waking our 4 year old & probably all the neighbours! I can handle actual bedtime it's the middle of the night which is worse!arghhhh!

Totally feeling your pain to xxx

Hi all. Still having a nightmare. They are fine if you stay in with them - takes 40 mins - 1 hr for them to fall asleep. We have tried to go outside door instead and tell them "its sleeptime" if they start to talk or play around but its just not effective. Unless you are physically in the room with them they p**s about. Aaaarghhhhhhhhhh. I want my evenings back.

My twin boys are 23 months, we have just made the switch to beds and are having a bit of a nightmare too! i have to stay in the room and it takes an hour sometimes even an hour and a half for them both to go off. We start 'bedtime' at about 7.15pm and its usually 8.30 ish or even later sometimes b4 they're asleep. Need endless patience and endurance! Leaving the room is just not an option as all hell would break loose with my two.

Nice to know am not the only one. Still having a nightmare and having to stay in with them. They are up so early too.