Tips for sorting DS (5) bedtime/sleep issues please!

[BudaBabe]

OK so i know it is all my own fault!

When DS a baby he always had his last feed in my arms and fell asleep there and was then put in cot. Progressed to bottle, song and cuddle in arms and put him down awake but always stayed in room.

When he moved to a bed I sat by bed till he was asleep. Used to take about 20 mins max.

Since we moved to Budapest 2 years ago he has gotten worse not better. Still need to sit with him but rarely sleeps all night in own bed - comes in to us. We travel a lot and I know that unsettles him. I have given in a lot and slept in spare room with him.

So now he is 5 and I am getting really fed up with it all. He is desperate for the Cars Playstaion game and I have said that he can have it if he sleeps in his own bed for a month. Is this reasonable. Is it too long?

He claims to be afraid of the dark (the night light is on). I am in room next door atm - he keeps calling to say he can't go to sleep. I just tell him to keep trying. But tonight he really wanted to sleep in my bed and tried every way possible to get me to agree. So I ended up shouting at him.

Any and all suggestions gratefully received!

PS Was home in Dublin last week and we shared a room there with two single beds. Went to bed no probs. Quick story and asleep within 5 mins. Slept all night in own bed.

Aargh - has called me again to say he can't get to sleep!!

I think a month is quite a long time, I do think you should agree to buy Cars at the end of hte month, but also a small treat at the end of each week.

Maybe pasta jar/star chart so he can actually see his progress each day?

Good luck!

I agree with MamaG - a month is too long. Maybe a sticker chart so he can see his progress, and a small reward for every 5 stickers on his chart or something, and then his big present if he gets so many stickers over the month (don't make it that he has to have a sticker every day).

Yes - thought myself that a month maybe too long but PS games are expensive and i wanted him to work for it!

OK - will do sticker chart for 4 weeks - treat every weekend if achieved 5 stickers over week?

Bless - he did finally get to sleep - buried under duvet and sweating buckets till i moved it. Now I am back on computer and I heard him gettin up. He went to toilet - sat down (only does when tired) with pjs still up, did his wee and just trotted back to his own bed!

Lately he hides under duvet or pillow in his bedroom (didn't do in Dublin). Have always felt he wasn't settled in this room. Think he does get scared.

Have you tried a nightlight? My DD has one, she's in the loft and can't hear us at night, but she has a very soft nightlight (she's 7!!) and that keeps her happy.

How is it going tonight?

sticker chart sounds fine, maybe a small treat (comic or the like) at end of each week and the Cars game at the end of hte month - really give him something to work towards, but giving ongoing encouragement

Just re-read by last post about him sitting down to pee - he did actually pull down pjs before he peed!!

He slept in his own bed pretty much all night. Was woken early this morning by DH though and as it was still dark he came in to me (I was in spare room).

Will make nice bright colourful stickerchart this morning.

He has a night light and I leave the door open. Our house has sloping walls so the curtains in his room sort of stick out from the wall a bit and he said last night that he was scared of monsters in there. The curtains are navy blue so I might change them to something brighter.

Good idea about teh curtains - maybe get some of those metal wall mounted tie backs so teh curtains run down the walls rather than hang from teh rail IYKWIM