Re-caging the tiger- has anyone done this?

[WreckOfTheHesperus]

DD (nearly 2) was a fabulous sleeper until she threw herself out of her cot 4 months ago. We were scared she would hurt herself, and immediately took the side down to turn it into a cot bed.

Since then, she gets out of bed and wanders around her room playing and singing until late into the night. We put a stairgate on her door, and send her straight back to bed whenever we see her out of it, but are worried that she isn't getting enough sleep.

Have tried sitting with her, but she can go for hours without going to sleep, and then the evening has gone...

She sleeps well in travel costs when we're away, so we are now thinking of putting the cot side back - anyone tried this successfully (please say yes )

bump this for you
suggestion you can get bed rails for the side of the bed - maybe make her feel more secure alternately can you put up the cot sides on three sides roud mattress on floor or something like that (make sure safe) to make the transition less 'scary', sorry just realised its a cot bed...mmm maybe just lean cot side up -no maybe too dangerous. I put a pillow in the outside edge of the bed which rolled them back in but my 2 boys took to their toddler bed really well. My daughter kicked up a fuss at first but after being put back in bed about 20 times and stair gate being on door she gave up and stayed in bed.

Is the bedtime routine going as normal? You could try doing bedtime stories etc downstairs, and removing toys from bedroom (apart from soft teddies) and making sure light is dim that might induce sleep

Yes we did this. When DS2 was due to be born we put DS1 in a bed. He was just 2. It was a nightmare from day1. He wouldn't stay in it for a minute and after two weeks we brought the cot back and got a second cot for the baby.
Problem is you are only delaying the inevitable. Sooner on later you have to let the tiger out again..... In my experience it was only a temporary respite.
The good news is that by the time the youngest was 8 years old they would both stay in bed. Most of the time. Well some nights anyway.

Thanks Henrietta, we have a good bath and story routine with dim lights. The only toys in her room are soft toys, but she takes the bedding out from under her bed and plays with that, takes old clothes out of her cupboard etc...
Inthesticks, so you're saying that if I hold out another 6 years it should all be peachy, right...? Have to say, a temporary respite sounds pretty good right now...

That's 6 years if you don't have any more children.
Sorry to be flippant, I really do remember how hard it was. Also when you do get some respite you get used to it very quickly and it hurts all the more when you regress.

By the way "WreckOfTheHesperus " used to be one of my mum's favourite expressions.

is she actually tired enough when she goes to bed? maybe the whole bedtime and nap routine needs looking at if she's that awake into the night.

one thing you could try is put her to bed when you know for sure she'll be tired enough to go to sleep so say its 7pm now - 2 hrs later then when she's sleeping again hopefully withing a couple of nights reduce by 1/2 hr every 3/4 nights - by a couple o weeks maybe you'll have your evenings back & bliss...I know they've tried this with some sleepwalkers with success.

If your evening has gone with running up & down stairs anyway then hopefully you won't have lost anything except a couple more weeks of this

mine all went into a toddler bed at 2 as next baby was due and I didn't want to throw them out to baby immediately in, like someone said you'll have to do it eventually, and if she's already got out of cot its not really safe to have her in one.

It's a fine plan, Henrietta, although with one flaw; she is never actually tired...unless she doesn't have a daytine nap. She goes to nursery, and they don't want to let her drop it.

Inthesticks I, too, was the Wreck of the Hesperus from a very early age, courtesy of my mother - bewildering Victorian insults a speciality.

Wreck - it's not up to the nursery. If you don't want her to have a nap, they have to respect that. Perhaps at nursery she needs a small nap, but if so they should keep it short.

Another Wreck of the Hesperus here 9also The Wild Woman of Skara Brae)! Does she eventually go to sleep if you leave her pottering in her room? If so, does she seem tired or out of sorts during the day?

If the answer to these wuestions are yes and no - have you considered just letting her get on with it? Or is that a daft idea?

In my opinion if nursery won't drop her nap you're fighting a losing battle - you might as well keep her up till 10pm. My dd1 dropped her nap at 18months DS1 needed his nap sometimes during the day for another year BUT I had to wake him after 30 mins or he wouldn't go to bed till 10pm and he needed his sleep so effectively by giving him 1hr during day he lost 2 hrs overall and was REALLY grumpy.

Ask the nursery do they want whats best for the child or them(politely) explain that its disturbing her night and making her unhappy during day. They only see part of the story - yes she will be tired at nursery for a couple of weeks (is it morning or afternoon??) but as she starts to sleep longer at night this will pass.

Failing all that you could wait till next holiday week - and drop her nap and present her back saying she definately DOESN'T need the nap...if they don't co-operate yo'll tell all the other mums anyway so they'll lose parents confidence.

If she is awake at 2 that late she is getting too much sleep in the day. Unless you get the nursery to drop the nap she will not be tired at bedtime. If you put her back in the cot she'll just climb out again.

I think you need to have stern words with the nursery manager, maybe not totally dropping the nap but properly cutting it down. By 2 years I wouldn't let either of my DC sleep for more than 30 mins at lunchtime or they wouldn't sleep at nighttime by 2.5 I would only allow occasionally eg after late night, and even then only a short nap.

My gauge on the length of the daytime nap was how easily they went to bed at night, of
course you don't want them to be totally exhausted but you need them to be tired enough that they fall asleep quickly.

my daughter has done the EXACT same thing only with keeping fry at night she was a brilliant sleeper loves sleeping from 6pm till 8-9am no problem but as soon as i took her nappy off and begun getting her through the night she is up singing, jumping , running about and in the morning she ngets up for a wee about 6 and just plays about and the she is ratty all day.

Oh the joy's :-) hope you get good results

x

Sorry that was DRY not fry