Help -- my 2 1/2 year old has gone mad!

[Scout19075]

Toddler's recently moved into a Big Boy Bed and for a while was great. However, this week he's learned that he can get out as well as in.

I'm doing okay with the getting to sleep at night bit -- firm, consistent, etc., even if it's taking hours sometimes. It's the waking in the middle of the night that's doing my head in. This is the second night this week. Earlier in the week it took 2.5 hours (approx) of the same back-to-bed firmness. Tonight (this morning?) he's been up since 3. At first he was only up every 30 minutes and was staying in bed with praise. Since 5, though, he's doing the whole "I'm up, scurry back to bed when I get up, get out of bed before I'm at the door" thing. I've praised him when he's stayed in bed, told him he's going to be too tired for swimming if he doesn't stay in bed and rest, put him back to bed. Now he's just not even listening to me.

I'm exhausted and at the end of my tether (MrScout's working away at the moment but even when he's here he leaves for work by 5:15 and has a 100 mile (one way) journey so I try to do the night wakings so he doesn't fall asleep behind the wheel).

Any tips and tricks to help me get Toddler to stay in bed/go back to sleep before I lose my mind?

We're now at 3 1/2 hours in. He's exhausted. I've lost the will to live.

Scout

Alas I have no solution for you but boy, do I feel your pain. We moved our 2 year old TWINS into beds about 10 days ago and, since then, I've had just one decent night of sleep. We are finding coping methods for getting them to sleep at bedtime - continually putting them back to bed, temporarily moving one out to a travel cot - but my DD is, like your DS, waking ridiculously early. This morning I've been up since just turned 4am. She woke and was crying at the stair gate we've put on their room. I put her back to bed then she (assuming she did go back to sleep) woke again at 5 when I did the same thing then again just before 6. She has always been the worst of the 2 for sleeping but this is something else! I bought a Gro Clock but tbh I think mine are just too little to understand what it means - perhaps you'd have more luck with your slightly older DS? Anyway, I hope someone posts some suggestions soon! We've been returning her to her bed for a week now but things are just not improving and I feel like throwing in the towel now and just letting her sleep in with us when she wakes, just so I might get some more sleep myself. She's so terribly overtired it's untrue - naps have gone to pot as well as nighttime sleep so I'm thinking now I just need to focus on getting her sleeping again and then tackle it when all of us are a bit more rested.

Anjelika

Thanks Anjelika. I gave up around 7:15, fed & water Toddler, let him play with trains and started again around 8:10. Took just over an hour and finally got him to sleep nap. Only let him sleep 75 minutes since I promised him we'd go to our swimming class if "he slept like a big boy." And TS won't sleep in our bed so it's not even an option for us.

I put his blackout blind up this morning so am hoping that helps, too. I'm also not going to let him nap this afternoon, though he's desperate, as I need him he needs to get back into his normal sleeping pattern. Don't mind a slightly earlier bedtime but just need to keep him going until then.

Hi Scout

Just wondering if last night was any better for you? My 2 had to be separated to go to sleep (DD to the travel cot in our room then put back in her bed later) then DD woke at 1.30am but went back to sleep after DH went to her then she woke at 5.35 for the day. Took her in with us but she wouldn't settle and she woke DS too so had 2 of them in with us!

Hi Anjelika.

Thursday still took a bit of doing to settle, but not much compared to previous nights. He did, however, come into my bed just past midnight and snuggled in. I think he was sleepwalking, though, as it runs in my family and he didn't seem awake. I put him back to bed and he stayed.

Last night was a success! It only took 20 minutes for him to stay in his bed and he stayed all night until 6ish (and seeing as he's normally up between 6 & 7 it didn't bother me). Wahoo!

How about you?

Hi Scout
Fri night was OK because DD decided she wanted to sleep in the travel cot in our room - we just transferred her to her bed later. She woke at 5.30 but DH put her back to bed and she stayed out till 6.40. Last night we went cold turkey and shut their door and left them to it. They went quiet after only 10 minutes. When we went in they were both asleep in their own beds and slept till 6.20. Hoping we've finally turned a corner.
Anjelika