standing at night / throwing toy out of cot

[furniture]

I posted just recently about my 18 month old dd's new found desire to disrupt our previously peaceful nights. We've been doing controlled crying totally by the book and it's not working after a week. One thing I can't find any information on is how do you cope with a child who refuses to lie down and continually throws her comfort toy out of the cot? We had 2.5 hours of this 3-5.30am last night before I finally got her to lie down and she slept until 8.30 but is knackered today. We stuck to the controlled crying regime but the thing is I know she won't lie down on her own, especially when her toy is on the floor. I'm tempted to sew it onto her sleeping bag!

Each time you go back in at ten minute or whatever intervals, pick up comforter and put in cot, lift dd and gently push her legs out of the way and lay her down saying time for sleep good night darling. Leave the room. She will have stood up agian before you get as far as the door but ignore that. Repeat and persevere. Eventually she won't bother to stand up each time. Good luck

Can you get one of those toy ties for the comforter and fasten it to the cot bars. They are normally very short coiled plastic so shouldn't be a saefy issue I wouldn't have thought.

lemonice, she's a tough one to get to lie down even though she isn't very big, but I'll give it a go. Got nothing to lose at this point!

I don't know about tying the comforter though I know the kind of tie you mean. I think she'd still chuck it over the edge where it would dangle on the tie. And if it was fastened she might not be able to cuddle it to her as she performs her nocturnal gymnastics round the cot all night.

Well this is what I mean about having to sort of swipe her legs out of the way (gently but fiemly) and then pop down the comforter. I would only do the laying down once each time you go in or she will realise she can keep you there by repeatedly standing up - sorry customer interrupting

Ok, will try that. Usually I lay her down and she's up again before I've reached the door! They are so persistent aren't they? I wish I could just get her to see that she's tired, it's time to sleep and there's no point in endlessly postponing it.

Hello furniture,

Have you tried a sleeping bag for little ones - I'm not sure what they're exactly called. These sacks have a zip that closes at the top to the toes and arm holes. They have room at the bottom for the feet to move about. Your little one could get to standing up but it's not that easy. Your dd might decide to stay put or just sit up. Hopefully making her more likely to go back to sleep or at least still laying down as you say goodnight

Good luck

fairyprincess, dd's been in a sleeping bag since she was about 2 months old. Believe me, it doesn't stop her standing up!

I'm beginning to wonder if this will ever stop to be honest. I've been doing everything that's been suggested and that I've read about but it still goes on and on. Maybe i just have to learn to live with it.

Don't know if this will help at all but thought I'd tell you about ds. At 16months, he started doing this standing up thing. Kept going back, lying him down again... You know the scenario.
Well after about 2 hours of this one night I thought maybe there was something wrong so picked him up and lay him on his bed (which has always been in his room) while I went to put the lamp on. He immediately calmed down and was asleep within a couple of minutes. He's been in the bed ever since (well night times, we do get him up in the day ) If he does wake in the night, he sits up but doesn't stand and has the space to move about at night.
Our night times have been revolutionised by moving him and although it may seem young to be in a bed, he's certainly happier as are we.

Hope things work out - hope you find the solution. Best Wishes.

Thanks fairyprincess.

Posey, I've kept wondering about a bed. I hadn't planned it until she was well over 2 as she's a restless sleeper and I'm sure she'd fall out and I'm also not convinced she'd stay lying down in it. I so wish we'd bought a cot bed instead of a bed just so we could check it out as an option before buying one. Her room's incredibly small and we couldn't fit a cot and a bed in it very easily so I've sort of procrastinated and not gone for it so far. But I will remember what you said.

Last night she woke up 4 times standing and calling for me. She settled down each time after 2 visits from me to lie her down again but all that broken sleep has left me feeling absolutely shattered today.

I mean a cot bed instead of a cot. You see? Brain's gone.

Furniture, to add to what I said yesterday:
I was very worried about ds toppling out of bed as he always seemed half asleep despite standing and yelling in his cot. We have got a bed rail as he's very active in bed, but also there is a spare duvet on the floor in case he does climb over. So far he's got himself out of bed twice, climbing out as he always does off anything, on his tummy and feet first. Amazing since he's so sleepy.
I really know how you feel with the disturbed nights. I think in the early days of babyhood you have an in-built coping mechanism, but as they get older its much harder to cope if they have you up so frequently.
Really hope things improve for you soon.