2 year old sleep won't go to sleep

[Kk101]

Hi

My 2 year old hates going to sleep. She does everything possible to stay awake. I'm due to have another baby in early August although it's likely to be earlier as I have placenta previa. I'm desperate to get her to sleep better by the time the new baby is here.

It takes 2 to 3 hours to get her to sleep in the evening. We've tried lying beside here, leaving her, popping in and out but she just does everything she can to stay awake. This evening she took her sleeping bag, trousers and nappy off! IT even seems sometimes like she tries to fill her nappy as she clearly knows we can't leave her with a dirty nappy.

She has a routine - bath (although she's refusing that at the moment), milk, a couple of stories then into her cot.

She's always been a nightmare to get to sleep I just thought she'd grow out of it but it's getting worse. She's not brilliant through the night but sleeps through probably 60% of the time.

Does anyone have any advice. We're truly desperate. I've had two hospital admission because of the placenta previa so I know I may be having the new baby quite early!

Thanks
K

are you trying to put her to bed too early? keep her up an hour or so later than usual...

turn down lights early in eve while she winds down, no tv for a couple of hours before bed

wear her out more during the day (walks out / park?)

cut out her nap/s?

that or she is overtired and needs more daytime sleep.

Kill the nap or no later than 3 for the end of it. She's not tired if it's over an hour.

We're tried changing bed time and if she doesn't have a nap it's almost worse.

It's true often she doesn't seem tired but when she does finally give up and lie down she's often asleep within 5 minutes.

It's generally 10pm before she's finally asleep which just seems so so late to me. I'm shattered by then so we eat dinner and basically go straight to bed! I guess at least we haven't got used to having free time in the evening...

maybe you just have to be a bit more firm with her about it being bedtime, put her down and leave, this used to work with my DS. she should understand when you explain to her as she's old enough now.