What is the best technique to deal with THIS sleep problem?? (2 years without a full nights sleep - alone in our beds- please help) & long!!

[kitsandbits]

Heres the situation ...

DS(now 3) been in our bed since about 6months - started out as just coming in during the early hours but exscualted to just getting in our bed when it was bedtime.

DS2 is born (when DS1 is 18months) and he basically just gets in our bed from the getgo.

Anywhooooo

We had had enough (obviousl y -- two toddlers in the bed is not a good thing)

so we decorated their room 'disney cars' about 5 days ago.

put a tv/dvd in there (ok but contraversial but bear with me) and we put them to bed now in own bed & cot in own room with warm milk and watch 3 episodes of thomas then lights out...

they moan abit - stand up ect - me or DP are sat on a chair in the room and they EVENTULLY fall asleep - but only takes about 30 mins (big improvement for us)

So we feel this part works.

HOWEVER they both still wake up in the night - thats right my almost 3 yr old & 18 month old dont sleep through yet

My main problem is ME, im lazy - i love my bed & the easiest way to get them back to sleep quick is to brinbg them in my bed

But i need to stop

what do i do when they wake up in the night??

thanks if you got this far

just really need this sorted

i feel we have really made an improvemt by getting them to go in their own beds in their own rooms and its me that ruining it by bringing them into our room in the night!!

Basially i want to know the quickest way to settle them again at night in their own beds - when they are crying to get in ours

Yes you have achieved a lot getting them in their own beds at bedtime - well done!

I know how you feel with them waking in the night and coming through to you and I am like you, I just pick my DS up and put him in bed with me and usually DH will get out and go and sleep in DS's bed - not the best idea, I know!

However, we have now stopped doing this and if he does come through (less and less these days) we just put him back in his own bed. He does moan a bit but after about 10 minutes goes back to sleep.

I warn you though... it is not easy (I'm just as lazy as you are ) but they soon learn that it is not "acceptable" behaviour (in the words of supernanny) and will stay put!

Good luck

Hmm 10 minutes seems unlikely, but i guess i will just have to persevere!

Honestly, it will get easier but like you say you do need to persevere. We started off having to lie on the bed with him at first and slowly try and creep out of the room but he always woke up due to creeky floorboards! Then we stopped lying down with him and left him to it and he soon learnt that he wasn't going to 'win'. IYSWIM!

Yea, we have had to do that a few times with DS1 (the lieing with him then creeping out)

Or take DS2 out of the cot to calm him then put him back in.

How about a bunny clock too for the 3 year old. You can explain that when the bunny sleeps so should he. It really helped when our DS went into a bed as I don't think he understood at first. Good luck