Help me get my toddler to sleep in the evenings?!

lola123345 · 24/05/2023 20:23

helpmesleepplease · 24/05/2023 20:13

So my DD, 17 months has always been an amazing sleeper (did have a 6 week regression which was hell at 10 months) but it ended bang on 6 weeks. Now I'm not sure if my daughter is having a regression or it's the lighter evenings keeping her awake all evening. Her bedtime has always been 7:30pm and she's always been great at going down, but the light evenings have come and she started walking on the Easter bank holiday weekend and since then she will not to go bed until gone 9pm and we have to let her fall asleep down with us on the sofa then carry her up or she screams when she goes to bed (I use to be able to put her down awake). I darken the house by drawing the curtains and making it feel like night time but she's just not getting tired. She wants to get up and play with everything but not toys, tv remotes, PlayStation remotes, phones etc and since Monday she's been throwing tantrums and screaming whenever I take something off of her.. some nights she wakes in the night crying but has not done this much lately so it's just bedtime that's the issue. Please help, is this regression or lighter evenings?! I am so tired it's unreal, I've not long started a new job and this on top is just incredibly overwhelming. I just want some decent sleep (an early night)

Awww I feel for you! I've been there - it's hard!! Does she nap? If she does I would definitely drop this or cut it right down.

If not, then I would suggest you try and nip it in the bud as quick as possible - they are so clever at that age, and will know how to get what they want! The minute you start giving in and going to the sofa, she learns she can do that by resisting bed time.

I had phases of this with my little one just before he turned two - he would refuse to get in the bath and then cry at bedtime till late, it was so exhausting! But the more I caved, the harder it got.

Perhaps try changing the routine a little as a way to reset things and create a new routine that works. Maybe do bath, then a story on your bed and cuddles and then off to bed. If she's in a cot, as tough as it is (I hated this but it does work) let her cry for a bit! If you keep going in and taking her downstairs, she will quickly learn to keep doing that. So let her cry for five mins, go in comfort and go again. Add a minute in each night and when you go in keep fuss and attention minimal. Just calm reassurance.

X

LGBirmingham · 25/05/2023 06:59

I think around 18 months is common time for sleep needs to reduce. Yours could just be lower sleep needs so she got there a bit earlier?

For ds when he started resisting bed time at that age his nap had to be capped to 1.5 hours or finishing at 2 and bedtime pushed to 8. That largely sorted it out.

Original poster

helpmesleepplease · 25/05/2023 20:35

I have asked the nursery to not let her sleep past 2pm so they did this yesterday and today and she's gone to bed much easier than she has been, the tantrums have started though as I took a pot of sudocreme off her and she screamed like she was being tortured! I'm hoping that it's just a phase and I can get it sorted because it's taking its toll on me!

OP posts:

BastilleBastille · 25/05/2023 21:16

We blu tack big thick black bin liners over my son’s bedroom windows at this time of the year to keep his bedroom pitch black. We carry him into his room and sit in the dark for a few minutes to wind down so it nearly tricks him into thinking it’s dark out.

We also invested a few “bedtime comforts” for him. We bought him a blue cocomelon blanket from Amazon and a couple of jellycat bunnies. He’s also fond of his dodo at bedtime so when we tell him it’s time for bed and “dodo, bunnies and blankey” he will literally drop anything for it. Before we had these comforts he used to resist bedtime something terrible!!

Original poster

helpmesleepplease · 25/05/2023 21:20

@BastilleBastille I have put towels over the windows to make it darker lol! I am going to order some portable blackout blinds as this will probably stay up better than towels. A comforter is a good idea, DD has a star belly teddy that she loves so I will give this to her at night

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LGBirmingham · 25/05/2023 23:47

helpmesleepplease · 25/05/2023 20:35

I have asked the nursery to not let her sleep past 2pm so they did this yesterday and today and she's gone to bed much easier than she has been, the tantrums have started though as I took a pot of sudocreme off her and she screamed like she was being tortured! I'm hoping that it's just a phase and I can get it sorted because it's taking its toll on me!

Well that's just toddlers for you! They become more wilful after they turn 2 as well 😂