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Sleep

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Original poster

Move to a big bed - how to stop night time visitations??

37 replies

bronniemuldoon · 10/01/2005 14:23

My DS is 2 yrs 3 months and as we're due to have another baby at the beginning of April we thought we'd move him to a big bed and another room now so that by the time the baby arrives he's given up ownership of his former room for the baby to have. Anyway, we decorated it really nicely over Xmas and have bought him a lovely bed and he went in it for the first time last night. It took him ages to get to sleep. He was up and down like a yoyo and in the end finally fell asleep after about an hour with DH lying on the bedroom floor next to him. I'm wondering what to do. He's never got out of his cot and was pretty good at going to sleep but now he knows he can escape I can see problems looming. He's also now on the next floor up from us at the top of the house so wondering if he'll feel a bit creepy up there all on his own. I need some advice for getting him to settle and some reassurance that we're doing the right thing. DH is adamant it's the right thing to do now (particularly as he is away for a week at the end of Jan so I'll have to be hiking up 2 flights of stairs to sort DS out on my own at 7 mths pg).

OP posts:

mears · 12/01/2005 12:17

Have only quickly looked at this. I would either put him back in a cot in the new room, or put his bed in his old room until he has got used to it. The new baby is not due for a while and the problem may be sorted by then. Doind 2 changes at once was perhaps too much for him.

bakedpotato · 12/01/2005 18:13

maybe it's like cc, it gets worse before it gets better.

might he not be pretty cross if you got the cot out again and stuck it in his room and tried to put him into it? it might work brilliantly as a deterrent.

lowcalCOD · 12/01/2005 18:13

sit int he room in front of the door

bakedpotato · 12/01/2005 18:14

(in his room, alongside his big bed i mean)

if he goes into it like a lamb, though, it's not the end of the world. you have got a few months to play with.

bakedpotato · 12/01/2005 18:18

and yes i would stick to plan A for a week

lulupop · 12/01/2005 18:51

stairgate across his bedroom door. explain to him he can't come out of his room.

we moved ds at exactly the same point as you, I was due end of April and was obsessed with sorting out the bedroom arrangements.

ds loved his new room, but got out of bed constantly. in the end he settled for being allowed to play with his trains for a bit, and understood he couldn't leave the room. after 20 mins or so we'd go back and put him back in bed. now, he complains to us if we ever leave his gate open - like a miniature sentryman!

There were quite a few nights of him standing crying at the gate in the wee hours to start off with, but we had sorted it all out by the time dd was born and he has been a MUCH better sleeper ever since he went in the new room

Corky · 12/01/2005 22:09

Oh this sounds so familiar! We too are expecting our 2nd baby in 6 weeks so we moved our dd into a bed just after xmas. She went from a child that went straight to sleep in her cot with the light off to one that now has to have a night light on all night, a story read to her and one of us waiting outside her door for 5 mins until she goes to sleep! She has however stopped her lunchtime sleep since xmas so she's so knackered that going to sleep doesn't seem to be the problem - it was waking at 3am and taking 2 hours to get back to bed (my dh also slept on her bedroom floor at the beginning!)

However, I'm pleased to say that she does now sleep (for the last 6 nights) from 7/8pm to 6:30/7am without getting up. We say to her every night that if she sleeps all night without getting out of her bed she gets a special treat (chocy lollipop or something) and so far its worked! Leaving her bedroom at night is still tricky though, but we're working on getting out of the room before she falls asleep.

We also put a wooden bed guard on the bed to make her feel it was a bit like a cot. We did try putting the cot in her room as well at the beginning and asking her where she wanted to sleep, but at the end of the day I don't think it was where she slept but the act itself of sleeping as she was scared of the dark and of us leaving her - bizarre when she was fine in the cot!

Anyway hope it gets better for you - I've been so knackered its not funny and I don't have a new
born yet! Hopefully we've turned a corner now though, I just have to keep her entertained all day now instead!

skerriesmum · 17/01/2005 12:45

Ds is nearly 2 and hated his cot so much we've put him into a big bed, with Bob duvet and bedrail. He actually goes to bed pretty OK but inevitably wakes at 2, the best scenario is just that one time but sometimes more. Yesterday despite a short nap and full day and going to bed at 10!, he still woke twice. First time he yelled at 2 and I shushed him back to sleep, second time 3:30 he actually got out and climbed into our bed, dh went into the guest room. It is SO hard to keep putting him back in his bed. I guess there's not a lot more I can do. He's at nursery today so maybe he'll sleep better after all the activity. It's nice to know we're not alone in the struggle! How long will it take for him to sleep the night without us?! Really puts me off having a second...

Original poster

bronniemuldoon · 17/01/2005 16:02

Hello everyone, thanks for all your messages/advice. It's really good to know I'm not alone! Feeling as if we've made some progress (after a horrendous week last week - my worst night was 31 returns back to bed - aaaagghhh). However Saturday night it only took him 20 mins to go to sleep and probably he only got up about 8 times (a HUGE improvement) and the spaces between getting up have got longer. Then last night he only got up once and went to sleep in about 10 minutes. Not holding my breath for tonight but I definitely feel as if we're getting somewhere. He's woken up a couple of times in the night so far but has gone back to sleep pretty quickly and not ventured downstairs to us so hoping this too will last. Had a chortle to myself this morning as he got up at 7.30 (hooray) and came thumping down the stairs shouting "I'm coming to see you!" at the top of his voice. May not be quite so pleased to see him if he starts getting up at 6am though....

OP posts:

Original poster

bronniemuldoon · 17/01/2005 16:03

OP posts:

Original poster

bronniemuldoon · 17/01/2005 16:05

Oh meant to say as well that his bedtime has shifted a bit - we put him down around 8 rather than 7.30 as he seems to be going to sleep by about 8.30. Can't face tackling the earlier bedtime just yet on top of everything else. Think we'll sort the bed/room thing first and then slowly bring bedtime forward.

OP posts:

Nimme · 23/01/2005 19:59

elliot - sorry 4 days later... Yes DD1 was out of nappies. Of course she could go to the toilet. I'm strict but not a nazi

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