How do I get dd to STAY in her bed??!

[llynnnn]

dd, 23mths, has been sleeping in a bed for 2 weeks now with no problems, she hadn't even been getting out of it in the morning just hollering for us to get her!
however, last night she realised she could actually get out herself and as soon as we put her in she got out again and again and again!! she wasnt upset, at all just thought it was a game! i explained to her its bedtime and she is to sleep in her bed and she said yes (like she understood) but still kept on getting up! eventually after over an hour of this dh cuddled her until she was almost asleep and put her down.
i dont want this to become normal routine, how should we have handled it? is there a secret way of getting her to stay put (without the use of superglue!)

thanks all!

I just keep putting my DS back into bed. He is 20 months and has been in a bed since he was 12 months as he a super-climbing toddler.

In the evening I give him a 5 minute warning that he is going to bed. I take him up, give him a cuddle, read a story and then leave him there. Most nights he stays put. However, every now and again he wakes up and runs to the top of the stairs. When that happens, I go back up, pick him up, and put him back into bed.

Repeat until he gets the message. Obviously if he is crying he gets lots of cuddles and an assessment of the reason for the crying, but it is mostly because he wants to come back downstairs.

The first week was tough, but he soon got into it and now we hardly have any problems at all. Try not to get into the habit of giving in, and bringing her back down or cuddling her for ages. She will exploit this!

Good luck.

we struggle to get our lo to stay in bed as well but have started cutting out her afternoon sleep so she's absolutely knackered by bed time, give her a warning that she's off to bed in 5 minutes then a drink of milk and most of the time she stays and goes to sleep. when she doesn't we just give her a cuddle and say goodnight again then put her to bed which seems to work.

the problem we do have is her getting up for the day at 5am and not staying put in her room until a reasonable hour

Hi, i've just joined this forum and the reason...sleep problems. My 4 year old did exactly the same at age 2 then grew out of it and has recently started again. It seems hard but the only way to do it is to consistently put back in bed with minimum fuss ie no talking, cuddling eye contact etc.

I'm at my wits end now with DS, nothing seems to be working. Last night I got really cross - lack of sleep - but even a row made no difference. I'm beginning to dread night time!

Hang on to the thought that it's just a phase that won't last. But it's so wearing, I know just how you feel.

Good luck tonight x

I moved DD into a bed at 22 months and it was about a month before it crossed her mind she could get out. Then she was up and down and running around like crazy. I'd keep going back in to put her back but it was useless, she was up and down like a yo yo. We went for a staigate across the door and it worked brilliantly. I had one terrible evening early on where she lent over the stairgate and screamed for about an hour (I kept simply telling her it was bed time and she had to get back into bed). I was about to cave in when she finally did go back to bed - exhausted and drained. After that we never had any major problems, although I kept putting the gate across for some months afterwards, when she knew there was no where to go she tended to stay put. Now of course (18 months on) she's like a stealth commando soldier creaping around the house and leaping back into bed the minute she hears a footstep coming up the stairs. I ignore her as long as she's quiet! She's usually asleep about half an hour after I put her to bed so we have a sort of mutual understanding that provided she is quiet as a mouse I ignore the creaping around, peeping downstairs and book reading......

DD3 is 18 months and has been in her proper bed for 10 days, so far she has been really good. The first night I put her back about 5 times and she hasn't been out since.

DS1 was terrible and I spent about a week of putting him back numerous times, it is worth it though as thet do get the message, it just takes some longer than others.

when posting a similar thread on here, a helpful mner suggested velcro sheets and fluffy pyjamas...

thanks for all your replies, sorry i havent been back, stupid computer is playing up!

must perserve then and keep putting her back in, while chanting 'it's just a phase' in my head! (or invest in velcro sheets )

Duct tape...

For the 2yo, stairgate on door.

For the 4yo, bribes rewards / sticker charts etc. Or consequences (Mummy is so tired because you got up so much last night, so we can't go out anywhere fun this morning).

just one more question, we have a stairgate on the door, if shes stood at the gate shouting mummy mummy, do we go to her and put her back in bed or just ignore her? shes not crying or upset at all

thanks!

the first time, I would go and explain that she needs to go to bed, I will be downstairs but I'm not coming back until she is asleep - and then when she is I will come up and kiss her. Then leave her to it.

Once they start crying about it I go up every 10 minutes till they give up. I usually wait to hear the footsteps of them getting into bed and then leg it upstairs very quickly to give praise and kisses.