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Sleep

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Original poster

Will someone tell DS (19 months) to go to sleep!

15 replies

andyrobo237 · 21/09/2008 21:04

It is 9pm and I have been fighting with DS to get him to sleep since 7pm and frankly it is getting on my wick now!

He just about nods off then jolts and wakes himeslf up. He is the worlds worst sleeper and is now standing up in his cot, which he has been doing for the past 30 mins - it is a stand-off and he is not going to win!

This is driving me mad - had loads of plans for the evening, incl a lovely hot bath....

He had two half hour naps today - one at 10amand one at 12pm and has been runnng around as usual, but cant seem to switch off. He has had some milk and plenty for tea, so why is he being a pain in the a@@e!!
Controlled crying doesnt work - he is a stubbon thing...I have tried this several times before for upto 3 weeks.
Help!!

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Sushipaws · 21/09/2008 22:19

We tried everything to get my dd to sleep for more than 3 hours at a time. I found the no cry sleep solution really helpful, but not totally. Then one night she just started to sleep well.

Also she sleeps better after she's watched the Night Garden, sad I know but she sits calmly and watches it and then goes to bed calm.

I sympathise with you, I know how important it is to have some YOU time when lo is asleep. Do you have someone else who can try to do the bedtime routine to give you a break, even if it's one night a week?

Original poster

andyrobo237 · 21/09/2008 22:21

Ha Ha !! DH has just wandered up from downstairs, far to busy to be bothered by wailing DS as he is watching the golf!!!
He has just put DS into his cot and shhusshed him to sleep - and then had the cheek to say he doesnt know what all the fuss is about!

Will try the ITNG as he loves that - we do usually switch off the tv. I do think he gets too tired to sleep sometimes - a fine line and hard to judge! We did not bath him tonight, which may have made a difference!

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Sushipaws · 21/09/2008 22:40

I agree with the too tired to sleep thing, I find that my dd will not sleep properly for days if she has this problem just once.

She gets tired in the morning but I encourage her to stay away untill 12 and then she'll sleep for up the 90 minutes. The No Cry Sleep Solution was really good for sorting out our naps as dd would normally only sleep for 30 mins.

This also means I get to have my lunch in peace and I get a bit of time to myself during the day, it's so good.

Then she goes watches ITNG and goes to bed pretty easily.

Saying that, the last 3 nights she's had a horrible cold and has been up 4-5 times during the night. It really is tiring, but I know she'll be back to normal once she's better.

Good Luck.

Original poster

andyrobo237 · 22/09/2008 21:08

It was no better tonight - me and my Mum battled for an hour and a half to get him to sleep - he just likes the comfort of someone there!

OP posts:

singingtree · 22/09/2008 21:10

Does it help if you play dead? I sometimes lie on the rug by DS's cot and pretend to fall asleep/actually nod off depending on how tired I am and he will eventually stop pottering around and go to sleep

Original poster

andyrobo237 · 22/09/2008 21:46

I did try that last night - I lay outside his room on the landing, pretending to be asleep - it was like a stand-off - he was standing up inthe cot looking at me, DD in othe other room was sniggering v quietly at me lying there - I gave up after 20 mins else I would have fallen to sleep!

OP posts:

singingtree · 22/09/2008 22:03

Oh, I often do. Doesn't matter though as I haven't got any other children to look after.

Original poster

andyrobo237 · 22/09/2008 22:14

I do think that is part of the problem - he is a nosey bee and doesnt like to miss out when DD is up and about - she is 6. But she needs her sleep for school, and quite rightly he should go to bed before her as he is the youngest.

I nearly cried last night when she said - you do love me more than T dont you?

I muttered some drivvle about her being my special big girl and I love both of them, but T just needs a bit more attention as he is small. She is obviously feeling a bit left out - not sure why though.

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IAteDavinaForDinner · 22/09/2008 22:22

SO much sympathy for you, our son's the been much the same although he's a bit younger.

All I can suggest from my own experience is to make your bedtime routine absolutely rigid, at least for the next few weeks so he gets the idea that (for eg) tea is followed by playtime in the living room, then bathtime, nappy and PJs, story/BF and then bed. After bed comes sleep - how long after is up to him

I got on a lot better when resigning myself to being in there for age with him - anything less than an hour was a bonus at first. Now he knows it doesn't matter what he does, I will just sit in the chair and won't react or speak to him. Obv if he's really upset I will cuddle/BF him but otherwise I just sit it out and he goes to sleep quite quickly now. No crying mostly.

I agree that NCSS is a great book and Elizabeth Pantley is good at not making tyou feel bad about your kids sleep strife - unlike other 'gurus'!

Original poster

andyrobo237 · 24/09/2008 09:09

Update - last night I tried to snugle him to sleep, ignored him as he was chatting away, etc. Then DH put DD to bed and haf an hour later I took DS up to his cot and resigned myself to sitting in his room for an hour, like you said....

Well, I put the small dim light on in his room, and sat in the chair with my book. I lay him down and he bounced back up so I lay hom down again. I sat in chair reading and he was alseep in 10 minutes!!!! What a result! I let the light on for half an hour and then he slept most of the night.

Will be trying that one again tonight!!!

OP posts:

IAteDavinaForDinner · 24/09/2008 18:08

Good luck

Original poster

andyrobo237 · 24/09/2008 19:43

Put him in his cot at .10pm, 5 mins later was asleep - still there now!!!

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IAteDavinaForDinner · 24/09/2008 21:29

Well you'd better give me your secrets now because we had a 1 hr 15 minute screamathon. My fault because I got to a stage where I was just so sick of being chewed and pinched (he's teething, I think, and therefore wants to suck all the time, and after a week of it I am getting really sore and fed up and ratty) I told him that was enough for the night and he had to go to sleep. Cue hysterics.

[sigh]

Original poster

andyrobo237 · 28/09/2008 21:15

Well our current plan is this:

bath

put in grobag with milk

go to his room

cue him saying 'mummy in chair mummy read book' - with a worried face until I say yes - translates to me sitting in his room in the rocking chair reading a book!

Put him in cot with very dim light on

Kiss and cover over

Sit in chair and read book - dont look at him.

10 mins later creep out of room and hope!

This has been working for a week now!!!

OP posts:

elkiedee · 28/09/2008 21:30

Glad you've found something that works, it may be one for us to try in the future. At the moment ds (nearly 17 months) goes to sleep on our bed with dp, but this has just happened for the last 3 weeks, before that we had a lot of problems.

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