My 16 month old baby boy used to go down so peacefully every night at bedtime. Now, its a tantrum every single night and I have to leave him crying. Generally, he goes on to sleep within 15 minutes or so, but now I'm wondering how on earth we will ever transistion him to the big boy bed in a few months! Should I let him stay up until he tires out and wants to go to bed like he used to? or stick to the schedule and put him down at 8:00pm like usual? and then just deal with whatever problem occurs when we transition him? I'm trying to do anything preventative to help the transistion. I don't want him to hate bedtime and therefore he won't want to lay down in the big bed and go to sleep! I know the only reason he stops crying so quickly now is because he's trapped in the crib and nothing else to do but go to sleep, but I know once we move him, he's gonna be up and about (he's got that Dennis the Menace twinkle in his eye if ya know what I mean)! Thanks for ANY advice!
Thank you all so much - so much helpful advice! I hadn't thought of putting him to bed earlier so I did that tonight and it seems to have worked much better than last night! I had started saying "almost time for night night" about 15 minutes before it was time, but now I've started the music too. He has always had classical music in his room so I think that might help too. I will definitely stick to the schedule and tighten up the routine (I had gotten a little lax with it). And we are going to wait on the big boy bed as long as we can - our lil man is a big for his age so I doubt I can wait til he's two and half - but I'm gonna try! And thanks for the moms who can totally relate to having a kid like this and a mom like me! lol! I am SO glad to have this resource to call on to help keep my sanity!! Peace and blessings!
It may be that he's too tired at 8pm right now. Perhaps trying a 7:00 or 7:30 bedtime will help with the battle. I wouldn't let him stay up later until he tires because then that will just cause a vicious circle of exhaustion -- for him and for you. Any reason he *has* to move to a big boy bed in a few months?
I think you should keep to schedule, it will make your life easier at the end. They get used to a schedule and maybe you should have a bedtime routine. With my daughter she was used to going to bed at 8:30 and even tho she would fight me she knew she had no choice. Now I tell her it's already dark and time for bed and she will look outside and say ok. Kids need a schedule and they get cranky when they don't have one or know what is going to happen. If you just let them stay up until they get tired they will get used to that and not want to change to a bedtime at all. Whenever you do decide to do it now or later it will be a struggle at first but it's easier to do it now than later. My daughter is 2 1/2 and I still have her in the crib, per her pediatricians recommendations if she is not trying to crawl out of the crib to keep her there as long as I can. I plan to change her crib into her daybed in October since we have our second one coming in November, that way she will have a month to adjust. Good luck
We've had incredible results with the "Supernanny" approach to bedtime for both of our little darlings, both in and out of the crib. Put them to bed the first time with hugs, kisses and cuddles, then walk out of the room. The 2nd time, say "it's bedtime" (or something similar, but nothing more than that), put them down and walk out. The 3rd time (and subsequent times after that), put them down - without saying anything or making eye contact - and leave. After a while, they get the idea that you're serious and will learn to go to sleep on their own (and without getting up & out of the bed, since they're not getting the attention they're craving). Last night, the 4th time my hubby went in, my little boy plopped down in the crib on his own and was out 2 minutes later! And, when my daughter transitioned to her big-girl bed, we had 1 night of putting her back in bed and that was IT! Good luck!
I agree with the others and think he may be overtired. My almost 16 month old goes down at 7:15 everynight. We have even tried keeping her up a little later but she will not have it. You might want to attempt him going to bed 10 minutes each night for several nights and see how that goes.
I totally think stick to the schedule. You need your samity as well.
Is he napping? At 16 months my little boy was going to bed at 7:00, waking at 7:00 and taking at least a 2 hour nap every day. Anytime somebody tells me they are having problems with sleep, I always say look to see if your child is over tired first. So many little ones get over tired and then just become very difficult at bedtime. My suggestion is to move bedtime up every 3-4 days by 10-15 minute increments. Just to get him down a little earier. Then stick to whatever bedtime routine works, like bath, singing songs and book. This will help calm him hopefully to an easier bedtime. Of course, even the best of sleepers goes through phases and just is more difficult at bedtime, so maybe it is a phase and "this too shall pass". Good luck!
No way - keep him in that bed and let him know that you aren't coming in every time he throws a fit. Crying b/c you're sick or hurt is one thing, but crying b/c you don't want to go to bed is unacceptable in our house. I have to have my sanity too - the thought of my little ones staying up with me every night just b/c they don't want to go to sleep yet makes me insane. You have to have your down time. A schedule is a schedule - he'll get used to it. Transition to big boy bed WILL have it's own issues, but don't add this into the mix.
Type A personality mom this way... ;) GL!
I totally get what you mean by "he's got that Dennis the Mennace twinkle in his eye." My 3 year old son was, and still is, the same way.
Since my son has been 12 months old, his bedtime has been 8pm and we stick to the routine every night unless there is something special going on. (Which may only be once a week)
Maybe your son is strong willed like my boy? If that is the case, don't back down and stick with your bedtime routine. It will only make your job harder when he gets older if you back down now.
I agree with the other posters about taking your son's ques for transitioning from crib to the big boy bed. Some kids crawl out of the crib early, others don't do it until they are two and a half.
Stay strong and good luck!! :-)
keep the schedule! he will respond after a week or so...it's hard at first but worth it later.
Hi Calandra,
My advice is to keep him in his crib until he shows signs that he doesn't want to be there. If he isn't trying to climb out of it and he seems to sleep comfortably in the crib, then wait to transition him. I know you said a few months, but don't keep to a timeline for that kind of thing, just take his cues.
Okay, now once he seems ready for the big boy bed, make a big deal about it letting him pick his new bedding, etc. Our son was 2 when we put him in a toddler bed, he got to pick out all the stuff and was SO excited to try it out. If he gets up in the middle of the night, you can implement a rewards system when he stays put. We used 3 pennies. Everytime our son got up, we took a penny away. He quickly learned that he got to keep the pennies left in the morning and stopped getting up at night.
As far as the crying goes at bedtime, it's not that he should stay up later, in fact he may need to go to bed sooner (I know, crazy...but just try it). The crying could just be from him being over-tired or over-stimulated. Do you have a cd player in his room? You could always turn that on 15 minutes before bed so he can start preparing himself for night night time. You are doing the right thing...don't give up! This is a phase and will pass soon. Good luck!!
