I have a 23 month old and we put him in a full size bed with a rail on it about a month ago. He had been doing so good, no problems at all, I thought it was a miracle and now all the sudden this weekend we cannot keep him in it. For nap time and bedtime we have to go in there about 4 or 5 times and put him back in bed and tonight it was more than that for bed time and when I went in to check on him just now he was sleeping in front of the door on the floor. Why all the sudden has this become a problem when he was doing so well and how can I keep him in the bed??
H.,
It's just a phase! Just keep being consistent with putting him back in bed, and he'll eventually give it up! Stay strong!
Sounds like he needs his crib!
I have two kids and both have gone through this phase as well and sometimes still come out of bed even at 5. Like some of the posts said just keep putting them back in bed and keep consistent. I don't agree that your boy necessarily needs to go back in a crib because even if you wait until he is three to have a bed he will do the same thing. We put our daughter in a bed at 18 mo and son went in the bed at 26 mo. It just depends on the kid.
I do tell them that I will check on them later to make them feel more secure. We have nightlights in the room and have classical soothing music playing as they go to sleep. If they come out of the room too many times I tell them I will take away the music and that usually does the trick to keep them in bed.
H. I would personally put him back in his 6 year crib. Its for his safety and so you can get a good nights sleep.
I agree with the other posters. It's a phase and you will have to keep putting him back in bed over and over and keep reassuring him that you will see him when he wakes up. I just wanted to add that you might try letting him stay up a little longer until you are pretty confident he will fall asleep easily, or reassess if he is sleeping too much [maybe he doesn't need a nap, or needs less hours at night]. Keep the toys out of sight when he is not playing with them, keep the room very dim, and put on a special "sleep sound" like white noise or classical music so that when he hears it he can get into sleep mode, and also so when he wakes in the middle of the night he knows exactly where he is [getting a new bed can be disorienting for a while] and that it is still time to sleep. You could also try putting pillows or stuffed animals on his sides after laying him down and tucking him under a sheet. Other than that and what has already been suggested, there is not much you can do.
HI H.
If you put him back in his crib he will just climb out of that also much unsafer than the bed. I agree you should talk to him and maybe spend some extra time cuddling before bed good luck T.
My daughter is 23 months old also. We switched her to the toddler bed at about 18 months. At first, she got out and slept on the floor by her door. Then, she slept in the toddler bed like a champ. Now, she has started getting out of bed when we first lay her down, too. I used to watch Super Nanny (ironically, I can't even watch the show now, because we spend a lot of time trying to get her to bed when it's on), and I've been using one of her tricks: Tuck him back in once and say, "Bedtime." or "Good night" or whatever, then if he gets up again, just point him back to his room. It works with my daughter. I don't even have to go back upstairs with her anymore! I don't say a word after the first time she comes out, I just give her "the look" and point to her room. She usually turns and runs back to bed.
The other night, she only came out twice! Woo hoo! ;)
Your son's probably just curious as to what he's missing. If you're consistent, it really works.
For naptime, I'm usually less patient. I let her sleep in my bed for naps. That way I can lay with her and read books and we fall asleep together (I usually only sleep 20 minutes, she sleeps 1.5 to 2 hrs some days!). It's a good break for me and then she naps well.
If he can talk, ask him why. He might be having night terrors, he might be lonely in his room, or he might be going through a developmental change where something is frightening him and he needs you and your reassurance. I would rather sit in his room, rubbing his back, until he is asleep than have my son sleeping on the floor next to his door trying to get as close to you as possible.
This is pretty normal, though hard to take. It may be that it took him that long to discover that he actually had the freedom and physical capability to get out of bed whenever he felt like it. And though it is possible that he is getting out of bed to be closer to you, it is also quite possible that as he gets older he is more curious about what he is missing when he is in bed, and is just trying to hear what is going on. As he gets closer to 3, he will probably be getting out of bed just to test his limits and see how many times he can get away with it! If he is in no physical danger from getting out of bed, I would suggest repeatedly putting him back in his bed with as little hoopla as possible, simply telling him you love him and you will see him when he wakes up. BE CONSISTENT (that's where we kept going wrong). At night, it can help immensely to tell him you will check on him in a little while. The getting out of bed thing has been a constant struggle for us with our now 3 yr. old, but the reasons keep evolving. And our working spouses wonder why we can't get more done when the kids are "napping!"
