3 Year Old Refuses to Take Naps and Will Not Go to Bed Till About 11p.m.

My 3 year old stop napping when she started preschool. She was a nightmare for weeks every eve about 6pm. Her old bedtime was 8:30 so we started her bedtime routine earlier and it's working. We eat dinner EARLY, like 5-6pm, then it's bath time, some pbs sprout, stories and lights out. We do have to snuggle her to sleep, but about 15 minutes after lights out and we are free to go...if WE'RE awake that is!

These kinds of problems are so hard, you must be exhausted. I recommend reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Weissbluth. This book is fantastic and lays out strategies for every sleep problem you can imagine. Best of luck to you!

I don't have any advice since I'm in the same boat!! My son is almost 3 and we've had the same battle since he was born. I've always resorted to driving him in the car but it's no longer working. Don't know what to tell you but know you're not alone!!! (My 15 month old is a little better, always has been, but it's getting harder to get him down now too!)

I recommend buying the book Good Night, Sleep Tight by Kim West - aka "The Sleep Lady." Also, check out her website at www.sleeplady.com. She has wonderful tips and advice for sleep issues. You may even want to do a private consultation with her as the problem needs to be corrected very soon for the sake of your entire family. Sleep problems can take such a toll on you. BTW, I have a 3 year old and a 5 year old and they both take good naps and have since they were a few months old. However, I followed the advice in the book to establish a healthy and solid routine and we stick to it every night. Dinner at 6, bath at 7, 20 minutes of a movie, bed by 8 with a book, lights out by 8:20. Everyone knows the routine and their part and it keeps us all happy and well rested. We have had issues pop up here and there, but I always get back to the routine after the temporary set-back (illness, scary events, stormy weather, late night at friend's house, etc.) Routine is key. I wish you the best of luck!

My son outgrew naps by 18 months and, to this day, needs far less than average sleep. I think trying to set aside quiet/alone time for him as others suggested is fine, but if he is also needy in the way of attention, as my son was, you may find that is far too traumatic to enforce.

BUT, you do need to set a bed time and teach him to stick to it. The more over-tired they get, the more hyper they get, and they really don't understand that this is what is happening.

Another complication is if your child has trouble falling asleep. It isn't so much that they don't want to go to sleep, but they don't know how to deal with the 45 minutes or so it takes them to fall asleep. With my son now 10, it is now evident that this, also, was a huge part of the issue when he was young. How many hyper toddlers want to stay in bed with nothing to do when they can't fall asleep?

A couple of things I tried, some of which I feel better about than others:

(1) I remember putting my son to bed when he was was 2 or 3 (we had a nice routine for that, with detailed imagery stories I would tell) and then pulling up a cozy blanket for myself and parking myself in front of the door so he couldn't escape. I used a dimmer to make the room appropriate for sleep. He would try to move me, wanting to play and leave, but I would keep repeating that it was bed time, we were going to sleep now, and he would eventually fall asleep in some strange position on the floor. While this was difficult emotionally, since I was with him, and the action was passive, it played out more as a battle of wills than anything that would cause him long term trauma.

(2) Sometime after we had crossed the "escape" barrier, I remember telling my son that I wouldn't make him fall asleep at all, it was up to him, BUT he had to stay in his bed and couldn't play with toys. A stack of books, however, was fine. I set up the baby monitor and then went in my own room to read. Eventually, he would put himself to sleep, and I would go in, remove any books on the bed, tuck him in, and turn out the lights. Over time, I was able to give him a limit on how long he could "read." While things kept changing in our family and there was a period I couldn't use this routine, what I like about it is that it taught my son a very useful skill, and at age 10 he still uses reading before bed as a way to decrease his insomnia.

I will also comment on the preschool suggestion, and note that having my son in a preschool with a required nap period was a disaster and one of my biggest regrets is that I tried for so long to make that work. It was literally traumatic for my son to be forced to be quiet and inactive for 2 hours when he could not sleep, and it created behavior issues. Some kids will follow the "group" think, and take a nap when they otherwise would not, but some kids like my son will not, and it became a huge issue for both him and the school. There was no flexibility there on it; he HAD to "nap."

In general:

Remember that any new routine will take a while to show if it's working or not, and remember that every child is completely unique, and you should never put your mommy instincts behind advice you have read from others. Sleep can be a strangely unique thing, and you want to help your child find the road to good habits that will work for him. Not easy at all with some children, but so it goes.

I have a 4 yr old, 3 yr. old, and a 10 month old. Our 4 year old hated sleeping. From very little, all he wanted to do was not miss out on what was going on. BUT, he was very cranky, and miserable, would fall apart about everything, if he didn't take a nap. So, what worked for me - was the routine. I would tell them - ahead of time - this is what were going to do. We are going to eat lunch, and after lunch - we are going to go take a nap. Some times, he would say okay - and, other times he would put up a fight. But, I would always say - remember, I told you, remember, before we ate lunch, I said, we were going to eat lunch, and then go rest our bodies - so we can get more energy so we can play more. And, I would grab his hand, and take him to bed. I don't believe that you should stay with him - it may work immediately - but, in the long run - you'll be there forever doing that routine. And, with your little one - one doesn't always have that pleasure. Another thing, I did - was put a gate at the door (best advice my girlfriend told me - works great for night time too). My two would get up in the midddle of the night - and I couldn't have them wondering the house. I had a monitor and could listen to what they were doing. But, the night time routine - I agree - I give mine baths every night - tiresome - but the routine has been in place for a long time. When we are tired or we skip a bath - they just don't sleep well. He's at the stage that he's going to put up a fight - you are mama - and, right now, mama needs to enforce being mama. He won't last long. IF he knows, you are serious by not giving in to him - then he will understand. It may take a week and that seems long - but you will come out of it. I bet you, he may get it sooner than a week. You'll be surprised - how they know you mean business. Don't get into bed with him - cuz, you're not doing him a favor - it'll be hard for him when you can't do that. And, you're not doing yourself a favor, now or down the road. Hope it helps.

PS. Don't feel bad about him crying. Because he will. If he's fed, nothing hurts, he's dry, and comfy - he'll stop. He will.

Hi T.,
My son gave up his naps at 2 and never looked back. He might not want a nap now, not all kids nap at 3, even though he may need it. How is his bedtime routine? He might need a very calm and predictable bedtime routine every night. Something like dinner, quiet play ( I would not advise TV or video as this can be stimulating to some kids), bath time, story time and then bed. He may need music or a story on CD to continue to listen to after you have read him a story. This will also require firm but loving boundaries about his routine. Make it a special and calm time, but enforce it. If he is skipping his nap, he may be overly tired and too keyed up to sleep. I wouldn't fight the nap battle, although you could try and have a quiet play time in his room that he gets rewarded for if he stays and plays for even a few minutes. Remember the golden rule of children, you can't MAKE them sleep, eat or poop! You can only encourage them. Hope some of these ideas work!
T., I just read through some of the advice about letting him cry it out. Be careful with this one, some kids are not self soothers and will cry until they throw up etc . . Know your child and if you think the crying it out thing isn't working then go with your gut instincts. If you do decide to try that method, don't do it at nap time, he may not really need one or more accurately want one and the battle will be much bigger. If he is a strong willed, curious,and bright child, this routine will be tough and he will continue to be tough just hang in there! Crying it out is not the answer for every child. Go with your instincts. My kids are teens now and they both have great sleep habits and don't sleep in our bed and are self sufficient at night and have been for many, many years since about age 4 or 5. I tried the cry it out method and it didn't work for mine, it made things worse. So go with your gut!

Hi T.,
You've recieved a lot of good advice. I personally would like to suggest the oldest and if you into it, biblical principles. I read a Book called To Train Up A Child. Chances are if your liitle ones are battling you in this area there are battles in other areas. Now, the book is extreme but take what you want and and leave what seems too much as with all advice. God Bless

sounds like your little monkey is over cooked! Either that or he's just done taking naps. I would recommend Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth his book is really good at giving a guideline of when most kids of a certain age take naps so you can start scheduling nap time at the right time and looking for signs of sleepiness before he crosses over to "the dark side" It's weird but the less sleep kids get the more wired they get, the harder it is for them to fall and stay asleep. My daughter did the same thing at about the same age and eventually stopped.

Please see my response to 18 month old throwing tantrums...choices: do you want to take a nap with the door open or the door closed? light on, light off? glass of water in sippy cup or big boy glass? then follow thru. DON't go in...get the same video or take a Love and Logic class...it will save your life!!! www.loveandlogic.com

I was given this book with my eldest child -
i didn't follow everything in it, but i found it useful.

http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Sleep-Habits-Happy-Child/dp...

I am a mother of a 4 yr old and almost 6 year old. We have gone through many bedtime battles over the years, but there has been one thing that we have stuck to is the same bedtime each night. About 7:30 the kids get ready for bed and thenthey are allowed to watch a little bit of TV or play quietly. Then at 8:00 it is bedtime. we have a story and each week we alternate who gets to pick the book to read. We read the book and I tuck them in and I stay for 10 min in the room and once I leave they are either asleep or almost asleep. My 4 year old comes out a couple of times, but it is usually for another hug or kiss and she goes straight back to bed. It might take some time for your 3 year old to adjust, but I would start now with the 10 month old because my kids have been on this same routine since they were about 5 or 6 months old. I hope this helps you and Good Luck!

I, too, had a child who required little sleep. When she was 3, she physically didn't need a nap. I, however, needed her to need a nap. LOL We had "quiet time" where for 1.5 hours, she would be sitting or laying on her bed and could have books or another quiet toy with her. This worked GREAT for us. Nighttime worked around the same way - we had a set bedtime. She was allowed to have a few books and a nightlight, but she could not get out of bed or be loud. She is now 16 and still very much "in control of" her bedtime - she goes to bed when she is tired (be it 8pm or 11pm), gets up when she is not.

Hi T.. I can only tell you what I saw work on the Nanny. You must be persistent. Even if he cries and cries and cries. He will eventually learn his boundary. Sorry I can't be of more help. I do know a friend that used this method and it worked. You must lie him down and keep doing it even if he is getting up and do the same thing at night time. Start his bed time at 8pm.

T., take Donna'a advice! We had the same issue and still do with our 5 year old. He is a night owl and since he is happy in the morning and can function he doesn't require all the sleep at night. It is frustrating, but he still needs the "quiet time" in the afternoon. He is now at school, but when he is home he knows it is "quiet time" or "rest time" and he has to go into his room for at least an hour. In that time he can play quietly (we also have a 3 year old who takes great naps, so he knows to be quiet) or he can read books. If he gets out of his room, he is no longer alowed to play and we take the toys away that he was playing with. If he screams he loses another privaledge. But if he stays in there for an hour we reward him whether or not he sleeps. Sometimes he will fall asleep, but most of the time he just reads or plays until his time is up. This took quite a lot of doing and taking toys away for him to get it, but be consistent (which is the hardest thing to do day after day) and eventually he will get it and all will be happier. Good luck to you! P.

how good is your sleepytime routine? when we veer from my son's routine at all, he is very difficult to get down, and he used to be more difficult before we had a routine at all.

eat, bath (at night), 2 books in the rocking chair, turn on sleepy music (usually the same CD for months), crawl into bed and cuddle or hold hands or foot rub to sleep. If still restless we sing a special sleepy song where we say goodnight to all his loved ones.

my son used to go to sleep late also and it amazed me how much more sleep he was getting when we started the routine.

if you have a good routine already, i would say to work more on getting him to bed early at night and maybe it won't be so bad if he doesnt nap.

good luck!

One additional thing you might want to consider is your tot's diet. If my tot has more sugary foods with 3 to 4 hours of nap/bed time, she definitely is harder to put to rest. This could be an additional help to the other recommendations. ;)

Tell your pediatrician. She should keep an eye on it. Does he fall asleep in the car seat? You could drive him around. Do it at the same time every day. But, if he's not having normal sleeping patterns, it's just something to keep an eye on. Try to make things as regular as possible. Even if he wont' take a nap, put him in the bed and make him stay there for 30 minutes. He can have his toys with him, but ON the bed. Shut the door. Get him used to alone time.

Hi T.:

Ahhh...been there in the earlier days. Here's the hard part. As mom's we feel bad if our little ones cry. My doctor told me that if the child has dry pants, a full tummy and is not sick, then let them cry it out. At first I was horrified, but I did it. My daughter cried for ovr 2 hours the first time, but the next time was only an hour, and then it got shorter and shorter. After about a week, she was in to her routine,well aware that crying wasn't going to bring mommy in there. I checked on her with the baby monitor. The first few times I cried. My husband got the headphones out and some good music and put it over my ears, then he took the monitor watch. It sounds cruel, but it does work. If you train the children early, it will make life easier for you all.....early on.

Good luck.

S.

Keep in mind that you are the parent take control. This may take serveral trys. 1. One hour before nap give a proper lunch or snack, please nothing with sugar. 2. Let him know that AFTER he wakes up you will do something special for him "IF" he goes to sleep. 3. Everytime he gets up before he goes to sleep take him back to the bed, tell him: how much you love him, you will do something special for him. Repeat this a couple of times if on the 2nd time and he's not sleep let him know that "if you have to come back in one more time you will not receive the something special. Be FIRM and Sweet when talking to him and look him straight in the eyes. And mean it. It works
D.

Consider that it may be you that requires your son to take a nap. Meaning, you need the break more than he needs the nap. Perhaps you can insist that he stay in his room for one hour every afternoon but it is HIS choice to play quietly or look at books or nap or whatever, but "you" need your own "nap" (i.e. break). My older brothers and I had to take a nap everyday until we all went to kindergarden some 45-50 years ago! I did the same with my kids and my daughter became an avid reader!

T.,
I remember seeing an episode of "Supernanny" when my daughter was a toddler. She told the parents to put the child to bed and each night gradually spend less and less time in his room until he can go to sleep on his own. The first night the mom put the child in bed and sat in a chair near his bed and calmy spoke to him to try to ease him into sleep, each night she would move the chair further and further from his bed and spend less time in his room. I sued this method with my daughter when she was a toddler, it took about a week for me to get her to go to sleep without crying for hours.

The most important thing to do for your young child is keep a rhythm....same time each day for everything, as much as possible. Also look around you at the stimulation he may be having. Does he watch tv? Keep everything as calm and peaceful as possible for your young children. The other big area to look at is his food. Are you feeding him in a healthy manner? That means no sugar, or hidden sugars, no additives, etc. Good luck!

Number one, do not lay now with him and do not change your mind, You may be putting him down too early. At his age he may not need a full nap every day. I would put him down at 1pm by himself with no tv or outside focus. Ok for him to look at a book again by himself. He most likely gets overly tired and that is why he stays up so late without a nap. I would put an hour time limit of quiet time and if he does not fall asleep in an hour he gets to get up BUT no getting up for that hour and no excuses to get up like drinks of water etc. He would need to stay in bed or add more time. The hardest thing is being consistant. It is easier just to let him get his way but if you do he wins and you lose big time. It will not hurt him to stay in his room for an hour. Hope this helps

Hi T.,

First of all,SMILE.... there is hope! Try to lay down with him and turn the radio on to some classical music(not to loud but at a soothing level. Then if he refuses maybe say," we can watch a little Tv" (in bed), but "then it's nap time, ok". this way he doesn't realize he is relaxing.Once he agrees hold him to it otherwise there will be no TV the next time. If it's easier get both children down at the same time. I know it sounds impossible but it works.
Good Luck!

Try the Feber Method ( Letting the child cry it out. ) My son was being rocked to sleep at 1 yr old. As nurturing as it was, I was teaching him that he needed to be rocked to fall asleep. I started putting him in his crib, rubbing his back and then leaving the room after a min or so. Then wait 5 min, do it over again, the go out and wait 10 min, then go back in and waiting 5-10 minutes longer each time. Then I'd let him cry and eventually he realizes that you won't be picking him up and that he has to sleep in his bed. This may take several nights of crying and fits, but stay calm ( very calm ! ) and know that it is good for him.

Sounds like he may be overtired. Sleep begets sleep. Get the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth. I read all the books when my baby was only sleeping 45 minutes at a time all night long! This was the best one. Followed that advice and the Ferber method. Now both my kids go to bed and naps no problem and sleep 12 hours per night. Changed my life!

It sounds as if your son has outgrown his nap and forcing it only makes it worse. When my oldest outgrew her naps, I instigated "quiet time". She would spend 2 hours in her room playing quietly, which would give me a break. I set a timer so she knew when to come out and sometimes she actually fell asleep. If 2 hours seems too long at first, start with an hour and gradually increase. You need to enforce that he needs to stay in his room. Good luck.

I am a stay-at home mom of 4, ages 13, 10, 7 and 4.

As a great-grandmother of a 5 year old who never took a nap, I found he would tire around dinner time. We did not let him nap later and put him to bed earlier. He cried, of course, because he was tired and he did not get his way. The trick is, you have to allow him to cry and you have to endure it, no matter what. If you have a time out system you can try to incorporate it here, but the only thing you both can do is tough it out a couple weeks until he/she gets the idea that there is no choice, and especially that you will not give in. I learned this after I had my own children, so take it from me, tough love works, eventually. G.

Hi T.,

My daughter is turning three on Saturday and is very strong willed. She now actually enjoys her naps. But it wasnt always like that. My advise is tough love. I had to let her cry and as hard as it is she eventually went to sleep and each day cried less and less..... Sometime I would give her 10 min and come in and calm her down but would never lay down with her. I did that a few times and then everyday it was a battle. Sometimes my daughter now doesnt want to Nap. Infact she did it last week. I still made her lay in her bed for an hour and a half for quite time..... Just be strong.....

Hope this helps
M.

My friend "the sleep guru" swears sleep begets sleep. I have found with my own that a nap makes for a better bed time. Be consistent about the routine. I read a story or two and then put on some music. I also used a timer and added time (5-10 minutes) to compensate for the fit. My daughter never did like naps so we had "quiet rest time". If she did not sleep I made bed time a little earlier 7-7-30p. Kids this age need 12+ hours of sleep. Now she is 4 and only naps if we went to the park or did some physical activity to tire her out.
W.

Some kiddos just grow out of nap time earlier than others. Even though he may not need a nap, try to enforce quiet time where he can go into his quiet space and read books or rest for a specified amount of time. If possible, show him on a clock in his room when quiet time will end (This will also give him a jump start on time telling). I used a piece of paper with the time written on it taped right above the digital clock. One key is to make sure that he is getting enough structured activity and physical activity throughout the day. If he is spending a lot of time in front of the T.V., he is probably not getting enough stimulation to make him tired by nap or bedtime. Remember to keep the routine consistent and not to give in. Good luck!

Mine stopped napping at ~18 months. (My mom says I stopped at ~14 mo.) But even now that she's in school she still takes quiet time. I agree with advice #2. He's old enough to understand consequences. It may take a week or more of trying. Last resort - send him to a preschool that has a nap time and let someone else enforce the desired behavior. This can work for any trouble at home - potty training, rest time, or other undesired behaviors.
Also, do you play quiet music in his room at nap time? Have him put his favorite toy down for a nap just before his. Give him a massage to help him settle down, or a warm bath.
Some of us are just wired differently (and are more wired, thus having a harder time settling down). Even a quiet video might help. Good luck. P.

I feel for you:) It can be frusterating........My daughter was the same way, except she stopped taking naps at 3yrs. I never could get her to go to bed at a decent time either, so I started laying down with her. It took me a half an hour to get her to sleep. I would'nt talk to her or anything, and she would finally get bored and fall asleep. Society (in my opinion) tries to set these rules of what habbits kids should live up to. I just don't agree with that. Every kid is different. I have three, and my middle child was the only one I had issues with sleeping/naps. She did out grow it though. She's 7 yrs old now, and she's been going to bed on her own at 8pm since she was 5 yrs old. Hang in there. Something to think about.........Does your child eat good? You'd be surprised how much sugar is in juices, etc. Take care!

I know he most likely needs his nap but if it's so hard I'd just skip it and put him to bed around 7pm. If he puts up a huge fight just let him know he's a big boy who doesn't take naps and who need to go to sleep on time.

Hi T., I too had a problem with nap time. My 2 yr old would fight me to take a nap, then wold fit me to go to bed at night. So I stopped naptime. When she would start getting cranky, I sometimes take my girls and we go for a drive. That puts her to sleep almost right away. Or, I put a movie in and we all sit down and watch it together. Make a treat out of it... Popcorn and a movie during the day... How fun! That way he is relaxing and it gives his little body a break. Get back in to a rutine at night. Bath, books, quiet time before bed. Maybe even rock him for a little bit before or during the books and quiet time. Need to get him relaxed. Without a nap, it should happen pretty quickly. Then tell him, "ok this is the last book and then it is bedtime" Let him know what you will be doing in the morning after he wakes up. Start getting ready for bed at 7:30. No need to rush, take your time and be relaxed yourself. Kids know when their parents are upset, frustrated and other emotions. Keep yourself calm and relaxed... that will help him stay relaxed too!

I am not sure if you give him juice or caffinated drinks at all. But cut them out by 3pm. Juice (even 100% juice) has a lot of sugar in it... and of course caffinated drinks have caffine in it. Both will react the same in a little body. By cutting them out, he will be more calm by the end of the day!

I totally understand where you are coming from... it is just a phase and it will pass! Good luck!, Cheers,
H.

Hi T.,
That can be an overwhelming feeling to say the least. I remember my nephews were like that but what I did was told them it was nap time but they didn't have to go to sleep but it was reading time. I would get them all snuggled in bed and read a very simple book.I made sure my voice was very,very soft. Within 2-5 minutes they were sound asleep or I would also sometimes make them read to themselves. Of course it was mostly to look at the pictures but within a few minutes they were out~! Sounds like your little guy is exhausted when he's crying but its ok. Give him something to do while laying down and maybe make a nap time chart. Where he could earn something special. Also soothing music helps a lot. Get him involved in making the chart ask him what kind of surprises he would like to earn.
Many blessings to you~!

When my children were little we always read a book before a nap or bed time sometimes I would read it twice. Often when I wanted them to sleep we would lie down together and tell them that we should rest our eyes because they see all day if they questioned taking a nap or falling asleep I would tell them that we were not falling asleep just resting our eyes sometime we would talk or make up simple stories but it was important that we rested our eyes, they always feel asleep and sometimes I did as well. To this day, they are now teenagers, when they are tired they always say the just want to rest their eyes and they always fall asleep. Good luck.

Perhaps, he knows that you going nuts and does it on purpose.

Do you have a sitter or someone that you can leave him with?

And take the younger child with you for sometimes another person can do the "magic" that mother can't do.

When my son was that age, and I was tired and knew that he was cranky, I would either give my son early dinner or I have my mother or a neighbour entertain him and I went out for a hour or two and when I came back he was asleep.

Do you have that soothing bath stuff that they advertise on tv, that works really well, and even works on adults.

Or you could have a Dance Party and wear both of them out at the same time.

I hope this helps, otherwise talk to your children's doctor's office and see what advise that they have for you, too!

Sincerely,
S.

You might remember who is the MOM and who is the child. I always told my kids (5 of them) that they WOULD be in their rooms and they WOULD be quiet. I didn't care if they slept or read or twiddled their thumbs, but they DID have quiet time for the duration of the "nap" time. Initially, if they chose to cry, then that was their activity during "quiet time". It didn't take long for them to figure out that I didn't CARE if they cried...I didn't allow it to work for them. My daughter, now 16, is an avid reader...because that's what she chose to do at nap time. Remember... YOU DA BOSS.

I recommend the book, "The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers: Gentle Ways to Stop Bedtime Battles and Improve Your Childs Sleep" by Elizabeth Pantley.

My 19 month old does not like to take naps and also wouldn't go to bed until 11pm. At first we thought she was a late sleeper but realized she was "over-tired" and would get a second boost of energy, so she'd fight going to sleep. It was a battle every night to try and get her to bed at a decent time. We started to follow the suggestions in the book and our bedtime routine has improved a lot. She is now getting to sleep around 8:30pm.

Whatever time we want her to go to sleep, we start her bedtime routine an hour earlier. And we do the same routine every night. Bath, get ready for bed, read books, I give her a back rub, lights out, and by that time she's relaxed and easily falls asleep. It didn't use to be like that! :)

As far as her naps, she just goes down when she goes down. I find that her napping has decreased as she has gotten older. But I know the book has suggestions for naps too.

Good luck!
K.

There is a book called "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child". It is a little hard to read but if you read it through it will help. Your son might be getting tired earlier than you are trying to give him a nap. If you wait until they are really sleepy (fussy, rubbing eyes) it is often too late. So maybe try nap earlier. Also, try bedtime a little earlier each day. If he is tired in the afternoon he has not outgrown his nap yet. It sounds as though he has built up sleep deprivation and the hormones that are released because of that can actually prevent kids from being able to go to sleep easily. Routines are important, as well as making sure he has eaten enough. Milk and baths help them get sleepy too. It can be a challenge so hang in there and try to keep your cool. You can email me if you would like.