3 Yr Old Won't Sleep in Her Bed

I made a little place on our floor for our daughter. She picked where she wanted the sleeping bag and helped lay it out. I told her that she was welcome to come to our room if she needed to and lay on her sleeping bag. Once her little "place" was there, she quit coming into our room! I think it just made her feel better to have the option.

Also, she started having a fear of the dark when she was 3. Nightlights in her room and the hall really helped.

Hi J.,

My daughter is the same way - since she turned 2 she wont sleep in her bed (she has a pallet on the floor - another story for another time! :-) )

I agree with the PP - if you dont already have a night time routine, just the two of you (either you or daddy), that is really helpful. REad a story, sing a song together, even "snuggle" with her for a few minutes before she falls asleep (try to leave before she falls asleep so she develops the confidence she can fall asleep on her own and still enjoy time with you).

Another thing that really helped us is (our pedi's suggestion) to put a gate on her door - its short and she can see through it (unlike a closed door), but she cant get out of her room. We had HUGE issues with DD going and staying asleep for a long time once she got out of her crib. She loves her gate (will actually tell us to close it if we leave it open) - it gives her a sense of security, almost a boundry, while still giving her the option to see us and the rest of the house if she needs to. I hope this makes sense. ITs really helped with our sleeping issues.

Good luck!

Try the glow in teh dark starts/flowers that you can stickup together. Get good ones 'cause the cheapies don't work as well. I got mine at a science museum (go figure) in NY.

I got a night light that comes in different colors from Costo so she can choose her color and it is not too bright in the room based on the color chosen... that was an issue for us :)

Read to her before bed and make a ritual of together time for just her and you.

We had problems going to bed and staying in bed. We had a 'night time fairy' leave a few pennies in a bowl if she stayed in bed. My dad started this when he was babysitting for a few days and we warned him that she might be on the floor next to his bed when he got up. He told her he'd give her a quarter if she stayed in bed. He soon realized she didn't know the difference in denominations (she was 3 1/2) so he started giving her 5 pennies. She thought she was in heaven! After he left we continued but called it the nighttime fairy. My husband gets up at 5:30 so he'd put the coins in if she was still in her bed at that time. We did that for 6 months or so then she stopped looking in the bowl every morning so the nighttime fairy went to help other kids stay in bed. Find an incentive for your daughter. It can be as simple as pennies, an extra book at bedtime, a breakfast special (poptart, fruit snack). Just make sure it's something that motivates her and won't break your bank or cause other bad habits.

There are several things you can do. Some people may think I am awful, but I will not get up to put my child back in his own bed. My son is now 5, and he will occasionally slip into my bed and I won't hear him. Even if I do wake up, I let him stay there because the more disturbed I am after waking, the more I cannot go back to sleep. You can praise your daughter when she makes it a whole night without coming in your bed. You can start out with giving tokens for each night she makes it without coming in your room. After so many tokens, you can take her to a movie, Chuck E. Cheese, McDonalds, etc. You can also let her know that sometimes it is okay to come to your room if she is scared, but I have a friend that told her children they would have to make a pallet on the floor and not get in their bed. Her children refused to sleep on the floor, so they stayed in their "comfortable" bed.

For the first 4 years, my son was always in our bed. My husband liked having him there, so it was hard keeping him out. He had some respiratory illnesses, so I didn't mind then, but when it happened all the time I would have horrible back aches from him sleeping against me. Thank God, he now sleeps in his own bed and comes in occasionally. I think it is fine for your children to snuggle in bed with you every now and then because those days will come to an end at some point. I just agree that it shouldn't be an every night thing.

Good Luck!!