My daughter will be two in november and she just started this problem with sleeping. She has a bedtime at nine, I put her down and she just keeps getting up.I am not talking like three or four times. She gets up all through the night ever fifteen minutes or so. I have tried putting her down for bed later, doing more running around games, I even have let her watch a movie thinking that she would fall asleep to it. Nothing has worked. I have a regular bedtime routine. We brush are teeth, I read a couple of books to her and then she reads one back to me, and finally we sing a song. Nothing has changed in our life style so I don't understand it. She doesn't even take naps anymore because by the time she finally falls asleep its supper time so I just stopped letting her take naps. Instead we just have quite time. I am having a very hard time with this because she gets up all night and I have not been getting any sleep because of it. The strange thing is that she has always been amazing at going to bed, never cried, never put up a fuss. Please help, any input would be great.
My nephew started the same thing at the same age. My sister said it was awful but he just snapped out of it one day. He had always been a great sleeper. She said it lasted about a month.
I completely support Christine V's suggestion of Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child. If your daughter isn't napping, you are probably missing her sleep "window". Especially if she falls asleep around dinner time. I would move her bedtime back 15-30 minutes every couple days until you get to about 7 (or to a place where she'll sleep through). Check that book out. It is well worth the price. Saved my sanity with a 4mo colicky baby who refused to nap or sleep. I implimented the suggestions in that book and within a short period of time, he started taking 3 naps during the day for at least an hour each, went to bed at 6:30 and slept until 7-8am each day. He is now 2, takes a 1 1/2-3 hour nap in the afternoons and is in bed every night at 8. If he's not ready to fall asleep at 8, he plays quietly in bed until sometimes 9 or 9:30, and regardless sleeps through until 8-9am every day.
Even though nothing in your lifestyle/routine has changed, her sleep needs have. With a little adjustment and consistancy things will get back on track. Don't forget to post an update.
C.
Well as mean as it sounds let her cry dont give her the attention thats what she wants. give it a couple weeks and once she relizes u r not given into her she will sleep i had the same problem for ever and had to put my foot down.
good luck to you
My doctor's office recommended a book when our daughter was having similar problems. It's called "Solve your child's sleep problems" by Richard Ferber. It has solutions for all sorts of problem scenarios. It worked well with our little girl, I hope it works for you! Good luck!
Does she sleep in a big girl bed? My Son had a hard time transitioning from the crib to a big boy bed. He didn't know what to do with the new found freedom. I was just consistent, everytime he got up, I did not reward him with me talking to him, or even really looking at him I just quietly led him back to bed tucked him in and left. Usually by the 3rd time he'd stay put. HTH. Good luck!
My son who is three now did about the same thing at about the same age. What my husband and I did was we took turns putting him back to bed. It sounds like you are already doing that though. One night we put him to bed 56 times. The hardest part was staying calm and not getting frusterated at him. We just kept putting him back without talking to him. Don't interact with her because that is what she wants. One thing I would recommend is the book Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child. It is a wonderful book. Maybe also try putting her to bed a little earlier. If she isn't taking a nap anymore she might be overly tired by nine. My son also stopped taking naps around 2 and we moved is bedtime up to 7-7:30 depending on the day. It took about a week but then my son understood that when he gets up he doesn't get anything for it. No talking, no hugs, nothing. He is three now and goes to bed easy again. Hopefully it is just a phase and things will get better. Good luck.
Chris
J.,
I don't know if this helps, by my 2 1/2 year recently stopped taking good naps. Sometimes we can get him down on the weekends-- he still really needs it. I don't have any great advice for you, my son is hard to get to bed, but stays once he is there. Have you tried letting her sleep with you? Maybe she is lonely? Does she get up to play or wake up crying? This age is when nightmares first start. I have noticed with my son as he moves through different stages his sleep cycles change. It may be temporary.
Good luck...
Hello My son does that ever so often also wont sleep hes 3 now.I found school helps he started this year and I have found out juice and /or food alergies do it. He cant drink cranberry juice or orange juice. Anykind of caffene or too much juice the forms sugar cant affect them they are lil bodies. You might want to ask the doc if she has an alergy and see if he can do a test on her. Good luck!
