Getting Kids to Sleep in Their Own Beds.

I would recommend getting the book, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child".
It has several suggestions for just that!

M.
I know this sounds CRAZY, but it worked for my husband and I.
We have 2 kids girl and boy 10 months apart, and they would not sleep unless it was with us. So I started making a big deal about their beds and brand new Bed Sets, flowers, and trucks new pillows ect... And got them interested in the bedding and then I had to (pay them off) I would take them to the $$ store for prizes when they slept all night in their beds. it cost me about $5.00 each but WELL WORTH IT.. the nest week My husband and I had our bed back to ourselves..
Our kids were 3 and almost 4 when we did this.Good Luck

I have this problem with my girl, the last of the mohecans...she is 6. I let her cry to sleep. If she refuses to lay in her bed I put a chair by the door and set there until she falls asleep but I DO NOT STRUGGLE WITH HER. Eventually she will give up. This is not everynight but at least 3 or 4 nights a week. The other nights she falls asleep anywhere and I just put her to bed asleep. I feel your frustration.

M.,
I had a hard time getting my oldest (just turned 4) to sleep in his own bed. For awhile, he wouldn't lay in it at all, then he would fall asleep in his bed, but wake up and come to our bed. Finally, we let him pick out some new sheets and blankets (about $40, but WELL worth it!!). The first couple of nights he still came into our room, but I wouldn't let him in the bed. ( I had just had a c-section, so it was easier to give him an excuse) It took about 3 nights, but then he slept fine in his own bed. We gave him a lot of postive reinforcement. Telling him what a big boy he is, to sleep all night in his own bed. Eventually he got excited. Sometimes he will still ask to sleep in our room, or on the couch. We say no, and he's fine. Hope you get them in their own beds soon. I know how difficult it is when your kids won't sleep well! It can really take a toll on you.

I have also had friends that let their children sleep in a little tent in the room. Maybe you could try that , or sleeping bags. My two year old likes to sleep on the floor! At least he isn't in our bed.

Good Luck!!
G.

Hi, this may not be what most people would recommend..When I was a kid my mom (also a single mom) would tell us that if we went to bed without a fuss and slept through the night the sandman would come and leave us a treat. Sure enough in the morning there would be a little candy bar or a 25 cent ring etc, under my pillow..I remember being excited to go to bed just to see what would be under my pillow..It worked! Hope this helps. Good luck!!!!!!

as i learned w/ my 2 it took building their fear up, the way i done it was i started out letting my 2 sleep together and watching a movie, as they built their own confidence in sleeping i would slowly take the tv,the light then before i knew it they wanted their own rooms, but i always kept in mind that the only way they would sllep in their own beds is if they creepen into our room that id send trhem back too their room.and they will try everything from crawling at your feet to sleeping in the floor, u just have to stand your ground and send them back to their own bed.

I have two girls (4 and 1 1/2). Rarely we have a night when they both end up in bed with us, however I found a book called "The Sleep Fairy" and this has really worked with my 4 year old. The book is about a sleep fairy who leaves a treat under the pillow of any boy or girl who sleeps in their own bed all night long.

My daughter was doing so well that we had to come up with a twist since it was starting to get a little ridiculous to give a gift everynight, so one night the "sleep fairy" left a note that she had graduated to the next level. This meant that she has to sleep in her bed all night for three nights in a row to get a gift. She still gets a little note each night from the sleep fairy encouraging her accomplishments. She will soon graduate again to a new level until she outgrows the whole thing and stays in her bed.

Next we will have to work on the 1 1/2 year old, but I feel confident that the sleep fairy will visit her and her older sister will have a large influence as well.

Good luck!

To get my boys to sleep out of my bed, and in theres, I first let them pic out a special toy, (to help protect them):) I started readying them a Bible Story each night, we said our prayers, gave lots and lots of night time lovings. Turned off the light and went out, when I went back in to check on them, they were snuggling with their toys and with each other. But they were not sleeping in my bed. :) Now, they will snuggle together or sleep in their own beds as long as we go thru the same routine!

Hi. I am a divorced mother of a 5 and 3-year old. I know you need your sleep. I teach a newborn care class and a sibling class and I have a few ideas for you.

First of all, I'll pose some questions to you. Just some things to consider before trying a new method to solve your problem.

Is Bedtime consistent? Children need consistency and bedtime has got to be written in stone! I know it's especially tough on us single moms but it makes everything else better if we stick to the routine.

Are you sending mixed signals? Are you setting limits but then breaking them to get some snuggle-time? Bedtime is bedtime. Period. Mom's bed is mom's bed. Period. I have a rule in my house; if it's after 5am, kids are allowed in my bed for snuggle time and a morning "nap." Otherwise, it's back to their own bed.

Do the children like their rooms? You may consider some inexpensive redecorating (pillows, sheets, etc.) or paining of their rooms. It's amazing what a difference a little organizing and painting can do. Let them choose the colors (you give the choices) and they can help plan, shop, and paint (well, maybe not paint).

I used positive reinforcement with my 5-year-old and it really worked well. Every night she stayed in her bed ALL night she received a sticker. We put it on her door. When she got 7 stickers, we did something fun (go to Costco, the zoo, etc.) Now, I was already going to do those activities but she didn't know that. She was so proud of herself and ALWAYS reminded me to put the sticker on her door.

My last suggestion is negative reinforcement. I recommend you try this only if all else fails (and you've been super consistent!). I have been known to threaten (and I will follow through on it) to turn the night light off or close the door to their room if they didn't go back to sleep in their bed. It worked because they know, without a shadow of a doubt that I am more stubborn than them and they cannot break me.

Good luck!

M.

This may sound silly, but it just might work if all the other suggestions fail. Ever seen the tv show Nanny 911 or Supernanny (cant remember the actual name)? She has a bedtime technique that seems to work for the desperate parents who havent slept in their own bds alone as a couple in years. I cant recall the actual steps involved but the show comes on ABC. You could check the web for listings, and maybe she has this technique written out there.

I wish we had known about this when our son was younger. He was climbing out of his crib at nine months. Of course we were terrified he would fall out and break something, so we let him sleep with us. He slept with us until he was 5!!!! We finally put his bed in our room and this seemed to put him at ease. Eventually we moved to a new house and moved his bed into his own room and by then he was used to sleeping in his own bed, but if we had known about Suppernanny/Nanny911 it could have saved us much heartache.

I only allow my 2 1/2 year old to sleep with me on the weekends. She is now figuring out the system.