HELP! Sleep Issues with 2 Year Old Little Boy

My now 5 year old had similar issues. What worked for us (and we still do on his "scared" nights) is to sit next to his bed. He listens to lullabies, and I agree to sit by the bed for 3-4 songs. Most of the time he is asleep by then. Each night we would try to sit further away from him to the point we sat in the hallway reading, but in a place he could see us. I actually saw this on some of the original SuperNanny's. I don't know why she got away from it. It does work. My hubby and I both liked the time to sit and read. So much so we would trip over each other to do it. "I'll sit with him tonight. No, honey, you go get some stuff done. I will sit with him..." As he got used to it and got more independent, he would just ask for the lullabies in the middle of the night instead of crying or trying to sleep with us. Nightlights help a lot, too. Good luck.

Our 3 year old had issues with both of these things. We had to do the silent walk back to bed for about 2 weeks before he started going to bed at bedtime without a fight. it's hard to be unemotional on the walk-back, but it was necessary! We also just had about a month of scream outs in the middle of the night for covering feet, I need a hug, water etc. We introduced a sleep fairy who has a bowl of treats on the kitchen counter - if he sleeps all night, no screaming and no visits - he gets a treat (match box car, small bag of m&ms, puzzle, book etc - dollar store treats). and I bought the good nite lite (www.goodnitelite.com). Its a moon and sun that you program to light up as moon at bedtime and sun in the morning when he can leave his bed! Its $30 - but worth EVERY penny! Not sure if it's the treat bowl or the sun/moon, but he used to come into bed with us at 5:30 (plus 2-4 screams/visits in the night)- and he now stay in his room until 7 without a peep or a visit. Sometimes he is awake at 6:30, bc I see his light on, but he stays in his room until he sees the sun come on. Good luck!

My youngest child is 30yrs-old so please bare with me while I dig that far back into history. My daughter for some unknown reason became afraid of the dark at age three, and would not stay in her bed. Fortunately, my solution was easy, but it may work for your little boy. I gave her a teddy bear, so she didn't feel all alone, and a night light, so she wasn't completely in the dark. I also tried to make bedtime pleasant, something everyone looked forward to at the end of the day. Your little guy is only 2, and I don't know if this will work, but I would suggest a special treat for her for the following day. Not a food treat, but a special time we would spend together, or a game that she liked to play, then she would be anxious to go to sleep, and for tomorrow to come.

I just dealt with this when my 2 year transitioned to his toddler bed. I too am pregnant and being woken every night was becoming tiresome. We would leave his door cracked so if he needed us in the night, we could hear him better or he could come get us. We would use the Super Nanny technique too, because he kept hopping out of bed and wouldn't go down for at least an hour or more after we put him down. That also grew tiresome. If he fell asleep by the door, we would just have to pick him up and put him into bed before we went to bed. We also got one of those doorknob protectors so he couldn't get out of his room during nap time. Those had also ceased during this transition so he would just have to play quietly in his room if he did not nap so I could have a break. After nearly 2 months of struggling with the big boy bed, we finally figured it out! He always wanted his night light on at bedtime because I think he was waking in the night and afraid of the dark so he would come into our room to feel safe. We would turn it off before we went to bed. Now, we leave it on all night long and close his door so he cannot get out. Both tactics have worked like a charm and we have not had any issues with waking in the night or going down. Our bedtime routine consists of brushing teeth, reading stories, singing a few songs, saying prayers and kisses. He now stays in his bed once we put him there. He may ask for another sip of water on occasion, but we have no more issues! He is back to taking his naps too. This transition just took a little longer than expected, but I am glad we figured it out before baby #2 arrives! Good luck!

Talk to him! Comfort him and help him with his feelings, because he's going through normal changes and fears (i.e. screaming). Add to that the new baby and he's going to be having a LOT of changes expressed through interrupted sleep habits.

Funny you mention supernanny and my first reatction (talk to him) b/c a friend and I were just discussing her (we have 6 kids--pre-schoolers to teenager between us) and both of us felt the same about her. She's "technically" correct, but lacks the loving, nurturing, feeling element to her.

So, approach your son with love and concern and solutions. With my first daughter we made a bed on the floor in our room and said if she gets up she can't get into bed with us, but she may sleep in the bed on the floor. My other daughter we've been talking (with big smiles and enthusiasm) about how she's going to be a big girl and stay in her bed all night. And, if she does, in the morning she can have a treat (a few chocolate chips or something. I don't think the bribery is ethically wrong. :-). It hasn't worked perfectly, but it has worked like a charm! She does get up, but goes back to bed so easily. Like she's on automatic to get up, but when we remind her she goes right back to bed without fus. And it's a lot less.

Just know your son is completely and wholly normal in his "abnormal" sleeping patterns. Find a happy solution for all of you--especially before the baby comes. And when the baby comes, don't be surprised if you're back to the drawing board with him. . .and the new baby.

Good luck!

J.

My two and a half yr old little girls went thru simiular issues with this but she will sit and play in bed. There is no screaming. I think he might have night terriors, my friends son has them. Wakes up screaming almost every night and the doctors say that it just a phase and that he will grow out of it. I did this with my daughter I go to her room and usually change her or hold her for a mintune or two and then give her kisses and she goes bk to bed. we just had a new addtion as well and I think the sleep issues circle around this as well. Keep your chin up it will pass, my daugther is doing much better with it and I am sure your son will too.

i am typing this at 4 am you are not alone. I have somewhat got him back on scheduale but not totally. One mom said give them carnation instant breakfast drink before bed it does help but doesnt always work if he wakes up I give him a peanut butter sandwich which works most of the time. she said lack of protien I think she was on to something. anyway an nice warm bath everynight at the same time in nighttime bath seems to help alot. problem is I dont always rember to give bath every night I am used to every other night. I regret not doing the bath thing everytime. with mine I have daddy bark at him lay down and he usually does. men have that gruff voice that scares kids. now I cant get my days and nights right again. I make sure he has a tippy and for some reason it seems like the more blankets he has the better he sleeps. dont know why but it seems to work. kinda like the heavier the blanket the better. not necessarily the number of blankets. just some ideas to try oh and is he scared of the dark maybe night light my 2 yr old is scared of the dark