My Little Boy Won't Sleep in His Bed Anymore

Have you ever watched Supernanny? She has a method that takes a few nights, but usually works.
http://www.supernanny.co.uk/Advice/-/Parenting-Skills/-/R...

Good luck!

He is just going through a phase. For some reason he is scared in his bed right now, or in his room alone, and his fears are real to him. I would let him sleep with you for now or if you guys can't get sleep with him in your bed, move his mattress into your room and let him go to sleep in his own bed in your room. You will probably all get more sleep that way.

Talk to him about it - Did something scare you? Reassure him every night and nap when you put him down - ok, i am putting you in your safe bed in your safe house with mommy and daddy and sister brother dog cat toys etc. all right here, all around you. do a ritual every time you put him down, read, etc. maybe lay with him til he falls asleep for now. tell him that after he falls asleep you will get up and go wash dishes or do laundry etc right in the next room and will be right in the next room when he wakes up ready to see his sweet and rested face.

you are not doing anything bad. i think it's so crazy how there is this stigma about letting your kids sleep with you. the more parents i talk to the more i realize that everyone does it but for some reason we all feel guilty about it and don't talk about it. plus an 18 month old is still a baby!! it's ok to reassure and support your baby. once you and he are ready you can move his mattress out of your room - take as long as you want. do you know any 13 year olds who sleep with their parents? as long as it is working for you and him, it's not bad. when it stops working, change it. you can gradually get him back into his own room. my son was psyched to move into his own room, it was like a big boy treat. good luck!

They say that kids who sleep with their parents are actually better-adjusted. We usually lay down with our boys to put them to sleep and move them to their own rooms when they are out enough that they don't wake up. I think that maybe if you keep going with that maybe he will start to sleep through it. Meanwhile I wouldn't beat yourself up about it. There are risks and a very few children do get injured - I think you'd have to be really tired and if you are keeping up on your naps that is a good precaution. Meanwhile if the house were to start burning down, that is one child you would have right with you.

We have been having the same problem with my 2 year old getting out of bed. It does not always work but try to be empathetic with him. Let him know you understand where he is coming from. Tell him you know it is fun to get down and you understand he would rather sleep with daddy. Then talk to him about how he has been acting and tell him there is a new rule that the has to stay on his bed once the light is out. Then you have to enforce it. This might mean staying up and putting him back in bed a lot. Try to tell him very simply the rule again and try not to give him much attention for getting out of bed. I know it is frustrating but try to stay calm and remain gentle. You might have to do this for several nights/days but hopefully it will help. It has helped us.

I am sure lots of people will tell you it is time to give up the nap...well I am not ready to give up my girls nap so I am trying to make it work still. At the very least they should have some quiet time. We put up a gate on her door to keep her in even if she gets out of bed. But like I said if you have the stay on the bed rule they will most likely fall asleep. Good luck I know it is hard but I am sure you can do it.

This was my daughter, and now is my son. We've gotten in a bad habit. With my daughter, we hyped up going to school - she started in August and I started hyping it up last March. She was so excited to go, and I told her she would not get to go unless she was sleeping in her own bed.

I also took every opportunity I could to show her kids sleeping in their own beds - books, cartoons, commercials, her friends... I said - see, they do it too!

At first, we marked on a sheet when she would stay all night in her bed with a sticker. When she had 5, I got her a new dress. She didn't get the concept though and the dress turned out to not be such a big deal.

We also started a CONSISTENT bedtime routine - time and routine the same. The only thing that changed were the titles of the books we read.

Sleep is on it's way! I'm thinking of you!

C.-
Set yourself up with the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" it has saved us more than once. Good luck.

C.,

I would definitely work on getting him back to his own bed. He knows you'll give in so he keeps doing the same thing. He might be done with naps, but more likely he is having a hard time with them because he's over tired from not sleeping well at night either.

He needs to stay in bed once you put him there. One thing we did when my son went through a stage of keeping himself up by continually getting up was to put a door handle cover on his door - I don't know what they are actually called, but you can get them at Babies R Us or Target and they are white. They snap over the door knob and, unless you can squeeze them in the right spot, it just spins when you try to open the door. That way, he will be in a safe place and you can rest. He can play, sleep, whatever - but you can rest knowing he's safe.

Expect him to throw a fit or two - he won't like that he can't have his way - but you can do this!

Good luck!!
C.