2 year old wont sleep in his bed!!

[Missy]

Hi all

Well Im just about over it now. For the last couple of months DS has been coming into my bed and wont stay in his. I put him back, ive evern smacked him, ( I know some of you dont agree with that) but im just so over it. He wont stay in his bed. Im so so so tired and being 30 weeks pg am getting less and less sleep.

For ex: Last night. Couldnt get him to bed until 9pm, His bed time is 7pm, he was up at 11pm, 2.30pm, 3pm,then back into my bed at 5 and I just couldnt take it anymore so just left him.

I hate night times now and dread putting him to bed. DH is good but he works long hrs and I really dont want him getting up all the time. He does most of the time and it makes me feel dad.

OH PLEASE WHAT THE HELL CAN I DO!!!!!

[*Ang*]

We have similar problems with Alex...he has never been a great sleeper, continuosly waking during the night since a young age. We found that the waking only reduced when he did sleep with us - it seems that he likes comfort and company.

BUT it is not always the most easiest way to get a restful nights sleep, or to squeeze us all in (DH is 6'6 and I am 6'!). Our solution was to put a mattress by the side of our bed. He starts off the night in there and seems content to know he is near us, 50% of the time he will then wake once during the night and climb into our bed but that is usually somewhere between 1-3am so by then we have had a few hours sleep. And at least we are getting some sleep rather then being woken half a dozen times! Not ideal, but it works for us.

We are thinking of putting the 2 kids in a bedroom together and seeing if that will encourage him to stay put, but that will be in a few months time.

Good luck, I know how frustrating it can be when you just want to sleep.

[widdly]

hi Missy, you are not alone!! Archie has been sleeping in our bed for 2 months as well, and this week it just got to me and i was so angry at him (even though i know its not his fault of course) for never giving me space to breathe, i was with him 24 hours a day every day. It is a security thing for him, i have noticed that during tese 2 months he has developed so much. He talks magnificently all of the sudden, his physical skills are fantastic, and all of the sudden he will happily stay places without me, like daycare. For the last 2 nights he has slept in his own bed all night, he has had about 5-6 wake ups during thenight, but will go back to sleep after a brief cuddle. I think i just got to the point where i knew that if he kept sleeping in our bed i might end up losing the plot and maybe even hurting him, so i knew it was safer for everyone if he slept in his own bed.

It was weird cause the first night he slept in his bed he went straight to sleep! He never does that ever. Last night it took over 2 hours for him to fall asleep, but we got there in the end. I just stayd completely calm and neutral and repetitively picked him up, gave him a brief cuddle and put him back in bed. I made sure he knew that i would come straight to him and comfort him if he got upset, so in the end he stopped getting out of bed and fell asleep cause he knew he was safe and mum was just down the hall listening out for him.

I don't know what will work for you and your DS, but eventually something will work. It must be a big developmental stage in their lives that tey have difficulty moving through without the close comfort of Mum. You are doing a great job, and i hope things sort themselves out sooner rather than later.

[Missy]

Hi ladies

Thanks so much for your comments.

I really dont know what to do. I think I will just have to be strong and keep putting him back to bed. Its just so hard as im not getting much sleep and tend to let him stay in the bed with me so the poor little thing is probably confused. I just have to keep with it and I hope he will settle before the baby comes.

I hope you two have good nights sleeps too.

Thanks and take care ...

[nic]

Missy, sorry to hear you guys are still having sleeping issues. My DD started this, but I think she was much older when she did? Possibly somewhere around 4 or 5? It could've been when she was adjusting to something new, like pre school?
I think all we did was keep putting her back to bed, and it went on for months and months too.

Do you think that maybe something like a night light might entice him to stay in bed? Or a special new pillow or doona cover that he can pick out himself, might entice him to stay in his room? Maybe a new cuddly toy or something? It's all I can think of, sorry.

Hope you can get some sleep soon. lots of hugs

Nic

[mbear]

Hey, going thru this ATM with my two year old DD also !!!!.....we put DD #2 recently in with DD#1 as DD#3 moved outta our room.
DD#2 thought it was party time. SHe would run up and down the hallway after we had put her in bed !!!!. She was eventually falling asleep, but that wasnt till 830pm. SHe would sleep thru the night though(unlike your son....). But she would wake at 630am - very early for her.

Anyway to cut a long story short, she went from being the best sleeper in the house (whilst in her cot) to the night time terror (in her new single bed......). SHe ended up getting gastro, a cold, and was basically a nightmare during the day (so tired....). So last night we moved her back in her cot in her own room. Our DD#3 is back in our room. I hate it, and i had a little tear (my plan didnt work....), but she was suffering, and i really think at 26months, she is just too little yet to understand the consequences. She's too young to reason with also.

If i were you i would put him back in the cot, or even put him in a portacot, if it means you get rest, so be it. It seems the situation isnt working for anyone at the moment.....i dont know if ive been of much help. But good luck, i know how precious sleep is during 3rd tri.....