The next step in sleep. Advice wanted :)

[Miss.September]

We've finally gotten DD (21 months) into a wonderful bedtime routine, where she knows when bedtime is, climbs into bed herself, and after a few stories and a lullaby, she's off to sleep. This is between 8-8.30 each night. She rarely has a day sleep, finding that they don't work for us (she'd be up until 11 at the earliest).

She'll sleep until about midnight, and then walk down to our bedroom and we put her into bed with us so we can all sleep through. She'll then sleep until about 8am. BUT, she is a chronic kicker. She'll lay sideways and won't settle unless her feet are rammed into DH or my back's (neither of us have wonderful backs, so not ideal). It's starting to take it's toll, both physically and mentally. I spend the night moving her into a new position, dozing off and then doing it all again when she wriggles about. We've tried to move her back into her own bed, which lasts about half an hour, and tried moving her into her portacot beside our bed and that fails too. Last time she spent the entire night in her own bed (sleeping through) was November 30, so we're talking a long time now of busted up sleep for me.

So I'm after your best tips to get them to stay in their own bed!

[HotI]

Could you try taking her back to bed each time if she comes in before 1am. After 1am she can sleep in with you.

Then when she is sleeping til past 1, change the time until 2am and keep taking her back to bed then. Hopefully you can gradually stretch it until you get the bed to yourself again.

[appletree]

It depends, do you want her to be in her own room, or do you like having her close by?

I would either persist with putting her back to her own bed, even though it means you are not going to get much sleep for a few days if you are consistent she will get the message to stay there.

Or, you can do what we did and move her toddler bed permanently next to your bed, you will all get plenty of sleep and you will be close together but not being constantly kicked and worried you will squash her. My DD is now almost 4 and just about ready to go to her own room and make the decision herself that she doesn't want to sleep with us anymore.

[~me~]

My DS2 had a similar problem. I started to walk or carry him back, do the usual kiss and cuddle and leave the room. Sometimes he would come back and I would take him back again. If it was after 3am I would just let him sleep with us. Eventually he just slept longer and longer.
It will seem like a very long couple of nights to start with, just need to try and be consistent.

[~MummaBear~]

we have a cot mattress under out bed for this reason! we just pull it out when they come in and they sleep next to our bed.. actually i lie.. i make them pull it out themself lol

[Miss.September]

I'd like her to be in her own room. DH snores so even if she's in the room with us, she wakes up, which was why we put her in her own room to begin with. Thanks for the ideas, will try and catch up on some sleep first and then in for the long haul while we try to encourage what you've all suggested. Thank you.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

hun, i know exactly how you feel.
DD1 flops around like a fish in bed and i end up with the worst back and hip pain from sleeping around her or waking up to move her etc.

If you can maybe when she comes in walk her back to bed, lay with her for a bit and then go back to your own room, i like Kate's idea of taking her back and then extending the time until WHAM she's slept through.