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thread: Does your Toddler do this when drifting off to sleep?

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Sep 2008
    Adelaide
    3,201

    Does your Toddler do this when drifting off to sleep?

    DS is almost 2, we have always rocked, cuddled or comforted to sleep, which isn't a problem in itself as once he sleeps he sleeps well... BUT................

    Of late he rolls around, pulls my hair, wriggles like mad, puts his legs up on the wall, flips, spins - you name it, as he settles down. While this will take 30 mins tops (usually a lot less) - it's PAINFUL, as I lay with him (he has a mattress at floor level) while he drifts off. He will roll around and even try to lay on top of me, or my head etc

    Is this normal - he is totally tired and ready for bed, and once asleep is calm and comfortable, but why is he seemingly so restless as he drifts off?

    We do a bath, quiet play, book, cuddle bedtime type of routine so it's not like he is hyper or revved up before bedtime. The only real problem I guess is that he twirls then pulls my hair (HARD) and it hurts, but if I pull away from him too quickly he takes longer to go to sleep, so the easiest thing to do seems to be just suck it up for the 10-30mins and then enjoy a peaceful evening LOL

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Melbourne
    1,628

    Not sure about other people but DD does this all the time. Add in there some nose picking and trying to stand on her head and you have just described her bed time . She is nearly 2 1/2 You are not alone

  3. #3
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber. Love a friend xxx

    Sep 2008
    Melbourne
    1,424

    Hey Nay. DD sings / chats / wriggles herself to sleep solo now (after 19 months of rocking!) but I cuddled up with her to try and settle her at my parents house the other day and yup, she did exactly what you describe! Drove me NUTS, especially when I was hoping for a bit of a snooze myself! Only thing I can suggest is that maybe you start to put a bit of distance between you. Maybe tell him that Teddy (or other snuggly friend) 'wants to give you bedtime cuddles but Mummy will be sitting on the floor right here'.

    Good luck, hope you get a more relaxing bed-time cuddle soon!

  4. #4
    Registered User
    Add MummyDuck on Facebook

    Nov 2007
    Melbourne
    1,065

    Mine too!!!! Add jerky (which is normally a sign of overtiredness) and you have my dd! Occasionally I leave her to sleep alone and I'll find her asleep sitting hunched over!!!

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Nov 2010
    QLD
    394

    yep same here too, our DS isnt quite 2 and is still in his cot, but is currently in his room using it as a trampoline ah well normally he just lays down and falls asleep.

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Jul 2009
    Riding it out...
    4,959

    Yep my DS3 too! Loves to do the head sitting thing, as well as rolling all over the place. He also has a mattress on the floor , and we dismantled our bed(as that's where he sleeps at night) and it's now just a mattress on the floor. All 3 of mine have been restless sleepers but more so DS1&3 when they're going off to sleep. DS3 can wake through the night and does it all over again, sometimes sliding himself off the mattress to sleep on the floor I can tell you too, having your head sat on, with force, while you're asleep is quite a rude awakening!

  7. #7
    Registered User
    Add Jennie13 on Facebook

    Apr 2010
    Australind, Western Australia
    402

    Yep my DD is the same she talks away to her bunny (her snuggle comforter teddy thing) tries to read books to her bunny while i real to her, does weird things in her cot, and all of a sudden she will just lay down and go to sleep

  8. #8
    Registered User
    Add helle on Facebook

    Sep 2008
    Bunbury, Western Australia
    3,963

    DS has boob to sleep... But yeah he does it too. I often get a toe in my eye as he's flinging his limbs around.
    I've actually started taking him to his room and making it pitch black which has stopped it quite a lot.

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Nov 2008
    Perth
    3,686

    DD does the same things - she's 18 months. We don't snuggle her to sleep much, she's self settled (well goes down without an issue or a peep!) for several months now but when she wakes for a snuggle throughout the night, we get the same. Often she busts out a few new words 'Nose, mouth, ear, eye' all while pointing to the right places then usually ends with a big happy scream - 'DADDY!' followed by lots of giggles. After that performance, she snuggles in only to stick fingers up my nose (followed by a very clear comment - 'Nose!') then pulls my hair while wriggling in my arms. I say goodnight at that point and put her straight back to bed! 9 times out of ten she nods straight off

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Apr 2010
    Townsville
    2,832

    LOL Helle, toe in the eye sounds fun!!!

    I think I am going to have a wriggler!! She squirms and then the next second she is fast asleep!!

  11. #11
    Registered User

    Sep 2005
    In the middle of nowhere
    9,362

    yes ....had enough now.

  12. #12
    Platinum Member. Love a friend xxx

    Mar 2008
    Perth, WA
    1,225

    Hair pulling (mine and DH), kicking, wriggling, changing position, sitting up, flinging limbs around (and into my pregnant belly...but not on purpose of course)...esp when overtired. All while Co-sleeping. I move to the couch! Over it!

  13. #13
    Registered User

    Jul 2008
    summer street
    2,708

    Loving this thread! Yes! Dd has likes to pick at things on my skin and often puts her feet on my throat (!) before launching herself backwards...she also talks to toys and plays with the pillows! Urgh! But I love kissing her little face once she's all still and peaceful.

  14. #14
    Registered User

    Aug 2008
    Adelaide
    1,488

    Yes! DD is 16 months and has been doing this for 3-4 months already. We co-sleep and I want to dismantle our bed and put the mattress on the floor, but DH won't go for it. It doesn't help that there is nowhere to store our bed in the meantime. DD has a little stuffed dog that plays lullaby music, which she likes to wave around and hit me in the head with (not deliberately). I think I scared her the other night when she hit me on the ear while I was asleep. I burst out into tears before I could stop myself. It took her a while to settle after that.

    DD outdid herself Friday night. There is a frieze that runs all the way around our bedroom halfway up the walls, so it runs just above our bedhead. DH and I had both drifted off before DD was asleep. I woke at 3am and she started handing me bits of paper. I looked up at the wall and she had torn off about a metre of the frieze! I'm not particularly attached to it, but our bedroom is the one room we had no plans to redo

  15. #15
    Registered User

    Oct 2007
    Middle Victoria
    8,924

    My 11 month old does it too during the day. I BF to sleep lying dow and i have to hold her bottom leg (if she is on her side) to stop her twisting around and taking my nipple with her!

  16. #16
    Platinum Member. Love a friend xxx

    Jan 2008
    hoppers crossing
    2,380

    he used to do that but once he started we stopped rocking him and cuddling him to sleep...

    He now happliy goes off to bed with his bottle and is fine...took alot of effort but he got the msg


    hope ur bedtime gets better

  17. #17
    Registered User

    Jul 2008
    Melbourne
    3,244

    yeah, similar here as well. he also seems to think he's hysterically funny & laughs away. once he calms down a bit he likes to point out his & then mine - nose, eyes, ears, teeth & names them in a whisper to himself

  18. #18
    Registered User

    Mar 2007
    6,900

    Yes, DD is like that if I lie with her. But she goes to sleep by herself now. She takes 2 teddies to bed though and I can hear her in there for a while before she finally goes to sleep talking to them and throwing them around and banging into the wall.

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