2 Year Old Not Sleeping

I put my 2 year old to bed with a movie in his room most nights and he will watch it then fall asleep. dont have any other suggestions sorry! good luck

Maybe not try for naps, and then of an evening a warm bath, and in bed with a story, and also I have sang a soft song after putting them to bed and rubbing slowly and softly across their head and forehead , and softly across their eyes and just keep stroking while I sing, and pretty soon they kept their eyes shut. Another trick I used was to see if they could keep their eyes shut while I counted to (20) or whatever, and if they opened them I would tell them I had to start over , as they didn't win the game since they opened their eyes. I used this as a last resort, but I hope something works.

If were me I would skip the afternoon nap. My youngest gave up his nap at an early age, much to my dismay.
Then I would let him play hard all day, running, climbing, take him to the park, ride tricycle, play with the dog. etc. then i would give him benadryl ((to make him sleepy) and I would put him to bed for the night. And let him tough it out. He is old enough to comfort himself to sleep. Then I would buy hubby some ear-plugs. If that didn't work I would definately, swap his little tushy and put him right back to bed. again and again until he understands that i mean business. (only one swat)
you said earlier that it was fine for all of this stuff when he was younger but isn't now. well it won't be any better or cuter a year from now either. Letting him continue to be disobediant isn't going to be better when he hits the rest of his terrible 3's either. He knows if he fusses and fights enough he gets his way. But better yet, knows what buttons to push.
When my kids were little and did this kind of stuff, My motto was "My Two year old won't win" and they didn't.
Kids crave boundaries and discipline. And others don't like to be around bratty children. If he won't mind you now, will he mind you next year, or at McDonald's? or at church? Or at the grocery store? What about running into the street?
you are setting the boundaries, discipline and your expectations NOW for the rest of his life. And he needs to learn to obey his mother.
The more little battles you lose or give up, the quicker you will lose the war.
I hope all this helps. and yes my youngest would move one toe just to keep himself awake. we would rock for about 3 minutes, kiss him night, then walk out. if he came off the bed he got a swat. and put back on the bed. over and over until he understood he had to at least stay on his bed. then eventually he got bored and went to sleep. eventually he understood it was easier to just go to sleep than to fight with mom.....because he wasn't going to win.
good luck,
L.
mother of 3 boys ages 13, 11 1/2, 8 1/2
married for 13 1/2 years

There are some "Super Nanny" episodes that show how to get out of control kiddos to go to sleep. Your sweet little one sounds nothing like those they show but it does make a lot of sense. Try getting into a night time routine, even on the weekends. Play time, dinner, baths, and then to bed. Read a small book to him every night. Let him pick it out and he will look forward to the routine. Have the lights lowered when you are reading it and possibly have a radio on in the background. There are some wonderful CD's out there that are classical but specifically for the night time so they are really peaceful. Put it on repeat and it will go all night. Start reminding him during dinner that after dinner will be bath and then off to bed. Let him understand what is coming and after a few nights (hopefully) he will understand the schedule. The episodes of Supper Nanny can show the process if he refuses to stay in bed and your slow approach to leaving the room. Good luck.. it will take time. Try not to rush it.

Hi B. - I have a 2-year-old that is going throught the same thing. My husband is a Paramedic and I did the same thing when he was younger - the slightest peep and I was up so that my hubby could sleep after a long shift. So now I'm paying for it. Luckinly, I was at someone's house one day and they had a Josh Grobin CD playing. My son literally just turned into a limp noodle and passed out. I immediately went and bought two of his CD's and now when he fights sleep, I put one on, and he usually can't last through two songs. Josh Grobin is a GOD in my book!! I know every child is different, but it might be worth a try! Good luck - believe me, I feel your pain!!

Don't be afraid to let him cry it out--even 20 or 30 minutes. And buy those earplugs for Dad, like the other gal said! I don't know about the "swatting" thing, though.... But I do agree, it will not get better w/ time. Better to exercise a little "tough love" now so Mom can get some rest and attend to both kiddos needs during the day.

I did not have this trouble with either of my children, but I have many friends who have. All of them got books on how to teach your child to fall asleep on their own, read them and then made their own decisions.

Some books recommend "weaning" your child. Go through the bedtime rountine, then sit in the room next to the bed until child falls asleep. After a week of that you sit farther away until sleep arrives. Then in the doorway. Then outside the room. You get the idea. Some suggest cold turkey. Just say good night and leave the room and let them cry it out.

You may want to get as many idea's as you can, then put together a plan that you can live with. Make the hard decisions in advance, not the heat of the moment. Then execute the plan. Be sure to stick with it though! Consistancy is very important with children.

Best of luck to you! You really can't be at your best when your tired, frustrated and cranky!

As everyone else has said, pick a routine & stick with it. If he can't get to sleep at night, you may want to try dropping or shortening his nap. With my son, it's bath time, pajamas, brush his teeth, then we read three stories. Then we turn on his Cd (my husband made it for him), turn off the lights and turn his night light on, and my husband lays down with him for three songs. Then he's on his own. He's allowed to have a toy or book with him if he wants. He was almost three before he would sleep through the night, but his bedtime routine has stayed very consistent and that has helped a lot. He goes to sleep on his own now, with no problem, and we're doing the same for our 11 month old.

The most Important part is, whatever you decide, STICK with it. Once you get over the first hurdle, a few weeks later he will test you again. You can't be lax.

Pick things to do that he will like that will relax him. Something I say to myself that helps "when he's 18...(insert whatever)he'll be sleeping too much!!!

Have you tried letting the child sleep with you until he falls asleep then putting him in his bed or if his bed is large enough try lying down with him until he falls asleep. Reading to them at bedtime is really good like children bible stories and giving him warm milk with honey in it.

Blessings, Lady V. N.

I have heard to give them a massage all over and expecially the feet, to get him to relax.

I used to have a really hard time putting my daughter down for a nap, but she's improved much. Here's what worked for me.

We spend a few minutes calming down (laying on the carpet with bears and blankets, soft music, etc), then calmly walk around the house and say "night night" to everything (the kitchen, the drapes, the table, the rooms, etc). She waves and I try to keep my emotions very subdued, relaxed, and peaceful since she picks up on my feelings very quickly. I then nurse her in her bedroom (with dark blinds pulled). Then, we snuggle and rock with her bears and her blanket and I rub her back or her hair. Then, I whisper "night night baby" and gently lay her in bed, then leaver the room without talking anymore. I try to say very little during the whole process, if anything at all (and it would be in a whisper). She still was very frustrated for the first few days and would cry for 10 minutes, but then would lay down and fall asleep. If she woke in the night and was crying really hard, I would whisper "It's still night night time, baby" and hold her in my arms or rock until she quiets down, then lay her back down, again, saying very very little. She began to understand that it's night night time during the dark, and I always put her to sleep in the evening just before dusk.

Hope that helps!

D.

I have three Children and none of them slept thru the night untill they were 2 1/2-3. I think they were afraid of missing out on something. I feel your pain, my youngest is just now sleeping thru the night. We have a bed time schedule. We take a bath, play, and then tuck in both her and her brothers. The trick we use with her is we allow her to take books or her dolls to bed with her as long as she stays in bed. She's allowed to have her nightlight light on. After about 10 min. I check on her and she's asleep. Good luck and hang in there.

sometimes a familiar noise works as a pacifier ... for instance, a radio playing softly or they make toys that simulate uterine sounds ... particularly on a full stomach ... i had the similar problem with my young one ... if you keep them busy and tire them out for a couple of days they develop the habit of sleeping all night also.

Dear B.,
One of my patients who subscribes to mamasource sent me your request for help with your son because she is confident that I can help you. I can think of at least five reasons your son is going through this. Always take crying seriously as it is the only way a child has to express their pain - whether mental, emotional or physical. No matter what the cause of that pain, it must be addressed. After all our goal as parents is to raise healthy and happy children. What causes a child to cry in the day, can keep the child from sleeping at night. Just as my patient who asked me to write you, I am also very confident that I can help you. Call my office at ###-###-#### M-F 10-5 p.m. You can go to my web site www.advancedclinicalnutrition.com for information about my qualifications.

God bless you and your family,
Dr. Smith

Advanced Clinical Nutrition
Donna F. Smith, Ph.D., N.D., C.C.N.
2108 Kemp Blvd.
Wichita Falls, Tx 76309
###-###-####
M-F 10 to 5 p.m. C.S.T.

I think you were right to not let your baby cry it out. I have a bit of a background in childcare and have worked with several pre-mature babies. I've read quite a bit about it, and it seems like in the last few weeks (in womb :) babies mentally develop the ability to process sounds and block out excessive stimuli. Preemies don't get this time, so they are very sensitive to lights and noises of any kind, so it's harder for them to get a sound sleep. I really like a book called "Touch-points", the doctor/author goes over this and I think offers some helpful tips. It makes a lot of sense that he wants to cuddle extra before sleep, everything is probably a bit more overwhelming to him still, compared to a full-term baby. I know it is probably really hard to keep things very quite with a 7 month old in the house, but white noise always helped me get fussy babies to sleep. i.e. running a fan, or something like that. Good luck, hope this helps!!

Is it okay with your husband if you let him cry it out now? If so, I'd definitely do it. Is he still in a crib? That will make a difference. Also, are you disciplining him for refusing to go to sleep? If he's still in the crib and will stay in it, I'd just let him cry it out. My daughter goes through sperts where she throws a fit when going to sleep, and we just let her cry. It works and she's back to her normal self after a few days. If he's in a "big boy bed" it sounds like you'll have to use discipline to get him to stay in the bed and go to sleep. Sorry! This sounds no fun. Hope it gets better very soon!

I'm sure you'll get all kinds of advice and truth is....every child is different and there is no "one-size fits all" answer. There is no easy fix. You have to be consistent and firm. There will be several days (maybe longer) that the entire household will have unrest, but it won't last forever. You decide naptime and bedtime and stick with it. He is old enough now that you can say "five minutes until naptime" or "time to brush your teeth and get jammies on". You can still lay with him and read his favorite books or tell stories (make it a time to look forward to), but then leave and let him fall asleep on his own - this is the hard part. I have actually stood in the hallway crying as I held the door closed listening to my little boy cry for me. It is the worst thing to go through, but once you BOTH get used to the NEW routine then life is easier and less frustrating for you BOTH. We've all heard how kids need (and like) to have schedules they can depend on. Even when they test you, stick with it. You're doing a great job, just hang in there!!!