Bedtime Issues - Madison Heights, MI

Create a "reward chart" where at the begining of the week, he chooses a special reward, treat, or event that will be his if he stays in bed for 5 days in a row. He needs to understand that he does not get the reward if he gets out even once. I would buy something and show it to my kids, then put it away until they completed the chart. It had to be something they really wanted and a few times I actually took it back to the store in front of them because they didn't follow thru. That did the trick.

My son is 20 months and he won't go to sleep unless I lay down with him for about 20 minutes. He just transferred from a crib to a bed.

I went to a pediatric sleep specialist seminar and her advice was:

Take everything fun out of his room so that he doesn't have anything to play with at night.

Put a baby gate up in his doorway.

Let him cry himself to sleep even if it is on the floor (you can come to the gate to comfort him) and eventually he will realize that he can go to sleep alone.

I haven't tried it yet because he is going through "separation anxiety" and it is useless to try right now.

Other than that I haven't heard any advice that really works.

explain to him its time to lay down and that you will come lay with him when he falls asleep but nit until then, buy that time hewill be sleep and frget all about you coming to lay with him

This is a tough one I wouldnt Know what to do Im sorry

My daughter is almost 3 and I have the same problem. Keeps me up until 1 or 2 every morning. The crying thing didn't work for me because I have a husband who has to be to work at 3:ooam and 3 kids in school. If I let her cry and scream she keeps everyone up. I can't wait for some advice on this one.

My daughter was having problems in school so we came to an agreement that every day she was good she would get a sticker. She loves stickers so she agreed to it. It has been a week since we started it and the teacher sent home a certificate on friday that said she was an excelent student that week. Maybe you could do that for him. Find out if he likes stickers and let him pick it out, let him pick out a calender that he likes and every morning that he goes to bed good let him pick out a sticker and put it on the that square. Example: He went to bed good and on time friday night so saturday morning let him pick a sticker to put on the friday square and at the end of the week if he has all of the stickers then let him pick out a specail day pass.

You must establish a routine and stick to it. The routine may take an hour with bath, brush teeth, jammies, bedtime stories, kiss goodnight, etc. But, once you say goodnight...that's it. If your son comes out of his room put him back in without a word. The babygate is a great idea. That way you can keep him in his room!! Good luck. It will be hard at first but then he will understand his boundaries (kids like and need boundaries) and bedtime will become an enjoyable experience again!!

I also have the same problem. My son is 4 and for the past month won't go to sleep. Sometimes stays up till 3am! If anyone has any advice id appriciate it!

Hi T.,
Sometimes I still have to do the same thing with 2 of my children who are 10 and 8 so do not feel bad. I think it's sometimes because they feel like they have not seen me enough during the day. What I usually do is go to bed with them when it's there bedtime, I sing to them, rub there head or back. Then when they fall asleep I go to my own bed. Maybe you can reward him a couple of times a week if he goes to bed by himself and lay with him another night. I really think it's just makes you closer then anything just to lay and cuddle with one another. Good Luck.

I don't have many answers but I wanted to let you know that my 4 year old just started sleeping in her own bed however, I also have to lay with her until she falls asleep. I think I will slowly try to leave her side sooner and sooner so she gets comfortable with me not being their. She ends up crying about once a night and I have to go back in there for awhile until she is out again. Makes for a disruptive night. I have heard of parents beginning by laying with them, then moving away and laying on the floor next to the bed, then contiune to move farther and farther away until the child doesn't need it anymore. Can't say Iv'e tried that one. Good luck.

My 2 1/2 year old likes to cuddle until he falls asleep. I then carry him back to his bed, where he will usually sleep all night, or leave his room. He usually falls asleep in 5 -10 minutes this way and we avoid hours of screaming.

T.,
I have two girls of my own. One is 8 and the other 4. I had this with both of my girls. I think it depends on the child. My oldest daughter would want me to sleep with her and I would lay with her until she fell asleep and then I would get up and about an hour later she would come back by me. Eventually she just started sleeping in my bed. (Letting the kids sleep in your bed is a bad idea and shouldnt be done.) I started taking her for walks right after dinner and she would walk most of the way and then come inside and get p.j.'s on and brush teeth and read a book. I didnt rush through any of the bedtime routine because she needed her own time to unwind. Tuck your baby in and say goodnight. When he gets up dont say anything to him to just go lay him back down. It will take a couple of weeks to get him used to the routine but you are rewarding him if you talk to him. He wants that conversation. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS DONT GIVE UP!!! If you talk to him one night while putting him back in bed and you dont the next it wont work because he knows if he comes out of the room 50 times you will interact with him. The exercise and fresh air will use a lot of energy. Good luck.
J.