Child Who Wont Sleep

Everything that you will read will say that she is overtired and that is what is keeping her up. Plus they will say that TV stimulates then. I would suggest the first thing to do is get rid of the TV and do puzzles or books with her. They move bed time earlier a little each night. She did not get this way over night and she will not change over night.

I have a 10 year old who is ADHD and he will not go to sleep either at night.. we have tried prescription sleep aids but it makes him bounce off the wall.. He is also on Straterra 40 mg..

The only way he will go to sleep when i want him to is if i lay down in the same bed with him.. that is it.. nothing else works.. as much as i dont like it I have to do it, in order for him not to be exhausted for school in the morning.

Take care
J.

Of course she doesn't want to go to bed - she's 3 and wants to be with mommy and daddy, and watch tv (that's fun!). When she throws a tantrum and screams it doesn't matter if you yell at her, scold her, discipline her, or give in and let her watch tv - she's gotten the attention (be it positive or negative) that she's seeking).

I like how a previous poster suggested establishing a regular routine (bath, pjs, story, then lights out). Put her in her room/bed and keep her there. Let her scream her brains out until she realizes Mommy and Daddy aren't going to play that game and it's bedtime for her (unless of course she's sick or in danger, etc.). You may feel like you're being an awful mother, but if she learns that you're going to jump to her whenever she screams just think how much worse it will get with future behavior as she gets older. Take turns with Daddy doing this too - demonstrates a united front. If you continue to have problems with the baby waking up because of this, switch off baby duties between Mom and Dad to lighten the load.

Breaking her of this habit may be hard, but in the long run you'll be teaching her routines and resiliency.

Hi. We have had VERY SEVERE sleep issues with my daughter. We recently tried giving her Melatonin....and within an hour she is ASKING to go to bed and sleeps all night for the first time in her life ! She is 4 1/2 ! THe Dr recommended it and there are no side effects.

Trust me I am not one to THROW a pill at things to make it convenient... we had major testing done to make sure there was no medical reason for her not sleeping. My health suffered severely for the first two years because of her.

Blessings.
M.

We just had a similar problem w/my 11 month old. It was the saem for us, in the evening we didn't want her crying cause she would wake up her older brother and sister. So I did the cry it out theory for her naps and then she just learned to go to sleep on her own at night. Does your daughter even still take naps? If not this could be a tough one. Plus the suggestion of a routine from the other mom is a good one too. I know I've had to take melatonin and it worked for me but I don't know anything about giving it to kids.

Good luck!

S.

First of all, I do not advocate giving your child medicine without trying absolutely everything else first. You need a routine and a backbone. Our kids get in the tub at about 6:45, at about 7:15 we get in bed. Pajamas get put on, story gets read (one per child, we have two)and then a three song cuddle for each child. Each of my children has a cd player and I lay in bed with them for the first three songs, that way they know when I am going to leave. I NEVER stay longer so they have learned not to argue. At first you will have temper tantrums but just keep putting the kid back to bed without saying anything and no eye contact. I had to start sitting at my sons bedroom door looking sideways and breating deeply. As soon as his feet hit the flor I put him back. It may take a while (like two weeks) but with a little patience you WIL create harmony at bedtime. Good Luck

I had made this suggestion another mom some time ago but it worked for me with my son and then with my step-son as well. Establish a quiet bedtime routine for her. For example my son used to take his bath and then got to pick out a short movie to watch or TV program then we went to his room and read a book while he laid in bed. Do this together you and your daughter or all...you, your hubby and daughter. You may have to get some soothing scents bath wash for her, and when you watch the movie make sure the lights are out or low.

Good Luck and you have to stick with it :)
H.

Before I can offer any advice on how to get your child to sleep, I would need a little bit more background. When does she get up in the morning? What activities does she participate in? Is she getting enough exercise to wear out the energy store that we all wish we could have? I have three children that I can draw experience off of, one my own, and the other two belong to my sister. Give me a little more info, and I might be able to offer a little help.

Ok P. S.

So my advice is based on experience, Dr. Phil, and Nanny 911...but I can't say I always follow my own advice!

Pick a weekend when you and your husband are both home and have nothing going on. Take shifts Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Little brother will just have to bear with it as well.

Either use the sitting approach where you sit in the room and move farther and farther away from their bed and out the door. Keep putting them in back in bed if they try to escape, but don't really acknowledge them or say a word.

We were not patient enough for that method so we put one of those door locks on the inside of his door and just let him scream. After waking up a few mornings with him asleep by the door, he finally figured out it's more comfy in his bed and we were not coming to get him.

It'll take about 2-3 nights and it isn't pretty. After a few weeks go by you'll realize what a huge change this has made in the sleep in your life and your 3-year old's.

Good Luck!

-J. G

Hi P.,

I had this problem with my daughter and I had to stop letting her take a nap in the afternoon. She was around three years old when it started and if she slept at all during the day she kept me up until about two or three in the morning. I know it sounds very young to do this but she had a lot of energy and she needed to burn it off to be able to sleep at night.

Good Luck!

Quiet time before bed is must( 15-20 minutes ). Story time usually help a great deal, she might not want a story time but her choice.

It won't happen in one day, it will take about a week for her to get used to it.

This is actually common in kids ages anywhere from 2-5. They think they are missing out on something by going to bed. We had to play a trick with our kids for a while until they got into the habbit of going to to sleep right away. We would turn off everything and get them down for bed. Read them a story or whatever her routine is. And then we would leave them in their room and keep everything in the house turned off until they were asleep. They thought mom and dad went to bed too. We also would play music in their rooms at bedtime until they went to sleep as well. A radio with a timer is great for this. And classical music is great at calming kids into sleep. She really just wants to be doing what she thinks you are doing, she thinks she will miss out on the fun. Hope this helps. It worked for us.

P.,
I also have a three year old who had the same issue. When it first started I came up with a few tricks. In the morning wake her up about 1/2 hour before she usually gets up(this means before she wakes up on her own). cut out sugar as much as possible. Buy sugar free cookies and candy and no pop at all. Eliminate naps. Give her a bath every night about 1/2 hour before bed time. This will relax her body and calm her.Then set a scheduled time for bed.The same time every night. Take her to her room and snuggle her in and give her hugs and kisses.Then tell her that it is time for bed and that you will leave a light on for her. Do not bribe beg or argue with her. You have to let her know that she has no other options and that you are the mom and she has to listen. If you get mad and frustrated she might get scared so stay calm.She might scream and kick and make noise that wakes up your other kid but she is doing that now. So if you put your foot down now and stick to it then she will be over it in a week and then everyone can get some sleep. Since she likes to stay up and watch t.v. then it might be soothing to her to put a cd player in her room with soft gentle music that way she has noise. Unfortuntly all this did not work for my for very long because I just found out this week that he has a sleeping disorder. Hope all works well for you.

I have the same problem, then she will get up in the middle of the night, and climb in bed with us. I know shutting the door works, and the routine as well. I have started to make a routine, and get her up early, and keep her busy all day long, helps out. I have daily activities, and take her outside (when the weather permits it) and play groups. keep us updated, but I would have to agree with the dicipline and routine method. I am a sucess story! Good Luck
Betsy

do as they do in the show super nany! put the child to bed and say your good nights. if they keep getting up just place the child in her room with out saying a word to her. yes it may be hard for a couple of days but you have to stick with it. she will go to bed! it really does work!

P.,

I'm so sorry you are struggling with this issue it can be so tough some times. After reading how your daughter reacts, it sounds EXACTLY like me when I was a child. I hated going to bed b/c I really wasn't tired and didn't require that much sleep. My parents allowed me to stay up a little longer than originally planned but when I would throw a tantrum, my dad would lay down on the floor next to me and do exactly what I did. I would look at him like he was crazy and it made me mad, and so then I'd go to bed. I know it sounds crazy but I was VERY strong willed so that was their solution. And stupid me, it worked every time =0) Don't know if that will help at all but there ya have it.
-Ash