my 28 month old son gets out of his crib and comes in our room at 4-5am and wants to play. what worked for you?
Maybe he needs less sleep. Maybe try puting him to bed a bit later in the evening. Perhaps he will sleep later in the morning. Good luck!
My son did this for months! It really drove us crazy! What we usually did was give him something to drink, change his diaper if necessary, and throw him back in bed (usually with his drink - he wouldn't go back in the bed without a fight unless he had his drink). When he was younger, he would cry when he put him back in, and we'd usually just let him cry it out for a bit, but as he got older, he didn't cry anymore. Sometimes he still wakes up in the middle of the night (he's 3 years, 3 months), but a cup of water then back in bed still does the trick.
Hang in there! It's really tough, but I think he'll grow out of it in time.
J.
We actually have a baby gate in front of our daughter's door. It was originally to keep the cat from pawing at it while she slept but it also helps to keep her in her room. There isn't anything in there that can hurt her, a few plush toys and her bed. If she's ever up that early (she had been recently because of a cold) I simply let her get up and get her something simple to eat, a banana or a piece of toast then I let her watch tv for 30 mins then it's a diaper change (medication) and back to bed. No if's and's or buts.
I hope this helps.
I would always let my kids cry it out once I realized it was a bad habit they were forming. At first, I would take in a sippy cup of milk and let her have a drink, then I would tell her to lie down and go back to sleep and leave the room. If she cried, I would let her cry herself back to sleep.
Try shortening the naps. Extend final bedtime back by 15 minutes to half an hour and see if that won't help. He obviously isn't tired anymore and is ready for the day to start! I have a friend who put a gate across her child's doorway and they weren't allowed to come out of their rooms until she opened the gate. This could cause problems with bathroom use so I don't care much for the idea myself.
My son just learned to climb out of the crib so we dropped it to a toddler bed and he can get out any time he wants. With that comes little foot steps at 4am. He gets up, singe Bah Bah Black Sheep, reads books and goes back to bed. We shut his door so we don't have to worry about him getting out, some people use a gate. It's baby-proofed so we don't have to worry about him hurting himself or anything.
I was just reading about this in Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Dr. Weissbluth says to just pick up the child and return him to bed, no matter how many times it takes. Do not speak, do not engage, do not make eye contact. It might take a few nights, but eventually he'll get that he's not going to receive any reaction from you and he'll learn to settle back down.
This morning, our son came in at 5:55 am. I did just that, picked him up and without a word, brought him back to bed. Normally, I try to explain that it's still nighttime, he needs to stay in his own bed, etc. He normally wakes up for good around 6:30 am. This morning he slept until 7:40!
Good luck!
If it were me.. I'd be quiet, do not make eye contact.Just pick him up put him back into his crib and shut the door. If he throws a fit, and he probably will. Just let him work it out. If he gets up again, repeat. Don't engage him. It is boring if you don't interact with him. The idea is that perhaps he'll get bored that no one will play and go back to sleep.
Make sure he is getting enough to eat before bed. I realize toddlers will be toddlers and it is feast or famine with them. It may be that his blood sugar is dropping and that is waking him earlier than normal. Maybe a bedtime snack and some milk might help through this time. Just a thought. Best wishes to you.
When my son tried to pull that, it was still dark out, so I told him it was night time, and we don't get up to play until it is morning and light out. That worked for him.
R.
Hi sarah, i just bought the book healthy sleep habits happpy child by mark weisbluth and it is wonderful! It has sugestion idea's for all type of sleep issues. My daughter decided that she wanted to be held when she was sleeping once she turned a year old. I bought the book about a week ago and we are in the process of a new routine now. seems to be working good. good luck to you! be patient it will pass i promise. I have a 3 year old son and a 1 year old daughter and there were nights i wasn't sure i was ever going to get sleep. good luck
A crib tent worked wonders for us!! We plan to move our son to a big boy bed when he's around three (He's two today!!) and we plan on keeping his in his crib with the tent until then. It fits over the standard crib easily and looks like one of those dome things people put over picnic food in the summer.
I read that book already recommended--Happy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child--and it was fantastic. He suggested that kids stay in their crib until at least 3 years old or they are getting out by themselves and might hurt themselves. Before three, they are too curious and don't want to stay in their beds.
Our daughter was getting out, so we bought a crib tent. It was the best investment we ever made. It zips up and completely contains her safely. There are no holes for her to get stuck in or hurt in, and she absolutely cannot open it herself. She likes it because she thinks it's cool to sleep in a tent. And we can let her cry it out on those nights when she wakes up OR we can give her books and let her read. She's at the point where she is starting not to need a nap, and that makes her wake up during the night sometimes.
Good luck with this. Sleep issues are some of the hardest parts about parenting, in my opinion. That book is a wonderful one, very scientific and backed up by years of reasearch and practice. The second half is the best part, so if you get it and get bogged down in the first half, just skip it and get to the good part!
