Toddler Sleep Habits

I think it's more of a comfort or security issue. I was a single parent for a long time and my little girl was always with me in the bed. But if it's not that have you read any books regarding this issue. Have you ever watched super nanny and the tricks she uses for the kids that aren't sleeping. I always put some sort of whit noise in my sons room, since day one. He is almost 4 and i still put christinam music or something mellow on for him and it helps make him sleep well. Buy a cd that's for kids and is regarding sleepy time. I am a stay at home mom w/ a 14 yr old and a 4 yr old and i am 34 if you want to talk you can e-mail me ____@____.com or call me ###-###-#### home ###-###-#### cell A.

Maybe he is ready for a big boy bed... get a toddler bed or just a twin or full size bed without the frame so it is low to the ground, completely child-proof his room and put up a gate so that he can not get out of his room and wander at night. We did this with my son when he was 15 mos... we gave him a sippy cup and told him he can get his own water if he wants but that he needs to stay in his room until the AM. He slept sooo much better in a regular bed. We have a monitor in the room with the receiver in our room. Good luck!

Hi B. I also have a little one that will be 18months and he could not fall asleep unless he was pulling my hair. Since I have 2 more little ones 4 and 3 years we bought them bunk beds full on the bottom and twin at top. So my oldest sleeps at top and the smaller ones at the bottom. He sleeps a little bit better sometimes cries and I wake up and lay with him until he falls asleep but I usually am getting a little bit more of sleep. Maybe a bed next to yours might work or laying with him until he falls asleep. That's how mine got used to sleeping alone. At one point all of the kids were sleeping in my bed and I said no more. They cried for a couple of days but got used to it. Well I hope this might help. Good luck.

Hi! I am a firm believer in the cry it out method! Being a single mom and being in the Navy was very draining. When he refused to sleep through the night it was TERRIBLE! Finally after many tearful phone calls to my mother, she convinced me to let him cry it out..no time limit..until he stopped. She reassured me that she had never heard of a child crying himself to death. So, the first time, I had to turn the TV up so that I could not hear him, the cries were so piercing after the first 10min or so (about how long he cried before I was getting him up in the middle of the night)that I though maybe he had his arm stuck or SOMETHING! Nope, he was just a mess! So after 2 1/2 hours of screaming..sweating..cracking voice..he fell asleep. He woke up again (slept for a much longer interval this time) and screamed...quite a bit. I thought he may be genuinly thirsty so I gave him 3oz of water and closed the door. He was quiet long enough to finish the water; trouble is it wasn't long enough to fall asleep. Sooo...he screamed for what seemed like forever but when he was out, he was out until I woke him up in the am. The next night was a little better...I only gave him 2oz of water when he got up..screamed some more..out like a light. I widdled it down to not giving him a bottle at all..until he finally just didn't wake up anymore. He finally got the hint that no matter how long he screams he's there until his room is bright again!! So if he wakes up he has learned to adjust himself, cover up when he's cold and just soothe himself. Going down at night is still hit or miss depending on how tired he is but the fits don't last more than 5min. Soooooo...best thing I can say is go to the opposite end of the house if you can't handle letting him scream. If you don't he will continue in the same pattern because that's his routine. You are the parent, you decide the routine...don't ever forget that. We give up enough as single moms, I refuse to give up my what little bit of sanity I have left...I'm fighting for that one!

Does he still sleep in a crib? If so, I would just let him cry it out. He would eventually get the hint that you are not coming in to get him. He has gotten used to you going to him and comforting him. He hasn't learned how to self soothe or to fall back to sleep on his own once he has waken up. I would also forbid him sleeping in the bed with you. I have had the same problem with my 2 year old. Ever since we have brought our son home from the hospital, she has been coming into our room every night to sleep with us. We just have to put her back in her bed, sometimes 2 or 3 times in a night. It might take a few nights of putting him back into bed for him to get the hint, but it will be worth it in the long run.

I am a stay at home mom with 3 boys. (8,5and 4 mos.) My husband is in the Navy and is gone a lot more than he is home. So i am more like a single mom but my husband comes home when he can. We have lived out here for 5 years.