success story - keeping 2.5 yo in room until time to get up

[Aly Mac]

well i've been doing similar for my 3.5yr old except the opposite. i've told her when the night light is off, it's time to get up. so now, she will yell out to me again (took me ages to get her to get out of her bed and come to me), telling me the light is still on and hence she isn't alowed out of bed......  'mummy, we know how to turn the light off'.  clever little thing... so i'm having to think  of something different.

[my3girlsjde]

I finally had some luck the past few days with the timer on the lamp. I'm normally in there to settle one of them, and dh is sick so I've been sleeping on the spare bed so when they wake early, I've been telling them to put their teddy back to sleep and he needs a cuddle and/or back rub to go to sleep. Not sure if this is going to continue working but they pass out or at least stay quiet enough that I go to sleep until the light comes on and I make a HUGE deal (if they're both awake when it comes on) that it's morning and they give each other morning hugs.

[nona]

aleesa - when we were having sleep issues this past summer - remember?  (Ds started climbing out of crib, constantly needing us to get him back to sleep, MISERABLE!),  we initiated the sleep rules/chart. so we have a picture chart with each step of the going to bed process - bath, brush teeth, PJs, read 3 books, water, tuck-in, etc, etc  - the last one is Go to sleep, stay in bed all night. anyway, we went over them and over them. so when he'd wake in the middle of the night, we'd say "remember the sleep rules. stay in bed until morning."  we were extremely consistent and it worked and we don't talk about them as much now - routine is the same - but every once in a while we wants to review the sleep chart.  for the most part, kids like structure and like to know what is going to happen next.

so this worked very well for us. his preschool teacher recommended (they use a chart at school). after that was working, then we started using the Tot Clock w/ the colors and he stays in bed until the clock is yellow. i think i mentioned this but it is also good for time outs (red light) and being good (green light). there is a naptime light w/ timer, etc.

[Aly Mac]

thanks Heather.  I've just started a sticker chart for her washing and doing her hair, as she will get  a 'cranky crane' when she is good for a week.

I think the rules is good. esp the rule where she stays in bed when mummy leaves!!!!! that's the part that is hardest for her. ok with dad, but for me, i end up sitting with her until asleep. an hour most days,,, blah!!! somedays i wish we still had the cot. at least she couldnt' get out!!

[nona]

ok that sounds miserable!

our schedule kinda evolves. now we do a 5 min snuggle in his bed (and my 5 min is pretty short!!!) and talk about his day. that's it. i guess it just depends how much it bothers you and if you mind staying with her for that long.

[anna*]

Aleesa, when we moved to a big boy bed, once he had figured out he could get out of it, we had to put a gate up at his bedroom door. He doesn't bother getting out of his bed now unless something's wrong (he's sick or lost his lovey) or until his 'sunshine' (day/night clock) comes on.

[nona]

when we were having major sleep issues (tons of NWs this past summer), we had to put 2 gates - yes, 2 one on top of the other - b/c my non-climber could scale the gate in the middle of the night. the gates we had were see through so we could still go to the door and he could see us and vice versa but this worked really well. when we'd wake in the middle of the night, wanting another tuck-in (at 3am, mind you, etc), we'd  go to the gates and say "remember the sleep rules. you've already had your 2 tuck-ins". that is pretty much all we'd say, he'd be upset for a while (20 min) and we'd keep checking and say remember the sleep rules. it is time for sleep", etc. eventually we'd just say "time for bed" and he'd crawl back in bed &  go to sleep. he was only upset like the first 2 times and then it was like for less than a minute and kept getting less and less. after like 3 nights, he was STTN again. why we didn't do this sooner i dunno but thankfully my DH took the first 2 shifts over the weekend.

anyway, i don't think your situation is that bad aleesa! but i have a very long post about our sleep issues for anyone else desperate (or bored) and wants to read it. my DS was a great sleeper previously - and now we have no problems whatsoever and NO gates either but he waits for his clock to turn yellow and then comes downstairs and snuggles in my bed w/ me in the morning for like 10 min before wanting breakfast!  (b/c i am REALLY lazy).