3.3 year old dd resisting bedtime again...

[rayasunshine]

This dd of mine has dropped her nap, although at times you can tell she really needs it.  She has always been a 10-11 hour sleeper and generally sleeps through the night.  If she ever naps it can't be more than 10 mins or else it messes up her bedtime- trust me many people have asked what's the point of 10 mins but for her she is refreshed and able to carry on.  If we try to put her down earlier she ends up just coming out of her room and we walk her back to her bed until it's about 9pm and then miraculously she'll fall asleep.  Right now she tends to have a 13.5 hour day, which I know is long without a nap.  We have been using a reward chart and that works sometimes, we have threatened to take her stuffies away from her but nothing seems to keep her in her room.  Oh and sometimes she opens her door, stares at us while she's in mid song and sings while we walk her back!? So how do I deal with her coming out of her bed? Her day looks like this:
730am- wake up, morning routine (eat, change, etc.)
845am- at daycare
1pm- relax time for about 15 mins
6pm- dinner, 715pm- bath, 745- snack/low key activity, 830- brush teeth/story, in bed hopefully by 9
Any thoughts would be helpful...we are going to try to have her in bed by 830 tomorrow to see what happens...Thanks!

[Lolly]

Have you tried doing a 7pm bedtime? I know with my two if I leave bedtime too late then they get a second wind and won't settle until way too late. It would take a few days of a new routine at least for her to get used to it, but if she's not napping, a 13.5 hour days is really long.

Laura

[Roseii]

I agree with Laura on the earlier bedtime. My DD is exactly the same, if I allow any more than 10 mins sleep, or after a certain time, bedtime is a disaster
Could you try a kindof walk in/walk out thing where you say "you may look at your books for 5 mins" etc and say you're coming back. Also have you tried a gro-clock? Ours has worked wonders for keeping DD in bed. Even when she's messing around and won't sleep, she still actually stays in her bed!! We have this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/GroCompany-HJ008-Gro-Clock-Sleep-Trainer/dp/B002APJCNE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315905872&sr=8-1

[rayasunshine]

Hello lovely ladies,

Thank you for your responses, at least I don't feel like I've got the craziest little girl in the world.  We are definitely going to try an earlier bedtime but I don't think we can do 7pm- that would be very difficult.  I think I could go for 8-830pm because at least that gives me a couple of hours with her.

I checked out the gro clock and that's a great idea too so I will look further into that out here.  I just don't want bedtime to be so frustrating and I don't want to get mad at her for not staying in bed but I do understand that she's probably getting her second wind hence why it takes her so long to calm down and fall asleep. 

Will try an earlier bedtime tonight and see what happens.  Thanks again!

[Sarah72]

At 3.5 ds gets up at 7am but is asleep by 7pm at the very latest as he is exhausted. We have really extended the wind down period which is actually great because we get sone quality time together, so we read for about 15 minutes (3 books) and then have a lovely cuddle. So perhaps you can bring bedtime earlier but use the wind down as part of the time you have with her? Iykwim.

[rayasunshine]

Hello everyone,

So last night went way better we had her in bed by 830pm and she only came out 2X and was asleep by 845pm.  Woke up around 730am and was very cooperative in the morning and in a great mood! Yeah! So definitely going to try for even a few minutes earlier and have her wind down routine start at 8pm'sh.  Thank you for the wonderful suggestions! Will keep you updated...

[Lolly]

That's great! I hope you have another good night!

Laura