I am the bedtime prisoner! This has to stop

[beachmom]

My 21 mth old dd is driving me insane-she is in a big girl bed and has been for about 2 mths+ and this is when the problems started-she used to go down awake, i could give a kiss and walk out! NO PROBLEM!!

Man do i miss those days! NOW it takes up to an hour to get her to settle-she does not cry, she is just so restless, flipping around and putting her feet in the air-she will get up and say hi mama, try to give me a hug....i just lay her right back down and this goes on & on, she wants to hold me hand. My dh was doing great for a while, it was only taking him about 10 min to get her to sleep-now it takes him the same as me.....this is crazy!!! I see the post below me about "get me out of the room"!!

I do not know where to start as her molars are coming in and this is surely making the separation worse!

I ahve tried to leave and come back....she just gets up and comes in the hall....i keep putting her back in bed over & over....should i just do this 130,000 times until she stops???

[ella&jack'smum]

Don't know if you want to hear this, but it sounds to me like she's a little young to make the transition to a big bed. Cots really do provide a feeling of security and familiarity and it may be she's still wanting that extra comfort. I know its not what you want to hear. And what with the molars aswell....poor both of you!

Hope things ease up soon

[rachelle]

my dd did that even in her crib.  Sometimes she takes 2 hours to go to sleep, but again she did that even in her crib with nothing in there.  BEing active, plus teething, can really do that!

We've had to put door-knob covers on her door so she can't come into the hall.  She doesn't have any toys in her room to play with, so I don't have much of a problem just leaving her in there.  She goes to sleep eventually. :wink:

[Stacie:Emma&Josh Mom]

I'm with Rachelle - what would happen if you left her in her room and she couldn't come out?  Such as by using doorknob covers or putting up a baby gate if she doesn't know how to climb over one.  We're going to put dd in a big girl bed in the next few months because the ped says she's getting too tall for the crib (could fall out or climb out if she tried I'm sure).  My plan is to keep her door shut (which we already do) and when she learns to open it (which she hasn't yet), then put on the doorknob covers.  Hoping that will work...  Sounds to me like she's just stalling really.  My dd tries to do this from time to time and she's still in the crib i.e. she wants to play peek a boo or read extra stories or whatever.  We just stick to our routine and into the crib she goes.  She too will talk herself to sleep or kick around in her crib so I'm guessing she'll do this in her big girl bed too.  It's just how she winds down.  I'd try to let her do it alone a few times and see how that goes.  You could even sit on the other side of the door reassuring her if you need to the first few times (if she's not used to having the door shut).  Let us know how you get on.

[beachmom]

Thanks for the tips-I think she is stalling too!!

She had never slept in the crib-she slept in the baby hammock which she dearly loved-if they would have made a bigger one-I would be buying it and have her in that forever!!!

BUT.....she got too big for the hammock and she realy loves her big girl bed and sleeps great and loves to play in it but just takes forever! I will try to go out tonigh and give you all an update!

Thanks!

[Dian]

Pia turned 2 in June and I recently started laying her down in her own room/bed at night.  I worked out a plan: (1) looooong warm bath (2) cup of warm milk (3) quiet room environment with cozy lighting (4) read her a bedtime story until she's looking relaxed (5) kiss goodnight & let her know it's time for sleeping, click off light & I'm out of her room.  First couple times she cried for maximum 3-4 mins but because she was tired and relaxed she went right to sleep.  She's only cried once for more than just a few mins after laying her down & I walked in, layed her right back down (cuz she was sitting on her lil' recliner crying), reminded her it was night time and time to sleep, walked out and she cried for just a minute more & down she went.

[beachmom]

Ok...I really need help now! It took me from 8 until 915 tonight and i lost it cuz i have PMS and started to cry and she heard me....I feel so trapped in their...I did the warm bath, kept her mellow and 3 books and she looked as if she would sleep, she was not even hyper like normal BUT she would keep opening her eyes.

I tried to leave the room, she then get up and trys to get out of her bed...I say back in bed, time for sleepy...this could go on forever! I am so tired of this. It seems that pu/pd would be so much easier now....but the problem is she is wide open and can get out!

Any other suggestions or game plan from you all would be great- PMS does  not help! :cry:

[rachelle]

I still just think that as long as she's not crying/screaming, find a way to keep her in her room!

[Estee]

hi  i know exactly how your feelin myy dd is 17 months and exactly the same i just cant leave the room last night it took a total of 2 hours for her tofall asllep, and i was stood on the landing but she just screamed and screamed till i went back in then she just plays and keeps trying to get out of her cot, it's as though she's shattered after bath but the minute her head hits the pilllow she is wide awake! Taya is in a bed now, i know she probably to young but she could climb over her cot and nearly bust her nose the last time so decided to change it to a bed about 2 week ago, but she's been like this for about 8 month now! sorry o advice but just thought i'd let u know your not on your own! keep us posted on how you get onx Estee 

[ella&jack'smum]

Okay - have you tried the disappearing chair routine. Basically you do your normal bedtime routine, and then when you say it's time for bed, instead of leaving the room you just sit in a chair, make no conversation or eye contact, but just sit there until they fall asleep.

We did this with DD fter DS arrived and in total it took a couple of weeks - just accept you're in for the long haul, but with us it worked a treat cos DD was always calm when we were in the room. Every night you move the chair a bit further towards the door, until you are sitting outside - for the last couple of nights my DH was round the corner, out of her eyesight reading the paper and having a beer!

A few nights she even said 'daddy, sit on the green chair now'. We've had to use it once since and it sorted the problem in three days.

May be worth a shot.

[Estee]

thanks for that will try it, but what do you do if they just seem not tired and want to play, i just pick Taya up and put her in bed but then she thinks its a game, i never give her any attention i just ignore her and put straight back to bed but she just jumps back up, im stuck on what to do next i end up getting mad and shouting at her, i know i shouldn't but it really frustrates me when ive been doing it for an hour! Estee

[beachmom]

Could it be that Grace just needs a later bedtime lke 830...she usually fals asleep around 9....she wakes in the morn at 8-830 and has a 1 hour nap at least.

Last night i started the bedtime routine at 730....still wide awake at 815...just got her up(which i never have done and i knwo it is bad!!) BUT she then went back to bed when my dh put her down at 9 and fell asleep right away no problem.......