Author Topic: Sleep problems with by 2 AND my 3 year old  (Read 983 times)

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Offline JordanMom

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Sleep problems with by 2 AND my 3 year old
« on: January 19, 2006, 02:31:34 am »
Help!!!!  I followed the Baby Whisperer's advice and actually had very good luck with my children (11 mos apart) when they were babies. They slept through the night at an early age and I could put them down with out them being all the way to sleep. 

 But they both have gone through similar problems at around age 2 1/2 and it hasn't stopped for either.  My son, 2 (almost 3) and my daughter 3 (almost 4) both need me to stay with them to help them fall asleep.  Honestly, since neither of them take naps anymore if it is just me and either child one-on-one it take about 10 minutes for my daughter and sometimes 10 minutes, sometimes 30 minutes (too long) for my son.  Both of their problems started when they both started getting out of their cribs and we then moved them to beds.  If I leave them before they are asleep, my daughter just cries and cries and comes out of the room and my son just comes out of the room repeatedly.  IF they are both doing it at the same time, it is impossible to follow a sane method.  If just one, they are both relentless - I tried to follow a pu/pd type of method for older children but stopped counting the number of times out of their rooms at number 30!  And the tough part about it is that my husband travels and works late so more often than not I am putting them to bed alone.  I do follow a nightly routine (dinner/bath/story).

Offline imsmum

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Sleep problems with by 2 AND my 3 year old
« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2006, 15:58:06 pm »
We had a similar problem with our now almost 5 year old who was also a very good sleeper.  when we moved into a new house when she was 2 my dh started lying down with her to help her fall asleep at night and it took us 1 year of off and on effort to stop this.  Difficult with 2!!  Maybe approach them one at a time.  Who's easier??  I would maybe try with the 4 year old just because they are supposed to have a greater sense of empathy than 3 year olds!  Would it help to say "mummy needs your help to show little brother it's ok to fall asleep on your own.  can you help me show him?"  My dd loves to be "big sister and mummy's helper" so that approach has worked well with us for different issues.   
My dd would also come into our bed in the middle of the night.  What eventually stopped this was picking a quiet time shortly before bed and explaining in a very straightforward but gentle tone that mummy couldn't keep walking up in the night because mummy needed her sleep otherwise she was grumpy and would be cranky to dd during the day.  When my dd made the connection between her nighttime behaviour and mine, it put a stop to things starting that night..  I think that they are getting to an age especially the older one that an explanation as to why this can' t go on can be understood.  If all else fails you could try the sticker/reward approach for a while--that usually works!

Offline elfin

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Sleep problems with by 2 AND my 3 year old
« Reply #2 on: January 19, 2006, 17:57:20 pm »
I agree with imsmum about being straightforward and explaining it to them.  My girlfriend had a similiar problem with her 4 year old, who needed her there to fall asleep.  So finally one day she talked to him and told him that it was time for him to fall asleep be himself.  She told him she would sit next to his bed for a couple nights, then stand in his dorrway for a couple nights, and then sit at the top of the stairs until he was asleep.  It worked wonders and he was falling asleep on his own within a week.
Carrie

Myles 12/06/03

elfin@thebabywhisperer.com