Thank you.
Even us moderators have some issues outstanding, don't we??
When I soothe Hunter back to sleep, I try it for 20 min to a half an hour. I figure if it hasn't worked by then, it won't. We moved him to a toddler bed soon after he bagan walking as the fuss he made wasn't worth the effort of keeping him in the crib, also, he was starting to try to climb out. So all told, I'd say he's been in it from 13 months or so. When he wakes, there's no crying or anything. It's wake time and I want to play mode. He goes into the livingroom, and then comes and gets one of us as our door is open for this reason. He's also completely on the sippy cup, and in the last month and a half had started to refuse the night milk altogether. We instituted a "bed time snack" and he started to drink the milk again, though not the full 8oz ... sigh. He can go LOOOOOOOOOOOONG stretches witout food and milk, long being until 8 or 9 am, however, we have gotten into the habit of giving a sippy with milk as soon as he gets us up. I think I will start stretching it out again and see if that helps any.
I haven't tried the wake to sleep thing lately, because it didn't work as an infant. He sometimes wakes at midnight (habitual) to make sure that I am home, I am sure. Until this week I worked evenings, and would leave just as Hunter went down for his nap, and returned between 11:15 and 11:30pm. When he does wake, he wants me and not daddy, so this is why I figured that he's checking for me. When he does wake in the night, sometimes for long stretches, he does not sleep for any significantly longer period of time in the am. As I don't have the toddler book yet (next pay), how does the wake to sleep technique go for toddlers? I have gone to days, though I don't know for how long with the business I am in, and put him to bed myself. He woke me up at about 5:30 or 6am this morning. Don't get excited though, he's sick and I had given him cough syrup and tylonol before bed. I didn't hear from him all night, not even at midnight. Which reminds me. The last time he was sick, we were using medicines (decongestant) and he started waking due to being uncomfortable I think, more than anything else.
This evening I put him to bed at around 7:30 (well, he really fell asleep on the couch with my help
) when normally he goes to bed at 8, and am hoping for the best. As for going into his room at about 4 am, this is just impossible as this is when he is usually waking up as it is and would just promote the early waking .... or would it? Any other suggested times, even if I have to set my alarm? Also, sleeping in his room won't help. DH tried this, and Hunter ended up getting up and staying up when he saw daddy ... he's in here so it's time to play, right?
He's such a stubborn child now. SIGH. Thanks for letting me ramble. I hope to have an attack plan to report back to you. If the earlier bed time seems to help, I think I will start putting him to bed between 7:15 and 7:30 regularly.
Wish me luck, and thanks again.