big girl bed.. but keeps getting up to play! HELP

[Izzy-B's mommy]

We put Isabella in a big girl bed!  and she loves it!  All we hear is.. "I love my big girl bed!"  But, before naps & bedtime she keeps getting up and playing.  At first we didn't mind b/c she'd only play for a short bit and go to bed.  But, now (after a month) she's playing for longer and longer periods.  Too the point that she's missing her naps all together!  and night time.. It's 9:30 and she's been at it since 8pm.

What we are doing is, each time she gets out of bed we're going in and telling her "it's night time, it's time for bed, we stay in bed at night"  by the 4th time, we're just going in, not saying a word,and putting her back in bed.   now.. after the 20th time going in, we're getting stern about it.   (annoyed more like it) 

She has NO toys left in her room.  her dresser, & book shelf are turned backwards, even her rug is out of the room.   

I don't know what to do now.   I know letting her see us getting upset isn't good!  I need a plan of action though.. please... someone help!   

[kim&savannah]

I wish I had an answer, but we're kind of going through the same thing and have taken similar measures (her room has a few books in it, but that's it.)  Savannah can play for an hour or two with her blankets on her bed, singing to herself, etc. . .  She's missed her nap on many occasions in the last 3 weeks and when she does go to sleep, its always at least 45 min. later, often more like 2 hours, so even if I get her down at 1 p.m., she ends up napping from about 3 to 4:30 (the latest I let her sleep).  Nights are then pushed back a little, and she still usually plays, even when she's yawning like crazy when we put her to bed.  At least at night I don't worry about her not falling asleep since she does eventually, often faster than at naptime.

The only good thing is that she's been sleeping in later many mornings too--instead of 8/8:30-6:30/7:00, she's sleeping more like 9:30-8:00 some mornings.  But not always and she's been way overtired many days--we've had so much more whining and crying lately.  Of course, a lot of this might also be because we moved a month ago.

Anyway, I'd just keep up with it.  I don't know if you've tried not going in--we don't always depending on the noises coming from her room, we just let her be and she seems to fall asleep as fast or faster when we do it that way.  If nothing else, it might help you not get so frustrated--I know how annoyed I get when I'm actually in the room with her trying to get her to lay down.  At least if I leave I can go do something else.

~Kim

[Florencia]

If she's not upset, don't come into the room. The standard advice is to redirect her to her bed every time she jumps out, the first time you explain is time to sleep and the following times you just take her to her bed with no words or eye contact other than I love you bye bye or somehting like that.

If it is causing you too much stress, leave her be. She will catch up on lost sleep once the novelty of the bed has passed. On days she misses her nap, try a super early bedtime to help her catch up, but keep offering the nap and let her stay in her room for about an hour or more if she'll take it so at least she has quiet time.

Try a longer wind down so she has plenty of time to relax and maybe she'll go to sleep easier with it.

Another thing that could work is a reward system. She's too young but little girls seem to get it sooner than boys. If she goes to sleep easily for her nap or bedtime you give her a sticker to place it in a chart or a marble in a can. Once she reaches 5-7-10 (you choose) marbles/stickers, she can get something special.

HTH and good luck!

[esthere]

Just wanted to give you a big hug, have no advice as we have put  off the big bed until we move in two weeks, 

[kim&savannah]

bubbasmama~I don't know if you are planning on moving and going straight into a big bed (and I know you didn't ask for  advice, so I apologize if you don't want to hear this, but I read your post here and had to jump in ).

Having just done the move to a new place and big bed at once, I would strongly discourage it.  It's been a bit of a nightmare for us and I don't know if the transition to a big bed would have been easier if we'd waited, but I certainly think the transition to a new house would have been!

Just wanted to throw that out there.  Good luck with the move!

~Kim

[esthere]

No offence taken !!
We have a cot-bed so I will make it again in the cot-bed stage before taking it down to a junior bed before Christmas, We have even gone and bought the same winnie the pooh decorations and paint etc, and I am taking everything with us, even stuff he is no longer playing with.
I am so nervous because I have had no sleep problems yet .........

Sorry Izzy-bs Mommy if took over the post 

[mari]

I think that you might have to practise walk in walk out.  I am really worried about moving Alex to a big girl bed, she is nearly ready and only have limited success with walk in walk out this week so I am putting ot off for a while until we get her to at least sleep through.  She is climbing out of the cot though but we have got one of those mesh things that go over the bed coming from the US at the end of the month so we will keep her in her cot for a while I think.
DS was so good, I didn't know I was born!

[Izzy-B's mommy]

Bubbasmama..   you didn't steal my post     we're all here to help each other one way or another! 
and.. it was nice to hear from you... i'll send you a pm to see how all is going with the move and how Isabella is doing with her potty training ...


I like the sound of the walk in walk out ..  I guess I was pretty much doing that, only.. I was doing way to much talking and allowing her to upset me.  (i'm use to a good sleeper..  i depend on it LOL  )

So, tonight.. that's what I'm doing.   Right now actually.. I'll let you know how it all goes.  Thanks alot! 

I'd like to resolve this sooner than later b/c I have all her toys and some little furniture all in my hall outside her door..  it's a little cramped 

[mari]

Walkin Walkiout took almost a week for me but I have almost cracked it, she goes to sleep now but woke last night although I think that her teeth are playing up again.  Stick at it, the benefits are enormous!!!

[tylersmommy]

The novelty will wear off. I promise. Tyler did that for awhile too, and still does from time to time, but we let it go. If he wants to play in his room, that's his choice. He will fall asleep when his body is tired and we just try and trust that.

2 is a wacky age for sleep, even with a crib. Tyler has been known to go for weeks without needing much sleep then suddenly catch up for a few weeks. Honestly, I think your best bet is to leave her be. Keep her nap/bed routine consistent, move it earlier if need be, but don't draw attention to the behavior by going in there if she gets out of bed. As long as she's in her room and not crying, I'd let her go. It will pass!

[mari]

2 is a wacky age for sleep, even with a crib

Please don't tell me there is worse to come!!