Toddler won’t sleep for me.
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: Toddler Times
Forum Description: Is bubs growing up and getting into everything? How do you train them to use the potty? When do you start feeding solids? Share your tips and advice here!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=38598
Printed Date: 18 August 2025 at 8:00pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Toddler won’t sleep for me.
Posted By: SquishysMum
Subject: Toddler won’t sleep for me.
Date Posted: 31 March 2011 at 1:35pm
|
JUST different enough from SMS's thread to need a new one!
DD is 25 months old, and for the last 2 weeks will not settle for me at bed time, day or night. We have a consistent bedtime 'routine' (dinner, play/bath, pj's, story, bed) and have done forever. But now she just gets straight back out, crying "Mummy, Mummy" with those heart-wrenching sobs... It started a while ago with coming out of her room, eventually I put a flannel in the door to stop her opening it. This worked great, she couldn't get out and just went back to bed. Now, there's tantrums every bed-time. If she wakes up in the night and sees me, it's all over. She was awake from 11.30pm-1.30am on Sunday night, and again last night. I go in, quick cuddle , lie her down, the first 2 times I will tell her it is bedtime and she needs to stay in bed, after that I don't say anything. I leave her a bit between as well, don't go running in as soon as she gets out of bed, it's just a huge game. Now here's the kicker - she doesn't do any of this for DH!!! If he puts her to bed, she stays there, no fuss. Day, night, midnight, doesn't matter, and no towel in the door. But if she so much as SEES me, it's all over! Rather heard when DH is working some seriously long hours at the moment (ie she slept at 1.30am because he came home and put her back to bed). He has been sleeping in the spare room so he will wake as soon as she comes out, and get her back to bed before she gets to me, just so I can get some sleep! He responds the same way I do, cuddle and back to bed. I am losing patience in quite a serious way, and I don't know what to do with her. I'm sure it's just a stage, but I KNOW she needs more sleep than she's getting! It's just not practical to have DH coming home to put her to bed every time, tempting though it is!!! Whoa, novel! Had to get it out, I think! Any advice VERY welcome! |
Replies:
Posted By: _SMS_
Date Posted: 31 March 2011 at 1:39pm
Oh no  I have also been through this. DD was the same age too  Toddlers they are heaps of fun! Not lol.
Everynight still DP has to put DD down for the night. I for some reason he isnt here then i have to sit with her until she falls asleep. To me the screaming just isnt worth it and she still doesnt go to sleep.
During the day i think it lasted about one month. Id have to sit with her until she fell asleep. The way i got this to stop was id slowly move closer to the door each day until i finally could stay at the door and sneak out with her still being awake. If she moved id just pop my head in and say lay down. etc. It seemed to work because she does now go down for naps fine. We just have 20 minutes of story time & singing in bed first  -------------  
|
Posted By: missyb
Date Posted: 01 April 2011 at 9:51am
|
OMG we are going through the EXACT same thing at the moment with DS who is also 2years 2mths!!! And had popped on here to ask for advice about it too.
Our problems started about 6 weeks ago, initally just with me at naptime and then bedtime, but in the last 10days or so he has started acting up with DH too (thankfully-i think DH thought I was making it up initally). There are no issues at daycare either, the little tiek there takes himself off to bed!! Monkey I have tried everything that i can think of to remedy the situation, but have ended up just letting him scream it out as it is usually over and done with a lot quicker than me staying in the room with him. I hate doing it this way, but me staying in his room just ends up with him chatting away to me for ages (up to an hour) where as the screaming he is asleep with in 20min. I am trying to find a cause for it, and the only thing I can come up with is that I am 32 weeks preggie so maybe he is having some little panic attack about that. OR that he is getting his 2 year molars. Although if it was teeth he wouldn't have been fine for DH or daycare. Sorry I can't offer any advice but I can defiantely offer sympathy!! 
|
Posted By: missyb
Date Posted: 01 April 2011 at 9:52am
|
OOOHHH Have just seen your preggie aswell and 26 weeks. It was about 25ish weeks that J started playing up for me too!!
Maybe it is the "pop" of the belly about then that unsettles them!! |
Posted By: _SMS_
Date Posted: 01 April 2011 at 11:19am
or maybe its because we are all pregnant and determined to have good sleepers before our babies arrive that we are all making a mess of it  -------------
|
Posted By: SquishysMum
Date Posted: 01 April 2011 at 12:21pm
OMG, I am SO incredibly pleased to see I'm not the only one!!!!! As much as it sucks for you guys too, it's nice to know it's a stage (not just my horrible child  ).
We had success last night leaving her door open a crack, I told her if she came out I would shut it. She stayed in her bed, took an hour or so of playing, then she fell asleep. Woke up at 3am, sadly can't be wandering around in the night so she knows I'm there! Am trying that again right now, have had to shut the door once already. Also good to know the DH dealing with it is only temporary, I'll have to think of something for the middle of the night wake-ups! Re- the screaming it out, I have done that too, it takes her well over an hour of screaming, doesn't get less the next time either! Wish I could put it on teeth, she got the last one several weeks ago. Sigh, 2 year olds! |
Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 02 April 2011 at 1:45pm
|
Same here, My nearly 3 year old goes down well for his dad, but not me! He goes on the toilet with no complaints for his dad but not for me(he always wants to use the potty and I'm trying to get him to use the loo now - hes fully TT'd now).
I think its just that they try and test us as we are the ones with them all day/the most, where as with the dads they don't usually see them as much...I dunno, its a pain and I haven't found a way to stop it yet, other than for me to just be really firm with him ------------- |
Posted By: sarasal
Date Posted: 02 April 2011 at 4:27pm
|
My son also sleeps better for his dad. We co-sleep and he's still breastfeeding and until recently, still wanting to nurse all night. He would get so upset if I said no to him, but his dad would get him out of bed, take him to the toilet, and say 'you can go back to bed if you promise to stop asking for boob'. Unbelievably, this worked and now he's sleeping fine.
We cut out daytime naps around his 2nd birthday as he'd want to stay up til 11pm, and that made bedtime so much easier as he'd be tired by 7.30. If I was you, I wouldn't shut her in her room as I imagine that could make her quite fearful and make things worse. My son is just starting to develop fears of the dark and having nightmares so I think it's important to be gentle with them at this age. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
|