toddler sleep halp

[thebuddhagouda]

Stinker figured out how to climb out of the crib last week. It caught us totally off guard since he's only two weeks out from his second birthday.

We've spent a hellacious week battling with him, but he is FINALLY going down at night in the toddler bed with no problems. We put him down and hear no sounds. (Nap time is a different story, but I digress)

The big problem now is that he's waking up earlier and earlier in the morning, and since he can get out of bed we can't just settle him back down and go back to sleep ourselves. He was up at 4:00 this morning. We put him back in bed, and he was quiet until 5:00, but then he was up every ten minutes until MH finally got up with him at 5:45 while I jumped in the shower.

We're all exhausted. I don't know how to communicate to him that it's not time to get up, and if he just lays back in bed he will fall back asleep.

Any wise words? He stays home with MH on Thursdays, and I just got a text that he fell asleep on the couch at 8:15. I'm so tired I can barely see straight.

[cleo29]

I would get him a regular bed. We switched C before she was two and it went really well. She had been waking up a lot and started sleeping much better. My friend had the same experience.

Something we do now with C is we will let her in our bed for a few minutes and then take her back to her bed. Or sometimes I have crawled in bed with her to comfort her.

Also, I have just learned that kids, like adults, go through their own sleep patterns and sometimes you just have to push through it. But, if he is getting out, I would really just get rid of the crib and get a bed and put up safety rails.

[momnteach]

We've had issues too since moving to a toddler bed. We've just given in and let him crawl in bed with us. It's not the best solution but H and I are okay with it so it works for us for now although it does seem like he's coming to our bed earlier and earlier. I've heard about using those clocks that change color when it's time to get up. I've contemplated getting one of those. I look forward to reading other suggestions because eventually I would like to get the kid out of our bed!

[thebuddhagouda]

Sorry, I should have clarified. We did switch him to a toddler bed. His crib converted to a daybed without having to buy another piece, so we just did that the next morning. If he's going to get out anyway, I'd rather him not be falling and injuring himself.

[Deleted]

We went thru this exact same thing when we moved to a toddler bed. We made the mistake of letting out LO just sleep in our bed when he got up. Then he was in our bed every night! We had to start just walking him right back to bed, minimum contact and talking, tuck him in and walk right out.

This worked sometimes, other tunes it did not and I would have to read him books, etc.. One day it just got better.

We also got him some blackout curtains which helped immensely. Some of my friends got the clock that changes from a bed to a sun when it is time to get up and that helped them.

Good luck, it does get better but you will have some sleepless nights for awhile.

[partiallysunny]

Jun 21, 2012 8:36:50 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

Take him to buy an alarm clock that he likes. Set it for 6am or whatever time you want, and let him know that when the alarm goes off, that means he can go find you; until then, he has to either stay in bed or play quietly in his room if he can't sleep.

Edit: My kid isn't that old yet, so this isn't from experience. I just think it's a great idea.