Hellobee Boards

Oh no! I went through this actually a few times since my son has been 2. He was a dream then starting begging for us and I was like oh crap, it's all over. I know this doesn't work for everyone and esp maybe not for your little guy, but we did have good success with CIO For him, he wasn't too hysterical. 15 mins one night, 10 then 5 mins and he was good from then on. At age 2 they have more understanding you're not abandoning them like maybe they do as infants with CIO! Good luck.

@gotkimchi: how is lo’s language? If you talk to him during the day about why he is upset at bedtime could he tell you? I would rather do some problem solving/discuission/positive reinforcement at that age because there is some more comprehension. (I am not a fan of CIO personally so that is not where my head goes).

I would set clear expectations and be ready to put in some work to reinforce in the short term. My DS is now 3 but he did want me to sit in the room for a while earlier. I just tried to do it shorter and shorter times. I would stay for like 2 minutes, tell him I had to go do something fast and I could only come back if he was quiet and in bed. Then come back fast, praise him, stay a few more minutes, leave again and spread out the intervals. He is pretty cooperative though. He knows I leave so I can make the lunches, do the dishes etc etc so we talk about that too.

Good luck!

I know this is probably going to be the least helpful thing for you to hear, but it honestly sounds like a phase that will pass. It might take a while, but it will pass. My daughter is 5, and when I think back on all the weird sleep issues we delt with over these years, I remember being really worried about them, but they all turned out to be phases. He could be going through a major development spurt right now, which makes it harder to stay asleep. He could be processing something new that he's learning that's making him anxious and thus the want for company. There's so much that happens for them developmentally that can rattle them. It's exhausting, I totally get it, but I think as much empathy and comfort you can give him right now, the better. I feel like things like this are rarely actual issues, but I totally understand how exhausting and frustrating it all is. Hang in there, I hope it passes soon.

@gotkimchi: I'd avoid sitting with him as he falls alseep, if at all possible. We did this with my now 6 year old and the problem is that when they wake and you are no longer there, they get upset. We got to the point where we were laying with him for 2+ years until he fell asleep and that turned into him coming to our bed and crawling in. We just recently kicked that habit. My husband and I vowed that if our daughter starts giving us trouble with falling asleep (she's only 1 right now), we will not start down that path again of sitting/laying in the room until she falls asleep. It creates terrible habits. I'd try to just keep up the normal routine as much as possible and hope the phase will pass soon.

@gotkimchi: has he had any changes to his diet in thr past few days?

My daughter went through spells of that kind of nighttime waking around when she turned two. It stinks! Looking back, I think it was a phase that she just grew out of, but we did get her some light up turtle toy that projects stars and plays lullabies to keep in her crib for reassurance when she woke up in the middle of the night after a week or two of interrupted sleep (desperate times!). At the time, it felt like a lifesaver because she took to it almost immediately - and stopped calling me. Now, a year and a half later...we still have that darn turtle and I hear it turn on all through the night. I’m convinced it now keeps her awake rather than puts her back to sleep. But at the time when we gave it to her, it felt like the best thing ever!

@gotkimchi: My son would absolutely do the same- visits and check ins soothe him but really rile him up an he'd scream as soon as we put him down, so they were detrimental to sleep. Can you maybe just not check in? How long do you think he'd cry?

@gotkimchi: my DD did the same thing around that age. I was really frustrated and not sure how to handle. In the end I just decided that since I knew she knew how to go to sleep well normally, this must just be something she was going though and she must need me. So I usually stayed by her bed until she fell asleep or I just couldn’t take it anymore (tried to balance), and in the end it was just a short phase. Maybe 2 weeks. She would do it off and on again throughout year 2-3. Currently at age 3 I’m dealing with her getting out of bed 5-6 times before falling asleep with every excuse under the sun. I try to supernanny that sh*t and avoid talking too much. Just lead her back to bed. But also she wants a million hugs and kisses and how can I say no!? Ugh parenting! Not sure I’ve actually given any good advice here lol. Hang in there mama.