https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 13 Apr 2026 01:13:05 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2253838 Tue, 04 Aug 2015 06:35:23 +0000 SeptMomma12 2253838@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@78h2o: Hahaha. She looks pretty comfy at least! Did she sleep there all night? So DH saw that I was going to lose my mind if I didn't get a good night sleep so I actually slept downstairs in the guest room, which was amazing. But DS did pretty well. DH had to sit with him for 5 mins to get him to fall asleep but then he only woke up once which is a huge improvement. Peed and then went back to sleep (after DH sat with him). So we gotta work on the needing us to sit with him but at least everyone got some sleep last night! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2253719 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 22:19:00 +0000 78h2o 2253719@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SeptMomma12: well, I got her to sleep at 9:45 tonight. That's an improvement. However, this is how I found her after I came back from cleaning up downstairs...</p> <p>How did your son do?</p> <p>[attach=2480/15/nsjfvo.450x600.image.jpg] </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2253415 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 15:17:48 +0000 charlotte 2253415@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO will be 2.5 in Sept. We converted the crib to a bed two months ago. It was great for about two weeks and then he too got progressively worse about getting out over 20 times at bedtime &amp; again middle of the night &amp; again at 5am. </p> <p>It got soooo bad that we just converted it back to a crib this weekend. He was very upset the first night and it was hard for me to let him cry it out because we also never needed any sleep training and I didn't want him to just feel abandoned and give up hope on us coming to help him after 2 years of happy bedtime! Soooo I laid with him for about 30 minutes and then said "I have to go to sleep in my room now (cue fuss). If you lay your head down and rest I will come and check on you in a little while). And then he fell asleep and I never needed to come back and bedtime is peaceful again. Going back to a crib is probably not an option for you at this point but maybe use the gate and tellhim you will come back and check on him if he lays quietly for a few minutes? </p> <p>All of this said, since I'm in nearly the same boat I am no expert and will be reading all the advice closely. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2253381 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 14:54:55 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 2253381@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SeptMomma12: HAHA well..... DD used to say that, too, some mornings. I honestly think she sleep walks some nights ... but that's another story. </p> <p>We just had the pictures out and let her pick which one. Then we cut it up and explained that she had to stay in bed the whole night, or she didn't get to do it. We did start out doing it two nights before giving a reward, and then moved it to 4 nights. </p> <p>I feel like she was more motivated because she got to pick what the prize was. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2253328 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 14:25:04 +0000 SeptMomma12 2253328@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@78h2o: Ugh yes, sounds like we're in the same spot, including the baby. I also go back to work at the end of the month and have no idea how I'm going to function. I hope the reward hart works better for you guys - hasn't done a thing for us :crying: Thank God my baby is at least sleeping well! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2253326 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 14:22:52 +0000 SeptMomma12 2253326@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@BabyBoecksMom: How did you explain it? I really like that idea but I feel like maybe he's not understanding the whole "stay in bed and get a reward" thing. I have a big box of matchbox cars on the counter that he's been dying to get into and every morning, after being up all night, he says "I get a car because I slept good." Um no you didn't! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2253285 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 13:58:32 +0000 78h2o 2253285@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm browsing printable reward charts and what I think I'm going to do is find or make one that has pictures of each activity in her bedtime routine, including going to sleep and staying in bed. We have not been 100% strict about her routine (because I'm been experimenting to see if ipad, bath, etc. helps her settle or makes things worse), so I think a chart would help me. I'll just have to pick a routine and go with it for awhile. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2253266 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 13:41:59 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 2253266@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SeptMomma12: We bribed her.... We let her pick out an (cheap) activity we could do on the weekend (get ice cream, go to the jumpy house place, splash pad, etc). I then picked out a picture of that activity and cut it into 4 pieces. For each night that she stayed in her bed, she got a piece of the picture the following morning. So, after the 4th night, we did the activity she picked. It really made a difference, and after only a week or two, she stopped coming in our room. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2253261 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 13:36:42 +0000 78h2o 2253261@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SeptMomma12: I am having the exact same struggle with my daughter who is 2yrs 8m. Her sleep has been getting worse and worse, but it's been particularly bad since about a week or two before her baby sister was born in late May. Fortunately my daughter is not waking up every night (and when she does, I just have to stay with her for a few minutes until she falls back to sleep), but nothing I am trying is getting her to bed at a reasonable time. Last night her bedtime routine started at 7:30 and she finally fell asleep at 11:30. I am going back to work in 3 weeks and this NEEDS to improve!!!!! She is whiny and not herself. </p> <p>Some of our problem might have been due to her sleeping in since I have been on maternity leave. I try to get her up at the same time, but sometimes it is hard when she's gone to bed late the night before and I am tired and want to sleep in too! I've really been forcing myself to get up though lately. We also went on vacation to the west coast for 10 days (we live on the East), so she also had some jet lag for awhile... that may be still in play... I know I am going to bed later as well. </p> <p>She also naps for 2.5 hrs at school (they all do), though she doesn't consistently nap at home. When she skips a nap at home, she sometimes goes to bed a little earlier, but sometimes she is overtired and has a more difficult time.</p> <p>I think she is just naturally a night owl and a high energy kid, so that is part of it. Then I'm sure the change with the baby had a lot to do with it. She loves her sister and never acts jealous, but she acts clingy to me sometimes and won't allow anyone except for me to do things for (e.g., buckle her into her carseat, change her diaper, dress her). I swear, she says, "I want Mommy to do it" 50x per day.</p> <p>On occasion, I've found watching a show with her on the ipad, in her bed, works to calm her down. But then it doesn't work the next day! It also sometimes works for me to respond to requests for me to lay down with her by saying, "Sure, I am going to go put your sister to bed and then I'll come back and lay with you, as long as I see your eyes are closed." Some days she will fall asleep before I get back. A few times it has worked for me to lay down on the floor next to her and hold her hand until she falls asleep. The trouble I'm finding is that what works one day, doesn't work the next. I've tried gating her in the room and ignoring her requests until she fell asleep totally on her own (she did so happily, for the most part, but not until midnight); I've tried locking her in - she cried it out and fell asleep, but it took like 45 min and I hated every minute of it (but then it didn't work the next day - I gave up after like an hour). </p> <p>I just bought the Sleep Fairy book and one other one (The Girl Who Got Out of Bed). Books and tv programs do sometimes work for her on other subjects, so I think that's worth a try. I'm going now to look for a tv episode about sleep...</p> <p>I've tried offering rewards for sleep and it worked once, but didn't work the other times I tried. I haven't tried a chart though, so I'm off to make one now. </p> <p>I'm going to try to squeeze in some vigorous play before dinner to see if I can do a better job of wearing her out.</p> <p>Sorry I am not much help, but I TOTALLY feel your pain!!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2253219 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 13:10:46 +0000 SeptMomma12 2253219@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: Thank you! Yeah, I think the gradual approach is probably best for us. I feel for him with how much change he's had in his life lately.</p> <p>Book is a great idea! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2253006 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 09:42:09 +0000 mrbee 2253006@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SeptMomma12: We didn't do checks, but he responded very quickly to the lock!</p> <p><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2012/07/17/how-to-avoid-sleeping-next-to-your-child-until-they-fall-asleep/" rel="nofollow">http://www.hellobee.com/2012/07/17/how-to-avoid-sleeping-next-to-your-child-until-they-fall-asleep/</a></p> <p>In your case, it seems like he has some anxiety... so I would sleep on the floor with him for a few days, like that parenting.com article suggested. Then I'd do the transition to the chair, to the doorway, etc.!</p> <p>Do you have books on toddlers sleeping through the night? If not, it might be worthwhile to write a quick story with him in it! About how he woke up in the middle of the night, but then went back to sleep because he was a big boy and knew that his parents loved him very much, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2252998 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 09:37:35 +0000 SeptMomma12 2252998@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: Did you do checks with the lock or just let him scream? When we tried letting him scream at the gate, he went nuts. Put on a baseball hat, grabbed his sneakers and his bookbag - was heartbreaking. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2252980 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 09:17:58 +0000 NovBaby1112 2252980@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know you said you don't want to bring him to your bed, but I'm a big believer in whatever works at the moment to get everyone sleep. My LO is the same way in her own bed, we finally gave up and let her sleep with us, and we are all much happier and rested. She sleeps all night long in our bed and we all get sleep. I figure she will want to sleep on her own eventually! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2252977 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 09:15:53 +0000 SleepyMonkey 2252977@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Probably not a popular idea but maybe you can sleep in his room. Is there enough room? That way you would both get sleep. Just because you cosleep for a period of time doesn't mean its permanent. We did it with my daughter for a few months when she was around 2 and then we did the sleep lady shuffle as mentioned above and that worked well. And now she sleeps thru the night again. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2252960 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 09:04:16 +0000 mrbee 2252960@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SeptMomma12: The sleep lady shuffle that @hilsy85: mentioned really does work! This is a good writeup of a similar approach:</p> <p><a href="http://www.parenting.com/article/how-to-get-your-kid-to-sleep-in-her-own-bed" rel="nofollow">http://www.parenting.com/article/how-to-get-your-kid-to-sleep-in-her-own-bed</a></p> <p>I like the idea of a Sleep Fairy!! That might work with my kids.</p> <p>We did the lock on the door for my son and that worked. He pretty quickly figured out how to self-soothe and slept through the night on his own again. Gotta do something similar with my daughter now! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2252952 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 08:57:56 +0000 looch 2252952@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SeptMomma12: I would ask your daycare if they could move him to another room during naptime. I would think that this could absolutely be accomodated...unless they've already told you it's not possible. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2252949 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 08:54:41 +0000 SeptMomma12 2252949@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: Yes, he has his blankies he holds in his hands all night. With the baby gate, we did check on him and simply said "It's bedtime, you need to go to sleep. Goodnight." He just stayed hysterical the entire time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2252945 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 08:47:20 +0000 mrbee 2252945@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sounds so hard, sorry!!! Two quick questions:</p> <p>Does he have a lovey or stuffed animal, that can help him get back down to sleep?</p> <p>Also, how did the 3 hours of baby gate go... did you do checks, or was he by himself for 3 hours? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2252944 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 08:47:14 +0000 SeptMomma12 2252944@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: Not at home on weekends, but yes at day care. Unfortunately we don't have a choice with that. And it's turned into a vicious cycle because he's overtired from not sleeping at night so he passes out at nap time and she said they've been having trouble waking him up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2252941 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 08:46:08 +0000 SeptMomma12 2252941@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: That's actually what we've been trying to do for bedtime, but I don't know what to do about the middle of the night wakeups. That's how I've ended up on his floor all night. I sit with him til he's asleep, but within minutes of me leaving the room he's back up. We've also got a reward chart up in his room and have even shown him the cars he gets if he sleeps on his own, but it hasn't worked yet. Just lots of tantrums in the morning because he wants a sticker and a car :crying: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2252938 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 08:40:33 +0000 looch 2252938@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Is he still napping? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2252936 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 08:39:21 +0000 hilsy85 2252936@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What if you did the sleep lady shuffle, where you sit with him and gradually move farther away until you're out of the room after several nights? Or a reward chart for staying in bed all night? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-almost-3-year-old-wont-sleep#post-2252934 Mon, 03 Aug 2015 08:37:28 +0000 SeptMomma12 2252934@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sorry for the long, rambling post, but I'm operating on no sleep...</p> <p>DS will be 3 in September and has always been an awesome sleeper, basically since he was born. We never had to do any kind of sleep training because he just went to sleep and slept through the night. (Yes, I know that's very, very lucky, and rare.) Until a few weeks ago and now we're making up for 3 years of sleep deprivation all at once. :crying: As in I literally haven't slept a minute in 3 nights. </p> <p>DD was born in May, and he seemed to adjust really well. Then July 4 weekend we potty trained and moved him to a toddler bed, both of which he did great with. Almost immediately he started waking up once or twice a night to use the potty, which we are fine with - he's been dry every night since we started potty training. </p> <p>Then suddenly about 2 weeks ago he started fighting bed time. Comes out of his room over and over again, for up to 3 hours. We've tried marching him back to his room repeatedly, we've tried a baby gate (which resulted in 3 hours of screaming when we finally gave up), but the only way he will go to sleep now is if one of us sits next to his bed. Not a huge deal at bedtime since he falls asleep pretty fast but this has quickly morphed into waking up ALL NIGHT LONG and refusing to go back to sleep unless someone sits by his bed. He literally says "Can you watch me go to sleep?" And the minute I leave, he's awake again.</p> <p>I'm at a complete loss for what to do at this point. I feel horrible that he's had so much change in his life the last few months, but I also need sleep. And so does he. Day care actually called last week to ask if everything was okay at home because she said he's cranky and falling asleep at the breakfast table. Not to mention I've also got an 11 week old I'm nursing, and I go back to work in a few weeks. Feel like I'm about to lose my mind.</p> <p>Anyone? Any advice? I don't really WANT to lock him in his room and just make him cry it out, but he also needs to sleep again. I'm also afraid to bring him in our bed that we'll never get him out of there. </p>