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Night Night Troubles

Emily watching The Big Comfy Couch! This is her favorite show! Emily's former room and crib. Doesn't look too comfortable does it?
Emily's new room and big girl bed. Very comfortable with all the pillows and comforter and space to move around.
Emily after eating Mac and Cheese for lunch. She HATES to have her face cleaned off. Everything is "I DO IT!" This is her face after she cleaned it. She is chewing a Nerd in the picture. It is funny to her her chant," I WANT NERDS, I WANT NERDS!!!"
We are having night night troubles. We may be on Super Nanny soon. We moved Emily to her big girl bed over a week ago. I made a big deal about it and told her that Princesses sleep in big girl beds and told her that she MUST stay in the bed. Most every night she comes in our room in the middle of the night and just stands by our bed. She does not make a sound. We just sense her presence. Steve used to do the same to his parents when he was little. I take her back and put her in her bed and she wants me to lay with her. She says,"Mama Lay." I stay with her till she goes to sleep and then I move in slow motion off her bed and out of her room. I hope this is not going to be a terrible habit. I pray all the time that she will sleep through the night. I welcome any suggestions on keeping toddlers in their beds.

Comments

Kelly said…
Obviously I have no suggestions for you ........but this did make me laugh really really loud.
In fact I'm still laughing thinking about her standing by your bed and you "just sense her presence". ha! ha!
I'll send people over to your blog tonight and see if they have any suggestions for you.
Michele said…
Um, duct tape?

I don't know - our girls are like little jack in the boxes at night too. They get up "because they can". Eventually the newness wears off and they start sleeping again - here is hoping that eventually is sooner than later!
Hillary said…
Super Nanny...HA!!!! And I really like the "I WANT NERDS!" She's a funny girl! Just like her mom! I have no suggestions for you. One of these nights she'll be too tired to move. Lets just hope it happens before she 14.
kinsey said…
i don't have kids yet, so i don't know from personal experience...but i have heard of setting an alarm and telling them that they can't get out of bed until they hear it go off. not sure how old she is so don't know if that is above her head or not. just an idea!
Heather said…
Laurie,

I was sent over from Kelly's blog. I only have one child, and he will be eleven in August. So, it's been a long time since I've had a toddler. And, goodness knows, we did not do everything perfectly! But, I can think of two things we tried. First, you want her to be as comfortable as possible in her bed. So, you might make sure she has some of her favorite stuffed animals or something with her. Also, positive reinforcement never hurts. You can let her earn stars on a calendar for each night she stays in her bed. She could earn a special treat (maybe Nerds!) after she earns so many stars. But, ultimately, it's like everything else. Eventually, it will just happen. It just takes time. So, just some suggestions for what they are worth. Good luck!
Shelly said…
How funny that you mentioned "Super Nanny". When I was reading Kelly's post I was thinking about the nanny. She says to go through the night night routine then silently put them back in bed each time they get up. My sister did it and it worked wonderfully...after a few nights!
Good luck!
Laura said…
I agree with just put them back in bed. Don't really talk with her. Just put her back. This might take 5 times in one night. Just do your best to out last her and win!

We also had a sleeping pallet on our floor. It was just a warm blanket and maybe a pillow. We would not let the kids sleep in our bed, but if they insisted on sleeping in our room it was on the floor. That usually won't last long. It's hard and kind of cold down there.

This can be such a nightmare - especially with a new baby coming. The biggest thing is consistency. Good luck!
Shannon said…
I love that Emily has her sunglasses on her head while she's watching her show! Too cute!!!
Stephanie Kay said…
Here from Kelly's. My kids are 4.5, 3, 18 months (and 8 weeks prego). My boys have moved to twin beds at 2 years and 18 months. So I have some experience and will do all this again in a few months. = )

1. Install a baby gate on her door. You do NOT want her wandering through the house while you are asleep. The gate will keep her in her room (and safe) and you'll be able to hear her cry if she really wants you.

2. Figure out why she's getting out of bed. Does she want to play when she comes to your room? Is she having a hard time going back to sleep? Does she have a wet diaper? Is she just being disobedient and getting out of bed? Or is she afraid in that big space alone? Figuring out the answer to these questions will help you find the right solution.

3. As soon as you realize she's out of bed, put her back. No lights. No drinks. No talking. It's sleep time.

Based on your picture and description I'm betting she's entering a light sleep stage, waking up, and can't put herself back to sleep because she is afraid. She's used to a cozy and safe (small) crib. A full size bed is a HUGE space for a tiny girl. You really don't want to be her sleep prop. Try a bright nightlight to help any fear of the dark she has and maybe even think about a twin or toddler bed (see if you can borrow one for a few months). A smaller bed may not feel so scary.

I hope this helps. Feel free to email me.
Leigh Ann said…
I think they just go through stages. Sleeping patterns at our house have always changed periodically. I'm sure she'll be sleeping all night soon. It's just hard when your sleep is getting interrupted. Maybe she is putting you into training for when Sara Kate gets here! Making sure you can still do those early morning feedings! :)
Wendy said…
We use a door knob cover on the inside of my daughter's bedroom door. She learned pretty quickly that getting out of bed wasn't an option. Also, this helped us not have to worry about her getting up in the middle of the night and falling down the stairs. I know it can be hard. Hope that helps! :)
Melissa Stover said…
let me just tell you what we did and maybe it will work for you: our 2 year old slept in our bed when our baby was born. i bought her a big girl bed. i talked it up, made it fun and then it fizzled when every night she ended up climbing in our bed in the middle of the night. by the time the baby was born and i was losing sleep at night i no longer cared where she slept as long as she was sleeping.
good luck!
Rachel said…
We have just finished going through the big change to the big girl bed, and the only thing that we tried that isn't listed here was to place the mattress and box spring directly on the ground (although it sounds like she has no problem getting out of bed).

For us, we tried the switch before our new baby came, and it didn't go so well. But after the baby was here for 2 months, the switch came pretty easily. Maybe it took having the baby home to realize that someone else needed the crib? It worked fine for me, because we kept the new baby in a bassinet for the first few weeks.
Cynthia said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
The Proctors said…
Hey Laurie! I saw that you commented on my blog once before! I check your blog out too because I've heard so much about you through Julie! Emily is precious! Congrats on your second...it really is so much fun having two! Ok...here is what we did with Landon to make him stay in his big boy bed. We put a gate on the door just so he didn't get up and wander around the house in the middle of the night. When it was time to go night-night, at first...he would obviously get out of bed and cry at the gate. We just kept putting him back in bed without saying anything to him. The first few nights were hard but he eventually caught on and would go right to sleep. If he got up in the middle of the night, we would do the same thing. We still used a monitor just so I could tell when he was up. After a week or so, I never heard him but I could tell he had gotten up in the middle of the night because his door would be open. I guess he learned that he just needed to get back in bed. He really does so well. There was a period of time a couple of months ago that he started getting up again and he's learned how to climb over the gate so he comes into our bedroom. We just put him back until he stays there. It was so hard for me not to want to lay down with him, but someone told me that if I started that, I would be doing that forever! I hope this helps!
A said…
Laurie,

I dont know you...just stumbled across your cry for help via Kelly's blog (dont know her either...but read her blog everyday.) Anyway, we too have an almost 2 year old and a baby due any day...and we had to "free up" the crib for the new baby...leading us to move our son to a "big boy bed". So here is what we did (dont know if it is "right" but it has worked for us...for now.)

Our son would NOT sleep in the twin bed that we got him...he would cry, scream, and bolt out of it at any chance. So my husband had him help take apart his crib (so he could see that there wasnt a crib anymore) and then we simply put the crib mattress in the floor in his room. The first couple nights were less than awesome, as Kade got up and came out of his room numerous times. However, every time, we simply led him back to the mattress and said it was bedtime. We NEVER lay with him...as I am afraid this will become a clutch for him. Finally he would fall asleep either on the mattress or in the middle of his floor, by the door.

Then he would usually get up in the middle of the night and come into our room...or walk down the hall. Again, we would simply lead him back to his room, saying it was bedtime. However after a few nights of me catching Kade walking down the hall...we decided to put a baby gate on the outside of his door. He can open the door, he just cant get out of his room until my husband or I come to take the gate away. THIS has been what we think is the key. He now will sometimes get up, open the door, only to find that the gate is up...and he will close the door and go back to bed. It has become a great visual for him to "see" when it is okay to get up and when it is bedtime.

Maybe this isnt the best solution...but it is working for us. It has also given us back a few minutes in the morning...as Kade is a very earlier riser...but cant come out until we remove the gate (giving me time to get a shower and get dressed before getting him up and going for the day.)

I blogged about all of this on our family blog...check it out if you are interested...I think we started about a month ago..so you will have to look back into the older blogs.

catonsblog.blogspot.com

Happy Bedtime!!!
Adriene Caton
Candy said…
Laurie,
Hi! I think it will just take time for Emily to get used to her new bed. I can say that we layed down with our oldest until he fell asleep and he just turned 6 and we just FINALLY stopped. So, it does turn into a habit. With my youngest, I started letting her go to sleep on her own when she was 10 months old and it is so nice! She has not grown out of her crib yet though and we don't need it again, so I'm dreading the big switch to a big girl bed! I noticed a lot of people recommended a gate at her door. I have a friend who is a pediatrician and that is what she did for her 2 year old. I always feel better getting advice from her. :) Otherwise, I used to think that sounded kind of cruel. I think whatever you try will just take time. Good luck! I know this is not easy. Let us know how it goes and what works. :)
Hi, I came over via Kelly's blog. You've had tons of great suggestions already (which I plan to bookmark); however, when does she take her afternoon (?) nap, if any? You may have to shorten her nap or put her to bed a little later, so she is "dead to the world." I just let my 16-month-old work off all of her extra energy, and she usually sleeps very soundly. If she can sleep through the night and wake up in her new bed, she will probably feel more secure sleeping there.
Sara Campbell said…
Hey LD!I have read everyone's comments and my comment would not fit with what has been suggested so maybe I should call you. :) My firstborn was afraid to get out of bed so it was never an issue. My secondborn wasn't afraid at all, but just needed a little training. #3 just needed to meet Daddy in the hallway a few times. I will say this, getting in bed with her is only prolonging the problem. She will certainly expect it from you and you won't be able to do that once you have another punkin to take care of and feed at night, etc. Hope you figure out a solution! Talk to you later, S
Cheryl said…
Hi Laurie,

I was expecting Erica only 22 months after Ali was born. So moving her to a toddler bed was a must for me too. I bought one of those circular safety handle covers for the inside of her bedroom door, so she could not get out of the room if she wanted to. I made sure that her room was completely safe. At night we would read a story and then put her to bed. If she got out of bed, she could not go anywhere and there were a few times we found her asleep on the floor, but that was okay, she was still in her room, safe, while we were still sleeping. I highly recommend not staying in there with her. I had a neighbor who was still having sleep issues with her 7 year old(she was still sleeping with them) because boundries around bedtime were not put in place initially. Anyway, just wanted to share my thoughts with you. Hope it works out for you soon!
B said…
I linked over from Kelly. I am so dreading this. I am expecting baby numero 2 in november, and my daughter will be just a month past 2 then, and I'm hoping to have her transitioned to a big girl bed by then. I'm scared. lol. Good Luck and I am interested to see what works!

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