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So I've had a good bedtime routine going that my husband sort of sabotaged. At 9:30 I turn off the TV, computer, music, any electronics. at 10 I give her a cup of expressed milk and turn off half the lights. at 10:30 we go through the routine (brush teeth, tuck in, books, prayers, lights off and I'll sing a few songs while pacing her room with Eli). And it doesn't work. She runs out of bed no matter how many times I put her back until DH gets home at 11:30, then she runs to him and he'll walk her to sleep.
I'm usually really grateful for the break, but he's going back on full-time hours today, so he won't get home until 2AM. As things are, by the time 11:30 rolls around I'm sore and frustrated and angry. So how do I get her to stay in her toddler bed and fall asleep (at least eventually)?
Out of curiousity, what time does she wake up for the day in the morning?
I am wondering if there's an overtired factor going on. DS gets miserable if he is in bed later than 8pm. He sleeps about 8-7 (when we are not dealing with issues) and takes a 1.5 hour nap. The average 2.5 year old needs about 13-14 hours of sleep. And they say that sleep begets sleep (I totally have seen this!). So I she is getting less than 12 hours or so, I would try to start that routine earlier and see if you see a different outcome. You might be surprised.
Awww, she just wants to wait up to see her daddy. Mine does it too whenever my DH works late.
Maybe you can get a pillow or stuffed animal and screen print a photo of the two of them together and tell her she won't see daddy tonight, but she can hug this pillow and he'll feel her hugs all the way at work.
I would be very very frustrated as well. How long has it been going on? She might have a hard time breaking the routine of waiting for daddy if it has been happening for a long time.
I agree with Ashlee to try putting her to bed earlier. I am not really sure what else to suggest!
Out of curiousity, what time does she wake up for the day in the morning?
I am wondering if there's an overtired factor going on. DS gets miserable if he is in bed later than 8pm. He sleeps about 8-7 (when we are not dealing with issues) and takes a 1.5 hour nap. The average 2.5 year old needs about 13-14 hours of sleep. And they say that sleep begets sleep (I totally have seen this!). So I she is getting less than 12 hours or so, I would try to start that routine earlier and see if you see a different outcome. You might be surprised.
We already moved it earlier last week (used to start the routine at 11), but I'll have to try that. She woke up at 9 today, but usually it's 7 or 8, she's also up a lot at night. I have DH deal with her so I can take care of Eli, and he tells me she's sometimes up for hours.
Her naps are definitely good, and she'll take an extra one if she gets up too early.
DH thinks she might be getting a second wind around 11 too, so another 30 minute bump might be just what she needs.
Awww, she just wants to wait up to see her daddy. Mine does it too whenever my DH works late.
Maybe you can get a pillow or stuffed animal and screen print a photo of the two of them together and tell her she won't see daddy tonight, but she can hug this pillow and he'll feel her hugs all the way at work.
She's a huge daddy's girl, I should try something of that ilk, even if it didn't help her sleep she'd love it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by joonzgurl
I would be very very frustrated as well. How long has it been going on? She might have a hard time breaking the routine of waiting for daddy if it has been happening for a long time.
I agree with Ashlee to try putting her to bed earlier. I am not really sure what else to suggest!
It hasn't been going on very long, but about a month ago her bedtime was at 11:30, so he'd be home before I'd even dream of putting the kids to bed, especially since it's crazy hard to put them both to bed at once. So he's been helping at night for a few months now, while he's on part-time hours.
Out of curiousity, what time does she wake up for the day in the morning?
I am wondering if there's an overtired factor going on. DS gets miserable if he is in bed later than 8pm. He sleeps about 8-7 (when we are not dealing with issues) and takes a 1.5 hour nap. The average 2.5 year old needs about 13-14 hours of sleep. And they say that sleep begets sleep (I totally have seen this!). So I she is getting less than 12 hours or so, I would try to start that routine earlier and see if you see a different outcome. You might be surprised.
Juliana sleeps between 10 and 10.5 hours at night and her nap is about an hour and 45 minutes, plus or minutes 15 minutes, so I figure she's getting about 12 total hours. total 13-14 hours of sleep would be a dream come true! I try to get her to sleep by 8:30 pm but it's usually closer to 9 pm. She wakes up around 7 am but once in a rare while will sleep in until 7:30 am. And she's not yet 2.
I would LOVE if I could get her to sleep more but I'm not really sure how. I could try hard to get her to sleep earlier but we pretty much eat dinner at 6:30 when DH gets home, have bath at 7, then start the rest of the bedtime routine at 7:30 and it takes over an hour for her to get PJs on, have a snack, read books, brush teeth, nurse for 10 minutes, clean her teeth again, and then fall asleep. If I wanted to try to get her down earlier we'd have to eat without DH and even then I'm not sure if it would work. (OP - sorry to steal your thread to talk about my own issue).
So I've had a good bedtime routine going that my husband sort of sabotaged. At 9:30 I turn off the TV, computer, music, any electronics. at 10 I give her a cup of expressed milk and turn off half the lights. at 10:30 we go through the routine (brush teeth, tuck in, books, prayers, lights off and I'll sing a few songs while pacing her room with Eli). And it doesn't work. She runs out of bed no matter how many times I put her back until DH gets home at 11:30, then she runs to him and he'll walk her to sleep.
I'm usually really grateful for the break, but he's going back on full-time hours today, so he won't get home until 2AM. As things are, by the time 11:30 rolls around I'm sore and frustrated and angry. So how do I get her to stay in her toddler bed and fall asleep (at least eventually)?
All advice appreciated! TIA
I have gone through something similar, only Juliana sleeps in a side-car crib so that I physically blocked her from getting out of the crib with my body acting as the third rail, or I brought her onto my chest to go to sleep together. This wouldn't work well if she was being very physical and fighting me, but she doesn't. Could you do something like that?
Juliana is younger than your LO and I was really surprised at how well explaining things over and over seemed to work with night weaning. I constantly repeat the step we are on in the bedtime routine and what comes night (for example, we're going to read 2 more books, the brush your teeth, then have milk, then lay down and go to sleep). I think in your case you should warn her that daddy won't be home in time to walk her around. Otherwise she may be holding out her energy to see daddy, whereas if she knows he's not coming, she might give up easier.
I have gone through something similar, only Juliana sleeps in a side-car crib so that I physically blocked her from getting out of the crib with my body acting as the third rail, or I brought her onto my chest to go to sleep together. This wouldn't work well if she was being very physical and fighting me, but she doesn't. Could you do something like that?
Juliana is younger than your LO and I was really surprised at how well explaining things over and over seemed to work with night weaning. I constantly repeat the step we are on in the bedtime routine and what comes night (for example, we're going to read 2 more books, the brush your teeth, then have milk, then lay down and go to sleep). I think in your case you should warn her that daddy won't be home in time to walk her around. Otherwise she may be holding out her energy to see daddy, whereas if she knows he's not coming, she might give up easier.
That's not much, but all I can think of.
I tried physically blocking her, but she got hysterical. So I only ever do it when she's endangering herself, I can't even hold her when she's crying, it's only okay when Daddy does, even when he's not home.
I already explain things to Eliana, but I think I'll really focus on it tonight, and see if there's any change. Something might click.
You ladies are awesome
Also, feel free to hijack my thread, conversation doesn't tend to stay about one thing
Have you tried blackout curtains to get her to sleep a little later?
I'm with the earlier bedtime too! DS goes down between 8 and 9:30 pm (with it being more towards 9-9:30 *sigh*) and I've had quite a few people with older toddlers say that THIS is too late for any kids to be going to bed. Most parents IRL I've talked to have their kids down around 7-7:30pm. That would be a bit stressful to me to aim for that early, but I am hoping that DS settles to more of an 8-8:30pm bedtime now that we're finally settled in a house again.
I don't even bother trying to get Aiden's sleep arranged around DH's work schedule. Some weeks DH works 8-8, other weeks it's 10pm to 10am. It varies way too much! When DH is home he does the final part of Aiden's night routine, but if he's not home I do it and end with one of those recordable books that DH did. It helps!
Have you tried blackout curtains to get her to sleep a little later?
No, but I probably should, especially in summer when the sun comes up at 5 am! I have noticed a difference when I am careful to keep the curtains tightly shut vs. when I forget and leave them open a bit.
Have you tried blackout curtains to get her to sleep a little later?
I think Aiden needs something like that! lol. His window faces east and even with the blinds closed tightly, it gets rather bright in there. He's waking up grumpy and I bet with some more coverings he'd probably sleep another 30 minutes to an hour in the morning which we all know can make a huge difference! Though I'm worried about hanging curtains since DS like pulling on curtains and once got a whole rod to fall down (it was a cheap light weight one). We might go ghetto and try paper over his window.
I think Aiden needs something like that! lol. His window faces east and even with the blinds closed tightly, it gets rather bright in there. He's waking up grumpy and I bet with some more coverings he'd probably sleep another 30 minutes to an hour in the morning which we all know can make a huge difference! Though I'm worried about hanging curtains since DS like pulling on curtains and once got a whole rod to fall down (it was a cheap light weight one). We might go ghetto and try paper over his window.
We just got a dark coloured bedsheet and tacked it over the window. It isn't pretty, but it serves its purpose. If you tack all four sides it'd be pretty hard to pull down
That does sound incredibly late for a toddler. Mine gets really wired when she's overtired and it takes forever for her to get to sleep. We used to have a window of about 20 minutes to catch her tired signs, and if we missed it, we were looking at at least 2 hours of up time.
I'd move bedtime earlier incrementally until it was something more appropriate for a toddler. For example in 20-minute intervals until 8:30 or 9.
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That does sound incredibly late for a toddler. Mine gets really wired when she's overtired and it takes forever for her to get to sleep. We used to have a window of about 20 minutes to catch her tired signs, and if we missed it, we were looking at at least 2 hours of up time.
I'd move bedtime earlier incrementally until it was something more appropriate for a toddler. For example in 20-minute intervals until 8:30 or 9.
I've tried to keep her schedule a little bit late so it could be a little more in line with my husband's, and before I gave her a bedtime and a routine she was staying up until 3AM every night (thank God that's over with).
But since it's just killing everyone we'll have to just enjoy the weekends we have together
As a small update, I tried bumping her bedtime earlier, but I still couldn't get her down until 11:30 and she got less than 8 hours of sleep. She did sleep through the night, so that's good. Hopefully things will improve if I just keep at it.
i would start winding her down MUCH earlier. Turn off all electronics and start the bed time routine MUCH earlier. DD does not go to sleep until 9:30 generally, but we start the routine around 7:30/8 with shutting down the tv, bath, snack, books, etc. Just really getting her to wind down in preparation for bed time. DD has never been much of a sleeper, and sleeps on average 9:30-7 and naps 1-1.5 hours. We were at the playground yesterday for almost 3 hours and she was overtired and was asleep by 8:30.
i would start winding her down MUCH earlier. Turn off all electronics and start the bed time routine MUCH earlier. DD does not go to sleep until 9:30 generally, but we start the routine around 7:30/8 with shutting down the tv, bath, snack, books, etc. Just really getting her to wind down in preparation for bed time. DD has never been much of a sleeper, and sleeps on average 9:30-7 and naps 1-1.5 hours. We were at the playground yesterday for almost 3 hours and she was overtired and was asleep by 8:30.
I'm thinking earlier. I started the routine as soon as she showed signs of being tired, at 9. I'll maybe start it earlier to see if it improves things at all.
I'm a little worried that her bedtime routine revs her up, she gets crazy excited about getting to brush her teeth
At least she likes to brush! I do think that consistency is key and starting a little earlier rather than later will help. If you can move bedtime forward by 10 minutes per day, in a week she'll be going to be over an hour earlier! Good luck. Whenever I made a change in the past it seemed to be hard only the first 3 days and then the new routine stuck.
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