Saturday, January 5, 2008

Sleeping Woes.....again

I am calling for help...yet once again. Your advice for all the sleeping routine and potty training tricks helped much last time so i ask once again. (although i decided to for-go the potty training ordeals until he get a bit older).
Here is the deal. My 2 year old STILL isn't sleeping through the night. We got him on a nice routine and he goes to bed without too much hussle or bussle...BUT THEN....2am rolls around and he is up, crying, stumbling into our bedroom. The only way he goes back to sleep is to have one of us lay with him (in his own bed...as he is NOT allowed in our bed ever anymore...ever) until he falls back asleep. Sometimes 1 hour,2 and even 3 hours it can last! "i need a drink of water, i need lotion, i need my blanket on me" he wimpers. RIDICULOUS! Once he hears us get up from his bed and try to sneak away, he flips out..literally! How do we get him to go back to sleep on his own without one of us laying on his ...oh so small bed... through all hours of the night?
my suggestion was to bite the bullet and get a lock for our bedroom door and let him cry bloody murder outside our door for a few nights and then he will be trained. The problem is, Mr Softy (aka-tyson) won't let me do it. He would give in too easily. HELP. Noone is getting sleep around here and we are grumpy all day. I was looking forward to getting all the sleep i can now before 3 weeks rolls around and another little one needs my attention at 2am.
Advice will help!
thank you.

15 comments:

More Caffiene, Please said...

Um... this was CJ until we let him cry it out. It took two nights. He has a CD player with primary songs in his room that he goes to sleep with. We told him if he wakes up to turn his songs back on and go back to bed.

Tell Tyson to get some earplugs because YOU will be the one suffering once there's a baby awake, too!

Katie said...

Linds I don't know how to help you with little Owen, BUT my friend Emily gave me a book called "on becoming babywise" that teaches you all about getting your newborn into an eating sleeping routine, so that by 7-9 weeks they'll be sleeping through the night. I obviously haven't put the theories to test, but Emily and her family SWEAR by this book. So I recommend getting it(from the library?) and trying it out with baby number 2. It even says in the book that it is not uncommon for moms to have kids who still won't sleep through the night by 2 yrs old. Hopefully this book can help with #2 and Owen will out grow the sleep problem

Mary and Ryan said...

We have a lock on Dallas's door, It really only takes 2 nights of the banging on the door and crying. I was the softy like Tyson, and finally just put earplugs in. It works if you can stand the torture of crying for 2 nights.

RaEStoCo said...

Linds, you need to watch Super Nanny. She deals with stuff like this all the time. She is awesome! Here are a couple links to what she suggests:

http://www.supernanny.us.com/Advice/-/Supernanny-techniques/-/Discipline-and-reward/The-stay-in-bed-technique.aspx

http://www.supernanny.us.com/Advice/-/Your-toddler/-/Toddler-care/The-sleep-separation-technique.aspx

Good luck!!

RaEStoCo said...

Ok, so those links don't look like they worked. So, go to www.supernanny.us.com, click on the ADVICE tab, then search for "sleep separation technique" and "stay in bed technique." They are both very similar, but work everytime!

Tiffany Clay and London said...

Linds,
It was so good to get your cute message on our blog! I wish I could help you out and give you a little advice, but I will be the one pleading for your advice when I'm in that situation. Oh and you look absolutely adorable at the gym!!! I need your secret so that when I get pregnant I can look as cute!!! Hopefully I'll see ya soon.

ashtrost said...

Our son 3 year old Carter bugs us some nights around 3. We have to take him to his room and lay with him also. We did put a lock on his door and so at night we just threaten to lock it and that works. That works when it gets bad.

wendysue said...

My sister ended up getting a lock for my Nephews door, instead of theirs. . .just install it backwards so you can lock him in. I think he'll catch on quick that no one is coming and he'll give up (it may take a few days)

For our kids we ended up putting a gate at their door (as long as they can't open it), that way they didn't feel totally locked in but they couldn't get anywhere.

Or tell Mr. Softy, he can do what he wants (he can get up, go sleep in his room with him) but you'll just stay in your room and sleep (or at least try. . .) Good luck!

Lindsey said...

A friend of mine decided to start letting their little girl come into their room, she was not allowed to bother her parnets, just grab a blanket and lay at the foot of their bed. She probably slept there for 2 years, but not anymore. At least it wouldn't bother you.

Good Luck!

The Powells said...

Turn the knob on Owens bedroom door around so that the lock is on the outside and you control it. Let him cry it out - it's the ONLY thing that worked with Tyson. It took a while (he's VERY strong willed) but it worked and he 90% of the time (as long as he's in rountine) sleeps through the night. Good luck!

The Fab Fabian Life said...

okay someone told you about the book becoming babywise there is also a book by the same author called becoming toddler wise. these books are awesome! I have totally used it on kids I have nannied and now my little Sienna and she sleeps 6-8 hours a night right now and she is 8 weeks- you need to read it before your baby comes! It talks a lot about how guilty we (or Tyson) feel because they cry but how in the long run you are doing your kids a diservice because they will not be good sleepers! go get the books :)

jeannie said...

Be strong Tyson!! All good advise so far nothing new to add! I haven't read the babywise books but I follow what people that have read them tell me to do and everything works awesome!!

jeannie said...

love how supernanny does it too!!

fREnCh TrOSt said...

Kevin said he talks to Tyson everyday about it. Hopefully he will give in soon once he sees how much you want it and need your sleep. It really is only 2 extremely hard nights, but it is way worth it.

Chelsea Anne said...

Both my kids are great sleepers! And I give all credit to "the baby whisperer". She also wrote a book for toddlers that might be more applicable to Owen. Get it, or come borrow mine, and read the chapter on sleeping. When ever my kids start not sleeping well I just reapllly her theory and they are back on in a few days. I especially like her methods because they work for softies too.