Ok , seriously- How do you get you kids to go to sleep at night?! My one year goes into her crib and lays down and goes to sleep..........
My 4 yr old fights it for hours, claims she has to be "cuddled" to sleep, which is sweet and nice yes. But she wont go to sleep any other way! She doesnt get that grownups and kids are NOT the same and have different bedtimes, that just because mommy and daddy are still up doesnt mean she has to be.
She balls and cries, wont stay in her bed and last night she even got up with her pillow and blankets and claims the couch is better.
I feel so bad for her, but her sister is in there with her, there is a night light, and I do read them a story first, but I cant lay with her an hour until she falls asleep.
Im just sooo frustrated, anyone have any advice????
No TV or anything an hour before bed. A hot bath before bed. I also have a clock radio in my 7 year olds room and put it on " sleep". He listens to the mellow station to get to sleep and it shuts off in an hour.
It's hard to get them to wind down that's for sure.
Definitely turn the TV OFF...and also no roughhousing close to bed time, forgot to add that my son also listens to his radio. When he was smaller, we had to 'endure' background X-Mas music for a while, he particularly liked the Nutcracker Suite :chuckle
Honestly, I think we do alot of it to ourselves. By not establishing a routine at bedtime and giving in to our kids wants.
My son does have a routine and it is very important to have some calming down time. That is why the warm bath with mom or dad sitting there playing and talking with him. Then bed with books - by the 4th book he is ready for sleep.
The thing for us is we chose to co-sleep and it works for us. One of us takes him to bed and reads to him and turns out the light and we say our prayers and he says "hold me" and we do and he is out quickly.
I think you could do the same thing if you didn't co-sleep and in fact I did with my older boys. They are 22 months apart and shared a room.
Routine, routine, routine . . . . .
I'll take that spa day by the way . . . . . . :)
steph
I think cosleeping is fine for people who are into it, but it wouldn't be for me if I have kids. Even now, I like having my bedroom as MY space. I'm stingy, which I suppose is partly because I'm not a mom:chuckle I'm doing a spa day with my mom when I go home in December to thank her for all those nights I kept her up late (apparently I liked to start screaming at about 11pm every night until she figured out that was when the dishwasher shut off and I just didn't like the quiet)... She's getting a massage, facial, manicure and pedicure followed by hair and makeup.
I think cosleeping is fine for people who are into it, but it wouldn't be for me if I have kids. Even now, I like having my bedroom as MY space. I'm stingy, which I suppose is partly because I'm not a mom:chuckle I'm doing a spa day with my mom when I go home in December to thank her for all those nights I kept her up late (apparently I liked to start screaming at about 11pm every night until she figured out that was when the dishwasher shut off and I just didn't like the quiet)... She's getting a massage, facial, manicure and pedicure followed by hair and makeup.
You are a nice daughter. :) Wanna talk to mine?
The truth is co-sleeping is a bit selfish on my part. I wanted to get more sleep than I did with my first child. When they start to wake up in a crib, it takes awhile before you hear them and they are usually in full scream by then and fully awake. Sometimes it took me hours to get him back to sleep . . . . I remember leaning over his crib and patting him on the back and saying "If I just count to 100, maybe he will be asleep by then". After my first child, I decided co-sleeping was for me . . .as soon as they just start to wake, before they fully wake up, you pop that nipple in and they nurse and fall right back to sleep. :) It is heaven.
So Fergus, you could truly say I'm stingy too. I want my sleep.
The truth is co-sleeping is a bit selfish on my part. I wanted to get more sleep than I did with my first child. When they start to wake up in a crib, it takes awhile before you hear them and they are usually in full scream by then and fully awake. Sometimes it took me hours to get him back to sleep . . . . I remember leaning over his crib and patting him on the back and saying "If I just count to 100, maybe he will be asleep by then". After my first child, I decided co-sleeping was for me . . .as soon as they just start to wake, before they fully wake up, you pop that nipple in and they nurse and fall right back to sleep. :) It is heaven.
So Fergus, you could truly say I'm stingy too. I want my sleep.
steph
We are a co-sleeping family also. My husband and I switch days on who will take her to bed. On the nights I do it, my husband puts our 4 month old to sleep and then he sculpts or draws. On the nights he does it, I put our son to sleep at then I watch a show I have been wanting to watch, study or read.
Currently, my husband and daughter sleep in our room which consists of our bed and her toddler bed ( that she does not sleep in).
And the baby and I sleep on the fold out in the living room.
We plan on getting a twin bed to replace her toddler bed so she can stop hogging the bed so my son and I can sleep in there too.:chuckle
when we started having problems with our daughter we did the following
we said goodnight/hugs kisses with the night light on when she got up the 2nd time we picked her up and put her back kicking and screaming we said good night and left. when she got up the rest of the times we just went and put her back to bed without saying a word.
we did this for like a week or so and eventually she got the point that bed time is bed time, and that the evening is time for mummy and daddy
I think that if you aren't a cosleeping family you may not understand.
I am a night owl, and also like to sleep late. On the other hand my husband stays up late and gets up early. It works for us because our kids stay up until 10:30p or 11:00p and they sleep comfortably and cozy with us or me until 9:30a or 10am.
I understand that this may not work for mom's and dad's who have to work, but since I have the ability to stay at home - this works well for my family.
There is nothing funnier than waking up to your small one breathing in your face =] :chuckle
Hey I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems", by Dr. Richard Ferber. This book should be given to every new parent! The ideas in the book are similar to the 'supernanny' method that Fergus51 mentioned. I highly recommend it. Years later, I still pull it out and look something up. (Like when my 9yo son was sleepwalking, opened the door and took off for his buddy's house... time to add another lock to the front door!)
Some folks think that "Ferberizing" is a little too harsh. I really disagree. It is just a training method utilizing quiet, relaxing bedtime routines and leaving kids in their crib/room, periodically checking up on them. What is harsh to me, is Mom getting no sleep, night after night, and becoming acutely CRANKY.
I should mention I wasn't this nice as a teenager:chuckle That's why I have to make up for it now:)
I can't imagine sharing my bed with kids... It takes effort to get me to share my bed with a boyfriend even:chuckle . It was a struggle when I lived with my ex-boyfriend. I just like my space. Course, my dog is allowed to sleep under the covers every night, so I don't know what that says about me.
I should mention I wasn't this nice as a teenager:chuckle That's why I have to make up for it now:)
I can't imagine sharing my bed with kids... It takes effort to get me to share my bed with a boyfriend even:chuckle . It was a struggle when I lived with my ex-boyfriend. I just like my space. Course, my dog is allowed to sleep under the covers every night, so I don't know what that says about me.
It says you may be able to share the space with a child someday. :)
I guess for me personally, remembering my oldest will be 23 this coming March, I just want to hold on to my youngest and slow down time a bit. One of the reasons I'm working part-time.
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stpauligirl
2,327 Posts
Definitely turn the TV OFF...and also no roughhousing close to bed time, forgot to add that my son also listens to his radio. When he was smaller, we had to 'endure' background X-Mas music for a while, he particularly liked the Nutcracker Suite :chuckle