Toddler Bedtime Troubles

daniellecleasby

Our twin girls (2yrs this month) are in a bad bedtime stage and I need some help, they don't want us to rock them anymore but they won't just stay in their beds and go to sleep.  They are in toddler beds.  We have tried leaving the room with the door open they run out, so we put them back in bed and this would go on for the whole night.  We have tried closing the door and they cried really hard and started kicking the door and each other.  We don't know what do to because sitting next to their beds takes forever for them to quiet down and fall asleep, last night we were in their rooms for 2 hours after our 30 min destim reading time. They will do anything to stay awake, they will almost be asleep then they start kicking the wall to wake up or roll themselves out of bed.  Their bedtime is 7:00/7:15ish and lately we've been sitting in their room fighting with them until 8:15-9:00.  We have tried letting them stay up later and it is just the same thing but happens later at night.  I have thought about getting them up earlier or taking anyway nap (we fight at nap) to see if that would make them a little more tired at bedtime. Right now they get up around 6:30-7:00 Nap around 11:00 or 12:00 depending on how long we fight it- they nap for 45 mins to 1 hour then bedtime at 7:00/7:15.

TIA!

Nikkdam

Just have to be consistent in putting them back in and telling them its bedtime. Hanging out in their room will make them always need you. We threaten to close the door as he prefers it open. He then plays and sings in his bed and falls asleep. But that's just one. I'm sure it's different with two at it!! GL and persevere!!

leebi07

We had the same problem with ours and this is what worked for us.   We put a baby gate on their door, which keeps them in the room but they prefer it to the door being closed.  I put them to bed, shut the light, close the gate and leave.  If they want to play, read, run around that's fine I just let them be and eventually they fall asleep and amazingly they have always fallen asleep in their own bed.  It was really hard for me to relinquish control, but it worked.  I found that the more I went in and told them to go to sleep the more riled up they would get and I'm less stressed becasue I don't have to fight with them.