Bad sleep habit. Please help

PhillyGal34

Ds is 18 months (16 months adjusted) he's always been a good sleeper and sleeps 12+ hours a night plus one nap (1.5 hrs approximately)

He can put himself down but recently went through two rounds of stomach flu and traveling for the holidays. We were bad and let him watch elmo before bed when he was sick in a desperate attempt to get sleep. He barely ever watches tv normally. Now he screams at night for elmo. We don't know how to break it. We can only go so many hours listening to him scream and get so upset he's gagging. What do I do?

SweetCGA

It does take awhile to break kiddos of vacation habits. You could continue cold turkey and eventually he'll stop screaming for Elmo. Perhaps you could try reducing how much Elmo he watches before bed? Going from 10 min to 5 minutes then to 2 or something? Elmo sure has a magic power over the LO's that's for sure! Good luck!

PhillyGal34

Thanks. Tonight it was anything to avoid bed. He even wanted to play with his potty! Finally dh got him a cheese stick and water and he passed out immediately after. It breaks my heart but I can't deal with 2.5 hours of this each night!!!

CC1017

Do you have a stuffed elmo?  Could that substitute for TV elmo?

PhillyGal34

Thanks guys.  He doesn't sleep with anything and didn't seem interested in his stuffed Elmo.  I was definitely telling him that mommy and daddy and his dog and all his toys and elmo had to go to sleep now so he did too. Poor guy was reaching for the door and yelling elmo for so long it broke my heart.  I certainly do not want a child that is addicted to tv at 18 months (or any age) and we are so good about this that I cannot believe we slipped but with being away and sick we were desperate for him to sleep to get better.  I blame only ourselves... and that is part of why I feel so guilty... he's "suffering" now because of our bad choice. I know in the scheme of life it isn't a big deal but seeing him cry is rough. 

Tonight the plan is to do our normal routine and then give him some milk and try to get him down.  We have the Night Night Elmo book too... maybe I'll try that to show him elmo is asleep too?? I doubt it will work but I can hope!