Tell me what we're doing wrong RE:sleep

Smuches4u

We're having major sleep issues.  Not staying asleep, but getting there.

Not much, if anything has changed about our bedtime routine and if I'm being blatent here, it SUCKS!

DC hits, kicks, and has now started spitting to get attention at bed time.  He chatters, screams, cries and throws things for about an hour and a half fighting the sleep.  We know he's tired, but I'm sick up to my ears of the struggle. It's not fun or peaceful for any of us.

Should I try eliminating the nap?  He still gets a nap/quiet time at school, and still does sleep there.

I don't know what we're doing wrong, but I do know we cannot continue this behavior.  I'm starting to throw tantrums and that's just not good.

Help.  TIA

Kellina71

  Wow.  That sounds bad.    I don't think it would hurt to try eliminating the nap to see what happens, but I am thinking it may be end up being about the same.  Has he verbalized any reasons or anything that may give you more of a clue?  Does he do well w/ rewards/ rewards charts?

WineCountryWife

yikes! How miserable! I have no clue.  The only thing I can think of is something dd acts out more at bedtime when we've kept her up longer than we should have. Could he be overtired and acting out because of that?  I know the Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child book said that an earlier bedtime, and getting them to bed before they're showing visible sings of being tired often solves problems, but that was for a baby, I don't know if it applies to toddlers or even to your situation. . . good luck! I hope you figure something out and that others can be more helpful.

Smuches4u

We've tried talking to him no where close to bed time about it and don't get much feedback or really any clues as to what the problem is or what he might be lacking to help him wind down.

I would love to try an earlier bedtime, but with our work schedules it would be close to impossible to get him down any earlier during the week.

I think part of the problem is over stimulation - major culprit:  TV.  DH seems unable to exist without the TV on.  For the short time between dinner & bed time, I think it needs to be off - not even the sound or the music channels, which DH has tried to pull recently.

We're going to try no TV this week, and are asking DCP to log his actual sleep time at school to better gauge where he's at with dropping his nap, before we attempt that monster.

I'm really hoping there's improvement with the lack of stimulation.

futrkingsley

That sounds awful. And I totally sympathize. DS doesn't hit or kick, but he has a really hard time falling asleep or staying asleep about 50% of the time.  It is totally exasperating.

I'm on a mission to shorten or eliminate his nap as a result.  He's perfectly happy to sleep three hours in the middle of the day and stay up until 10 pm.  Not okay with mama!

Good luck.

mnmsmom

I'd agree with your no TV idea. I know that if my DD#1 is overstimulated whether it be by TV, rough play with her sister before bed, etc. it is MUCH more difficult to get her to bed.

We do a bedtime routine EVERY night which helps her too. She gets warm milk in bed, a few stories, brushes her teeth, prayers (and sometimes another story), then lights out.