Need sleep advice.

HotDish!

Our two children 2 & 4 both sleep in our bed with us. This has gone on for too long and we desperately want our bed back. Our children never fall asleep alone, we have to sit with them until they do and sneak out of the room. Within an hour or two they are awake and sleeping in bed with us. Does anyone have any advice on making a successful transition into their own beds? tia

Temp108743750006959

You spent 2-4 years setting a routine in place -- patience will be needed in order to reverse it.

When they get up, go back and sit with them, again and again and again. Keep it light and positive - but explain that this is the way things are from this point on. Don't talk to them while you sit beside them in their room. Expect to get little sleep in the short term and get up repeat the process every time they sneak in. Plan rewards for children that stay in their beds.

 

HotDish!

Great advice, thanks so much. The next few weeks are going to be rough.

wildfloweragain

Make sure you are consistent because any time you allow them back in will begin this all over again. 

I read a chapter in "How to talk so your kids will listen" and there was some good stuff on having your kids help with coming up with solutions to this issue, and also making a sign, even for kids who cannot read, to put on your door to remind them.

Angela814

What about setting up a sleeping bag on your floor for them? They may just need to sleep near you as a transition. Or they may just want to know that they can come to you if they need to. I'd guess after a while, the sleeping bag won't be all that comfortable, and they'll eventually stop getting up.

We've always been partial co-sleepers. DD1 was brought into our bed at her first night waking as a baby, and we've done the same for DD2. We can't fit all of us in our queen size bed though. Since I'm usually the one taking care of DD2, DH has to be the one to take care of DD1 at night. He's never been consistent about bringing her back to her bed, so it's never worked for us. We have a small couch in our bedroom, so if DD1 wakes up at night, she knows she's supposed to lay down there and go back to sleep. That works better for us than having DH return her to her room multiple times, after I wake up enough to wake him up to do it.