Toddler sleep - Help! Anyone?

ns1 · October 2014

DD is 3 next week and her sleep has gone from excellent to crap over the last month or so. Here's what she does: at bedtime I put her down, do the routine, and leave. She then turns off her sound machine, turns off her nightlight, opens the door and wanders out leaving me to do the routine again. Repeat 20 million times. In the middle of the night now she likes to do this when she wakes as well.

If I ignore her and latch her door so she can't open it (sounds horrible, eh?...) she takes off her pull up and pees on the floor.

We've tried rewards but she seems like she doesn't understand it or doesn't care. We also just got one of those ok to wake alarm clocks that lights up green when you can get out of bed. It's the first night, so it may work, but so far it also seems over her head.

The baby just started sleeping for decent stretches and now this. I'm at my wits end with the toddler! Anyone with a toddler live through something like this and on the other side?! Ideas? Hope?

frasey · October 2014

hmm... can you at least put the sound machine and night light out of her reach? Aside from that, can you maybe do a time out when it happens the first time at night? What about taking her to pee inthe toilet before locking her in her room? (my DD is 'locked' in her room, so no judgement here!)

Or what about some incentive/reward for her to stay in bed? like a sticker chart for each night she stays in bed all night, and then a big reward after a week?

Sounds super frustrating

ns1 · October 2014

I'll have to try putting the sound machine and light or of her reach. .. or maybe not using them. Didn't think of that! She does go potty before bed, so I think the peeing is just out of spite.

ns1 · October 2014

It's definitely frustrating! We've tried a bit of everything without luck yet. I'm over this toddler thing!

spinsoffresonance · October 2014

I'm right there with you. DD1 used to be a great sleeper. We'd do her routine, leave her in bed with her music box and she would go to sleep on her own and we would not hear from her for 12hours. Last 3 months have been a complete disaster. If we leave before she is asleep, she screams hysterically. She sounds terrified. We tried to let her CIO a couple nights but she screamed for 2hours and eventually fell asleep on the floor with her hands under the door. So now we just sit with her for 2 hours until she falls asleep. Or DH sleeps in her room. No idea how to fix this!

ho11yday · October 2014

Oh god. I thought our bedtime routine sucked but at least ds1 is still in his crib so he can't get out. Not sure how long that'll last though. Had to lower the last rung last week but hey 2.5 yo and still in a crib is good to me.

ns1 · October 2014

@lica001‌ sorry you're going through the same. let's hope this is a phase like everything else, and a short one at that!

QOTR · October 2014

I refuse to acknowledge future sleep issues. I prefer to pretend that once we survive 4MW, that it will be smooth sailing.

sarag0116 · October 2014

I think if rewards/incentives aren't working, you are going to have to punish. Take away a toy the very next morning or do a time out when she tries to wander out of the room or pees on the floor. Sorry! That's rough!

chillypenguin · October 2014

This may not be helpful, kind of different, but starting in July, my then almost 2 year old started throwing up in her crib on purpose. Every single nap time and bed time. I think the first time she was legitimately sick, but then she figured out that it was the one thing we couldn't ignore and she made herself throw up, up to 5 times per nap/bedtime for FIVE weeks. I was about to lose my mind.

My ILs then offered to keep her for the weekend, because they missed her (they live 1.5 hours away), and they were willing to brave the throwing up. It was her first overnight with them. She went to bed fine, and didn't throw up at all down there. Came home, and she hasn't done it since. I think the change of scenery and all the complete attention on her for the weekend (without the baby around) kind of snapped her out of it. So maybe see if one set of grandparents could keep her for a weekend? The change of scenery might make her kind of forget about it, but she's also older than mine was. If nothing else, it would be a break for you!

chillypenguin · October 2014

Or instead of doing the whole bedtime routine again, just try putting her back in bed without saying anything or making a fuss, like how super nanny does. Even if it takes 100 times the first night, be consistent and just keep putting her back in bed and eventually she will figure out that you are not messing around with bedtime. In theory, of course!

Bacon2 · October 2014

My DS will be 3 in Dec. he started to act out at bed time right before LO was born.. Undressing his bed, throwing clothes everywhere, throwing books.. Anything he had in his room was thrown somewhere. So I pushed his bed time back an hour. He was going down at 7:30 so I pushed it back to 8:30. And it worked!
I hope you get it figured out bc I know it's stressful. Good luck.

ns1 · October 2014

Thanks for the ideas! I'll give it all a try! (Except we don't have grandparents near...bummer.)

dragossoul84 · October 2014

My DS is 27 months but we have a gate so he can't get to his door. Maybe something like that will help keep ur lo in her room.

bridetobe9132013 · October 2014

Oh my! Im scared for that age now lol

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