Any ideas how to break my 2-yr old's habit of staying up until 11:00pm? It's a daily occurance.?

Question

I try to go to bed around 10:00 (or sooner if possible) but she refuses. If she lays in bed, she kicks around and flips and flops, and will not stay in her bed. People have told me to give her Benadryl about 30 mins before but I don't want to DRUG my child!! Any ideas?

Answer 1

Several things:
1. Don't let your child sleep after 3 PM. Make sure that the day care or babysitter doesn't let your child sleep after 3 PM.

2. Wake your child up as early as you have to in order to make sure she's tired at night. Wake her up earlier and earlier and earlier until you see what works best.

3. Some children need very little sleep. Yours may be one of those. If so, then your child is going to have to wake up very early and be awakened from her nap so that she'll be tired enough to go to bed at a reasonable time, and that time might be a little bit later than other kids her age.

But, no matter how few hours she sleeps in each 24 hour day, you should be able to expect to put her in bed and have her asleep before you go to bed. You need this for your sanity! I've been in your shoes before, dear, and I understand the fatigue and stress. Keep your chin up -- and congratulations on resisting the advice to drug her.

Answer 2

PLease do not give her benadryl.... You need to start a regular routine and don't break it! This might be very difficult at first! Also I know from experience that you can pass a toddlers time frame from which they are able to fall asleep on there own! I recommend dinner,playtime,bath,story time and in bed no later than 8:30! Just keep taking her back to her bed! Routine is the key! She will learn bedtime is bedtime! I have a 26 month old and a 6 year old. I learned with my 2 year old, that I can not change her routine at home or she thinks she can start doing whatever SHE WANTS! I hope this helps! Also have you ever watched supernanny? This show has a lot of pointers for parents!

Answer 3

Well try waking her up at like 6 in the morning. Then she will be exhausted by the time 11 rolls around. I put my 3 year olds to bed for a nap at noon every day, they go to bed at night at like 8:30 and wake up at 7 or 8 sometimes. Just start a different pattern

Answer 4

WAKE HER UP! Set your alarm and wake her up earlier. Do not let her sleep until she wakes up. If she takes a nap, make sure she does around noon and don't take any trips in the car in the evening. If your have done all of this and she is still having problems, involve her is a physical activity. A tumbling class (gymbree) or swim lessoons. Also, monitor what goes in her mouth. Large amounts of processed sugar will give her a 'high' and then make her crash, leading to a too long nap and later bed time.

Basically, I say, find a schedule and stay on it, even on the weekends when we all love to sleep in. For her sake.

Answer 5

All very strong solutions (except the spanking) and mine isn't any distinct...I placed my 2 three hundred and sixty 5 days previous daughter on outing for 2 minutes if she hits. that's the age the position they are going to push the envelope to be sure what they could spoil out with and what the outcomes will be for his or her movements. a lot of timeouts, eliminating privileges, and chatting with them in a relaxed way, might want to eventually help. My daughter thinks that she is on accurate of issues in some circumstances and that i must step in and allow her do not ignore that she's no longer...with slightly of success she'll get the picture by employing the time she's 3! (I easily have my fingers crossed, haha)

Answer 6

Well I am having this same problem with my son .. And what the dr suggested was let him stay on his 11 pm sleep schedule for now even thou its a hasle for us as parents eventually they will get tired and go to sleep.. I usually just lay him next to me in my bed and than when he drifts off i put him in his own bed to sleep.. Good luck
Also people have told me to drug the kid and i refuse so try this method and let me know how it works ok you can email me anytime at [e-mail] if you have any questions my son is 2 and it seems to be working so lets work together and see if we can get our kids to sleep at a earlier time LOL
Shannon and
Alexander 2

Answer 7

I have had the same problem.

I found out that the root of the problem was that my 2 year-old was taking too long of naps and eating too much sugar before bedtime.

So I starting limiting naps or elminating these from his schedule. Then I made sure that he did not eat any sugar at all after dinner.

At first it was tough for him to sleep at 9pm. I would hear him kicking around and whining the he couldn't sleep. I did not go to his room and comfort him. After a few days he started falling asleep at 9.

Answer 8

this day might be one you want to forget but I would suggest waking her up early on the day you want to start. Like 7 am then wear her out all day long, go for walks, play outside, run around and chase her. She might be nodding off by 7 or 8 that evening. Then if she goes to bed early that night she may get up earlier the next morning and have a whole new routine. Just be prepared for her to be ticked that first morning you wake her up but it will all be worth it. Good luck

Answer 9

I'm glad you went against previous advice and aren't medicating your child unnecessarily. I think the best thing to do to get to get her on a decent schedule is to not let her sleep in each morning. She needs to get up early, 7 or 8, whatever is early for your schedule. And then she can have a nap at say noon-2pm, but must wake up then and no naps afterwards. I went through an entire year where my two toddlers were on reversed schedules, staying up all night, sleeping all day and it nearly killed me. I would have to be up with them all night, so when it came the morning, I was too tired to keep them up all day, I would sleep and get my rest, as they did too, then it would start all over again.

The answer is to keep her up throughout the day and closely monitor and regulate her naps and sleeptimes. Good luck!

Answer 10

All you have to do is start putting her on a schedule. Wake her up earlier in the morning, don't let her take a long nap in the afternoon. Take her to the park in the evening and let her run out her energy. Feed her, give her a bath, maybe read her a book. By that time, she's sure to be sleepy.