Does anyone know how to get a 15 month old to sleep in their own bed?

Question

My daughter wakes up in the middle of the night crying for me to hold her, which eventually leads to her sleeping in my room. She doesn't sleep in her room for longer than 2-3 hours. She has never really slept all the way thru the night when she was an infant except for maybe a total of 5 times. I have tried letting her cry to sleep but that doesn't work either. I have run out of ideas. Please help!

Answer 1

Hey i have the same problem.My husband and i usually wake up with all 6 of them in the bed.Kids feel safe when they are with you. I don't like making them cry themselves to sleep,i know you should to take charge but i can remember as a child feeling scared by myself so i allow my children to come in my bed if they wake up in the night.Just think they wont do it forever. If you really want to keep her out of your bed try to lay with her and comfort her in her bed till she goes to sleep.Get her a night light and tell her shes a big girl,encourage her.I wish you luck cause it is sometimes hard to be so strict with them.

Answer 2

I have a 15 month old daughter, too. I love having her in the bed with me, but I know that doesn't work for everyone. If space allows, you could move her crib into your room. That way she still has you near by. You could also remove one side rail on the crib, adjust the mattress to the same height as yours and keep the crib against your bed. That offers the best of both worlds. You still each have your own space, but are close enough to cuddle when she needs you. Then you can gradually transition her into the crib full time by replacing the side rail and a week or two later, move the crib across the room. Then to her room. Viola! Good luck!

I just read some of the other responses and I never let any of my 3 kids "cry it out". I couldn't bear it. Had their cribs in my room for 2 years, but they never cried upon waking. They would wake me by calling to me instead. How nice to wake to a happy baby rather than a poor helpless little person who has cried themself into an inconsolable state! And I'm sure you know you really can't explain much to a 15 month old! She needs love and understanding. If she can't get that from Mommy, where else can she turn?

Answer 3

It could just be the atmosphere in her room? Is the room fairly bare"walls,not much furniture"? Or is it extremely crowded? which ever,try making the room just the opposite of what it is now. If she likes having her toys and her mommy close by,chances are she is the type that would feel better if her room has toys out where she can see them. Is the room dark? Many kids need a night light. I am a grandmother and I cannot sleep in a totally dark or quiet room.A small air filter gives a soothing soft humming noise which would help her sleep and regardless of what the "professionals" say, a night light is not going to cause her harm,in fact it may prevent her from becoming disoriented and falling. Another thought is the size of her bed. Just as a newborn feels insecure in a baby crib when they are first born because for 9 months they have been in a small safe environment. If she has been sleeping in your bed then the area she sleeps in is considerably smaller than if she is in a bed alone.. I could never make a child that young sleep totally alone if they were afraid. It could possibly affect her as she gets older as far as beng afraid. It's best to put a baby in it's own room by age 6 months. And the baby should never sleep in your bed on a nightly basis.There are special times when they need to be near mom"sickness or there's been a death in the family" etc. When she wakes up crying,have you tried going to her room and laying on her bed till she goes back to sleep?Don't feel despaired almost every parent has been where you are! When my daughter was 2 1/2. My husband was driving semi and was gone all week at a time and only home on weekends. Well one triphe had to go back east and was snow bound and was gone 3 weeks. I let my daughter sleep with me. lol When he came home she goes and gets in our bed and he says"well where's daddy goping to sleep"? she says " On the couch" and she screamed all night! Good luck! You just have to keep trying till you find something that works!

Answer 4

My daughter was a nightmare trying to get to sleep in her own room. She slept in our bed the first 18 months of her life! Occassionally I had gotten her into her own bed (by miracle) When I finally did get fed up because hubby and me were missing out on our alone time...I would sit in her rocking chair next to her crib and read her 2 or 3 stories. Then I would put her down. If she was sleeping she would sleep for maybe 3,4 or 5 hours than I would get up after midnight and bring her into bed with us. If she was awake after the stories I would put her in the crib and let her cry. I would let her cry for 5 minutes. Check on her. then 10 minutees and check on her. then 15 then 20. If I had to go 20 minutes and still listen to her cry I would just get her and stick her with me. There really is no harm in it. She is 4 now and she sleeps all night in her own bed. Occassionally she climbs in bed with us but I won't deny her that. She needs me. I'll be there for her. Sharing bed is not a bad thing. As long as you are ok with it. If you don't want her in bed with you then get a little tougher. She won't be scarred for life because you wouldn't let her stay in bed with you. Or if she has to cry a little longer and louder....this will pass.

Answer 5

I've been having this same problem with my 4 year old and a friend told me to take her off of apple juice and now she's sleeping through the night (unless it storms loudly). Might be worth a try if yours drinks it. You could try rocking her in her room a bit and putting her back into her crib. Or doing all over again whatever your bedtime routine is.

Answer 6

In order for her to wind up sleepign in your bed YOU must be taking her in there. Leave her in her own bed. The reason letting her cry to sleep doesn't work is because YOU have not been consistent with it. You can't expect it to work in a few nights when YOU have been taking her to your bed all the time. The only "help" I can give you is to tell you to keep on putting her back into her bed and letting her get herself to sleep it WILL work but YOU have to let it. YOU created the problem you are going to have to be patient until the problem solves itself.

Answer 7

well from your question i am assuming you don't want your child to sleep with you and this is ok. everyone has their own preferences.
well first, this is going to be very hard, u need to be consistent. set up a bedtime routine then place your baby in the crib and leave the room. don't go in. sometimes babies will climb out the crib, so if yours does that than maybe u and your baby can pick out a new "big kid" bed together, pick out a favorite character blanket and get her psyched about having her new room. the thing is to be consistent once you announce bedtime, place her in her bed say good night and leave. if she leaves the room, just pick her up and place her in her bed. "consistancy" is the key.

if you work outside the home i suggest you begin this during your vacation week

Answer 8

Your baby needs you. You should be there for her.

Only one of my three did this. He still does and he just turned three. He's very emotional and really needs his cuddles and he's been that way since birth. The girls were not like this at all and one is only 8 months. Each child is different.

Although not completely successful since we are not trying 100% to rid him of coming in our room, we have put stars on his ceiling and given him a flashlight. He also has his favorite things when he goes to sleep. We lie with him before bed or reassure him by checking on him regularly as he falls to sleep.

If he gets up and comes to our room, we try to put him back in bed and it usually doesn't work. He has nightmares and needs cuddles. I'm not going to deny him us as his security.

Answer 9

I do not believe in children crying thier selves to sleep. They are obviously crying for a reason. My daughter wakes up everynight in the middle of the night to hold me. I let her..

Answer 10

Rock her back and forth in a rocking chair before bed.The swaying motion is similar to riding in a car for hours.Also play low volume soft music in her room or run the dryer if it's within earshot of her room.