Cant get 3 year old to sleep?

Question

My baby has never been a easy one to get to sleep. We tried normal stuff right away snug blankets and all that and nothing. The best way we ever found was just to leave room she would cry for 30 minutes every night and never got over it. Even after 2 months she would still cry for 30 minutes frantically. She is now 3 out of crib and it takes me 2 hours every night to get her to sleep. She will just flop around in bed. If I leave room she follows I take her back and back and back but still will not sleep. Once shes asleep she's out for night usually 10 -12 hours. I think i have tried everything lights, low music, reading books. Help please

Doesn't sound like I have many option's that I havent tried I have her a week and her mom has her the next so the balls only in my court half the time. Her mom sounds like she does the same stuff as me but I couldnt tell ya for sure

Answer 1

Sorry but you have just reinforced her actions by rewarding her with more attention.

Put her to bed shut the door and ignore her. if she gets up you put her back to bed and keep doing it. pick a routine say one story befor lights out and that 's it. Tell her over and over that she is a big girl and needs to sleep andshe needs to do it in her room.

You are the parent so you must set and then enforce the rules. You must be strong enough not to give in to the tantrums. It is just a battle of wills and so far you are loosing. If you give in all that does it to teach the child that if they just carry on loud and long enough you will cave in and they will get their way. They win, you loose. Is that what you want? Take the crying now because if you do not nip this now it will spread to other areas of life with the child constantly testing your will demanding their own way regardless. You are the parent, act like it.....

And please do not do what the person above me suggests it is the worst thing you can do it would be reinforcing and rewarding her behavior and she will never sleep in her bed without you. it is still you giving in to her will and that is the problem you must address.

Answer 2

Any chance you started out letting her sleep in your bed? If so, you may pay for a long time to come.

It sounds as if you're doing everything right, but clearly something is still missing. Have you eliminated sugar after a certain hour, even the sugar in fresh fruit? (I had to stop it after 6:00 pm) Be sure to look on the labels of processed food. Sugar and fructose is packed into all kinds of products. Is the rest of the house quiet? As long as my kids knew I was still up watching TV, or entertaining, getting them to go to sleep was impossible. In fact, I recall being the same way as a child - but I just laid there and eventually fakes thirst or a tummy ache, and my grandson is now the same way. That may be the biggest factor.

Parents probably shouldn't have to bring their life to an end at a child's bedtime, but if the beginning environment has taught the child that she's missing out on the excitement when she's put to bed, you may have to fake a house wide shut down until the habit has been broken. Once she is well into her 10 hr sleep, you can always turn on your music, conversation, TV or whatever at a reasonable level.

Answer 3

we have a nightly routine.
Bath, Books and Bed.
We have a nightlight book, we read it last, Its a Moon "touch book" that make it have some light, its only about 8 minutes or so long.

So after bath, we go to his bed and make it down, put all the animals in the bed (two) make sure they are comfortable and then we read books to them and I keep saying just how lucky they are to have "him" to watch over them tonight.

I have Stars on the walls and ceilings and after the last book, the lights are turined out. I tell him to count the stars until I get back.- I have to go to Mommy things for a minute.
Normally he falls asleep. I do put up the baby gate across his door way. TO keep him in his bed.


He would not stay asleep, so I have a soothing Music CD that plays at a rather med-loud to fill the room with white noise. Since then he stays in bed, unless a tummy ache or the cats go mess with him.

Good luck!

Answer 4

With our son, we had to just keep putting him back to bed, no matter how many times he got up. Some nights it seemed like forever. 30 times or more. In we'd put him, out he'd come, over and over and over. Till finally he realized that it wasn't working all that well and just stayed in bed. He's 3 now and sleeps great most nights.

It may just be a faze or maybe she's going to bed too early?

Answer 5

o.k before bed you need to get her moving play a fun active game with her this will make he tierd. then give her a nice warm bath put her in her favorite p.js ya know the ones that are all nice and snuggly then give her a piece of cheeze and a warm glass of milk sounds crazy but it works then read her a bed time story and she should fall fast asleep by your side and you can go to bed your self ! God Bless You and the Ones you Love. Sweet Dreams !

Answer 6

i have a 3 year old son who cries every night at bedtime but he sleeps in the room by his self and what works best for him is to make him settle down before bedtime and maybe 1/2 hour maybe 1 hour before bedtime i make lay down or sit down and watch cartoons if not hes winding down right at bedtime and still has all of this energy and he wont go to sleep at bedtime.a couple of other suggestions are a bath before bedtime or a walk around the neighborhood also helps a little

Answer 7

I have a two and a half year old and we put a tv in his room. I usually play something like Dora the Explorer or Blues Clues, give him a sippy of milk, turn out the lights and he's asleep not long after that.

Answer 8

Take her to the playground and make her run and encourage her to run around to tire her out. Christmas lights worked with my little girl, also having a fan on for white noise.
I hurt for you, to have a child that will not go to sleep is a nightmare and very tiring I hope that someone will give you the magic bullet soon.

Answer 9

How about checking out videos that show kids her age sleeping in there own bed. show the video to her more and more and she will get the hang of it. or how about a nice long bubble bath for her before bed time. this should help wind her down. it helps my little one, but we stilll do the dance of mom i dont want to slleep now and that last for about thirty minutes. but sometimes she goes to sleep no problem. i turn on a video for her to watch after the bath. anyways good luck.

Answer 10

Sleep with her. Then in the middle of the night wake up and leave her. Yes she will wake up and not see her mommy and start crying but eventually she will get use to it.