My two year old won't sleep in her bed... what do I do?

Question

My daughter is 2- 3 in April of '07 and she has just recently (maybe the past 3 months or so) had her own room and her own bed. She has done decent up until the past two weeks or so. Now, I'll wake up in the mornings and she'll have her pillow and covers at some random place in the house asleep on the floor or something. What I think is odd is she never comes to our bed. This morning I found her in the kitchen under the table fast asleep. I found her behind the couch the other day, or layed up against her door in her room .... Is this normal? What do I do to stop it?

Answer 1

when my daughter was this age and started sleeping in her own bed, we put a child gate up on her room, in front of the door. When she would open the door, there it was, and she wouldn't roam the house and get hurt. That way we knew she was at least safe in her room. Worked great, she hardly ever tried to "leave" after that.

Answer 2

Yikes! That is kind of odd - the fact she's leaving her room but not coming to YOUR bed. Has she said anything or done anything to make you think she's scared in her own room? Is it a creepy clown bed or something? The places you're finding her in the moring indicate to me she's trying to feel safe and hidden (maybe trying to replicate the feeling of being in a crib?). I don't know how well a 2-3 year old communicates, but I'd try to find out why she doesn't want to stay in her own room. Since you probably know that already, I guess I'm not much help. I wish you good luck with the situation though - it's the first I've heard of a child sleeping in random places.

Answer 3

It's normal for her to leave her room, falling asleep in random places is funny but can be dangerous depending on where she winds up falling asleep and if there's something she might be able to get into.

If I were you, and this is something I do myself...my two boys share a bedroom and they are 3 & 4 years old. I put the child lock on there handle on the inside so they cannot get out. That way your daughter cannot get up in the middle of the night and wander through the house. I dont do it for my kids wandering, I do it because when I put them in bed- they wouldnt stay in there, they would be coming out a million times before going to bed.

Answer 4

I agree with everyone here, I think you should try to find out why she is leaving her bed> is it possible she is sleepwalking? Does she have any memory of getting up and leaving her bed? I think it's odd she doesn't go to your room though, I could never get my kids out of my bed! Maybe there is something in her room that she is uncomfortable with, I know conversation with a 2 year old is difficult at times, but you have to find out what is keeping her from sleeping in there.

GOOD LUCK!

Answer 5

My little one has a problem with sleeping in his own bed sometimes too. He wants to sleep on the couch for some reason or another. I just let him and make sure he is alright. I think that it is normal for all children to go through a period where they don't want to be in there room, they want to go and explore and just be on their own. Good luck!

Answer 6

My son did this at that age until I woke up one morning to a phone call from the apartment next door saying he'd come over to play with their daughter at 6am! I was so freaked out!

We ran straight out and bought those safety door knob covers. and put one on the inside of our apartment door and one on the inside of his bedroom door so he couldn't get out of his room unless we let him out.

He stayed in his room all night, playing in there if he woke up, and since he was right in the next room, we could hear him call us to let him out in the morning.

Answer 7

this is normal. all little kids do it.you could try to get her used to sleeping in one spot like the couch.maybe it will work.

Answer 8

Lock your bedroom door.