How do I get my 2 year old to sleep through the night??

Question

My 2 year old daughter is having problems falling asleep and staying asleep through the night. She starts screaming and crying when I put her to bed and then once she falls asleep she will wake up through the night crying and being upset. I think alot of it has to do with being away from me for so long so if anyone has any kind of help they can give me then I would really appreciate it. And before anyone starts telling me about having a routine we do have one set routine of eating dinner, taking a bath, reading a book, and going to sleep. So thank you for your time.

Answer 1

Routines are very good. :) Glad you have one in place.

My youngest son would scream out at night for years. At least till he was 5. Of course being a good mother such as yourself truly believed it was just seperation anxiety.. etc.

Naw.... It wasn't. After a while, I discovered that he was never really waking up when he was crying. He was just crying in his sleep... I think it was a lot of dreaming and he was on the verge of sleep and awake.

We learned very quickly that we weren't going to end this cycle, but we were able to taper them off enough that it only took 10 secs to get the whole crying to end.

First......... when my son cried, we would NOT speak to him. We touched him on the arm or back just to let him know that we were there and he was safe. And I would simply leave the room after he stopped crying.

I realized that he was never fully awake when he was crying. But when I spoke to him, it would bring his mind around to waking up more. When I stopped speaking to him when I came in and instead just touched him softly, he would lull back to sleep. I wasn't waking him up more.

Unfortunately, it went on for years with him.. even as late as 6 -8 years old. BUT, the good news was that when I stopped talking to him, it was only happening 1 or 2 nights a week and then slowly tapered off to being 1 night a week .. then once every few weeks.

I truly believe that it was his dreaming that was causing all the tears. Like a night terror. To this very day, at 11 years old, he does a heck of a lot of talking in his sleep and often is yelling at someone. He yells a lot of "No".... and he yells my oldest son a lot too like "Don't touch my toy". I can certainly see how a 5 year old would translate this into crying.

Try the not talking approach... see if it calms her more quickly and if it works the same with my son, you will soon see it taper off dramatically.

I did notice all the answers that your received were about letting her cry it out.... but that only works for some children that are crying to get you to come to them. My son wasn't like that. It wasn't a cry "Come here and see me"... it was crying in his sleep. If I let him cry it out, which I tried that, than he would fully wake himself up. My son was having night terrors of sorts and as quick as it took me to put my hand on his arm.. he would drift back to a slumbered sleep.

Good Luck

Answer 2

My Son is 2 on the 30th June and he rarely sleeps all the way through the night. He is in his own room in a toddler bed and goes to bed the same time very night between 7pm and 8pm but hardly ever sleeps all night however we have tried some things we find work. Before bed I give him a bottle of warm milk with a small teaspoon of honey in and a biscuit for supper. I change him immediantly before putting him in bed and we have a lamp on the landing outside his room which stays on all night. He has a dummy and a blanket for bed, these are his comforters and we put a disney film on when I have settled him down. Sometimes if he is not too tired I read him a story before the film but he goes to sleep with a movie on as this helps him to fall asleep. Since falling into this routine he seems to have settled much better and will only wake up once maybe twice for his dummy. One I give him this he genrally goes straight back to sleep. Limiting the number of e numbers he has throughout the day also helps and also trying not to let him nap for too long. Not sure if any of this is relevant to your situation but hopefully it may be of use to you.

Answer 3

Please don't pay any attention to that idiot guy
( The BukKakE KinG!! ) who wrote the most stupid adviced I' ever heard. Can some one please tell me what would the pleassure of beating or abusing somebody so innocent and little that you know can't do anything back to defend themselve?
I think that this guy ( The BukKakE KinG!! ) is just traumatize and I know that one must not wish bad things to others but I know god knows why I say it: I just hope that the destiny don't even have plans to send an innocent child to sick people like this guy because it will be #1 he will raise a traumatize kid like him or that will be the child who will cause his own death when he or she can't take no more beatings or abuse!
My advice to you is just be patient and I tell you because i have a 3 year old as you do and i'm still working on how to make her stay in her bed. nothing in this world should take a smart and responsible adult to take any actions of abuse under any circumstances against an angel that can't defend themselves. if you're mad just get away from them until you feel calm again that's the best thing to do and if you fell that i'm asking for too much you have 3 options
1- use birth control methods
2- even though i'm completely against it, just have an abortion
3- if none of these apply than give the child to a responsible family member or give the kid under adoption to a good family.
Part of this message does not goes for you sweet heart, but unfortunately it was the only way for me to get mr. The BukKakE KinG!! to see it.

Answer 4

I "trained" all three of my kids by letting them cry it out when they were pretty little and they all sleep well (knock on wood). It's really hard the first few nights but it definitely gets better within a few days (or even after the first night sometimes). If your daugher is in a crib, just let her cry. If she's in a bed, she's probably getting up and getting out of bed. If that's the case, just pick her up and put her back into bed, but DO NOT talk to her. That's what she wants. She wants to engage you in conversation. So just pick her up (maybe the first time or first two times, you can just say, "it's time for bed" but after that, no talking) and keep putting her into the bed as many times as you need to. No yelling, no screaming, no threatening. Just keep doing it. After a while, she'll realize there is no use and she'll succumb to sleep. It might take a few hours. But the next night should be easier.

Good luck.

Answer 5

My son started doing the same thing at around 16 months. We pushed his bed time back by half an hour and for that extra half hour we would play very energetic games like tickle monster and tumbleing and then we did the bath and book and he was more tired than before so he fell asleep faster and stayed asleep longer. instead of getting up at 3 or 4 he slept until 630 or 7 . it might not work for you but it sure helped us out alot and is worth the shot.

Answer 6

try setting your routine back and hour or so. My daughter has always been a really good sleeper but i notice that she sleeps a little better when i put her to bed at 9 or 10. also try letting her play in the bathtub, it might tire her out some more. get your husband to play with her and get her all riled up about 30 minutes before you start your routine, so she's already got a head start at being a little sleepy and worn out. good luck!

Answer 7

my daughter has kind of the same problem except she doesn't cry she just keeps getting up out of her bed. She just made three. We just keep putting her back in her bed and tell her this is her big girl bed and she has to sleep in it, I don't let her stay in my room and she eventually got the point and started staying in her own bed, but it took like a week for her to realize she is not going to sleep in my room

Answer 8

perhaps either before or after the bath,, do something active, like playing hide and seek, running around the house, it may simply be that she doesn't burn off all her energy, plus wants extra time with you,,,,,,,, then use the book reading for the settle down time,,,,,,,,,then also, look at her schedule, children do change,,,,, how many hours is she being in bed? from time to lay down to get up? does she need it shortened by half and hour or so?? and, besides the needing to burn off energy, while a schedule is good, it may be boring to her,,,, hence adding in an extra thing, might break up the monotony a little,,,,,

Answer 9

Please add one-on-one 10 minutes time with your daughter in your rountine. Just before bedtime sit and cuddle with her (in chair in her bedroom, if possible), sing little madeup love songs to her as you gently stroke her hair and arms. This will make her feel secure and loved. Put a picture of you holding her on her night stand where she can see it and keep a nightlight on at all times. May be a warm glass of milk will help also. Be patient. It will take a few tries for her to get use to a new rountine with you.

Answer 10

heres what you do. when she cries leave her there. do not go to her do not call out to her. let her cry. she is doing it to get you to come in there and as long as it works she will keep doing it. its a learned behavior. as is sleep patterns. she will create a new one when you stop going to her. also take a shirt that you have worn for a few hours one that is clean but worn that same day. one that smells like you and put it on a teddy bear and leave it in her bed with her., it will help her deal with not bieng around you. good luck