My 2 year old will NOT go to bed earlier than midnight. Read more please...?

Question

She doesn't take no more than a half hour nap in the afternoon. She gets up at 8 or 9 in the morning. I like to go to bed about 10 or so but she will not! Her door to her room will not close so I can't shut her in her room to get her to go to bed. She throws a fit when I try to get her to lay down with me. I am always so tired because I want a good nights sleep. I dont know how my 2 year old can do this!

Answer 1

I had similiar sleep problems when my son was younger and the doctors gave me all kinds of reasons why this could be happening. Turns out that it was a parenting problem. Once I realized that he needed a certain amount of sleep a night and needed a bedtime routine and I actually did it correctly my problems went away.

Children that don't get enough sleep become overstimulated and can't calm down. Not only that but she can pick up that you are stressed over bedtimes and gets wired over that.

Start waking her up earlier in the morning. I would wake her up at 7:30 and start her day. Make sure that you guys are getting adequate outside time. She needs to be engaged in play and thinking activites so she is tired. Make sure that the TV isn't on all day. The TV is a huge factor is a lot of childhood problems.

Make sure she is eating a balanced diet. Eating 3 meals a day and then a couple healthy snacks. Not too much sugar and not snacking all day. Sugar can add up fast and next thing you know, your child is on a sugar high. Keep in mind that at 2 they are MUCH smaller than an adult. Juice is a key culprit in the sugar highs children are on.

Have a naptime routine. If she won't nap make sure that she is resting quietly during this time.

I would aim for 1.5 hour nap if she isn't in daycare or preschool.

Get up, have snack, and then have an activity planned. Again, not laying around and watching TV. Try to get outside for a walk or do an art project, etc.

Have dinner around 6:00. Playtime till 7:00 and then toy pick up - EVERYTHING out of sight or in place so not tempted to keep playing, bath, pjs on, lights dimmed, no TV, sugar free snack and water or milk, brush teeth, 2 books, music on or whatever your ritual is and good night.

It is important to not get mad at her, don't give in to negative attention. Let her know it is bedtime and she needs to go to sleep. No toys, lay on her stomache in her bed and cover her up. Just keep putting her back in bed. Don't give in because it will make her worse.

It may help to set a timer to remind her when it is bathtime. Make a little book to show what she can expect after dinner in 30 minute increments. Include pictures of her doing those things.

Dont' argue or battle with her - she is 2! She isn't an infant and she isn't an adult. She is a child and needs to learn that she must listen to her parents.

This is a bad habit to break and it will be hard. Good Luck. SD

Answer 2

Sounds like she is OVER-tired! It will be hard work but I recommend sleep training. It will be harder with a 2 year old but once you have cracked it you will wonder how you ever coped without it! She needs a wind-down routine after her supper, which can be a bath and a story etc. Quiet time, no playing just calmness! Then you can put her into her bed and explain that it is time to go to sleep. Be calm, but firm and don't talk too much, just let her know it is bedtime and no amount of fuss is going to get a reaction from you. DON'T cave in to her, if she gets up (she most likely will 2 dozen or so times) each time calmly put her into bed and just say 'bedtime' nothing else. If this continues, each time you put her to bed just stay silent, say nothing and keep persevering, each time returning her to her bed. Even if it takes 5 hours the first night I GUARANTEE that it will be less the second night. Try and do all this at a sensible time - 7pm? or so. I have two children, my youngest a two year old goes to bed at 6.30pm every night and wakes at 7am every morning. My eldest is almost 7 and she goes to bed at 7.30pm. Even at nearly 7 she still needs at least 11 hours sleep at night to be able to cope at school. I experienced similar problems to you with my eldest and so when my son was born I knew that I was going to have a STRICT bedtime routine and it has worked really well. Children are little sponges for routine, they almost crave it, and once shown how they will be fine.
Don't give up hope just yet...try and keep trying with sleep training, it isn't cruel for the child, if anything it is the opposite as you won't get so stressed about everything.
One last thing about the bedroom door...I don't think that it matters that it doesn't shut, you need to train your daughter to go to sleep on her own at a sensible time, being shut in a bedroom may make her feel less at ease, so leave the door and just keep returning her to her bed each time she gets up.

Answer 3

First, I have to say that I am glad I'm not alone!
My daughter has been known to still be bouncing off the walls at one or two in the morning and it wears me out!

What is it that eventually gets your daughter settled at midnight? Is it turning off the telly, and going into the dark room, or is it a case of her getting weepy which cues you to take her to bed, as is the case with mine?

I think I have resigned myself to the fact that I have a night owl, but if I want to kick start her tiredness, the telly goes off earlier, I dim the lights so she can't see her toys properly, and more often than not, she figures out that there is nothing else to do and so goes to bed.
I am trying to start waking her up earlier, but it's difficult when she has had me up so long the night before, perhaps if I woke her earlier, she's sleep earlier- do you think you can try this?

Answer 4

You need to talk to her doctor and find out what is causing this behavior if you are giving her juice the sugar in it could be giving her all this energy try only giving her water and milk to drink after lunch time and low sugar foods She should be going to bed around eight pm and taking a nap in the middle of the day you also have to make a schedule and stick to it every day

Answer 5

my daughter replaced into the comparable as united stateswhen she replaced into 2 and replaced into until sept this twelve months.She didnt bypass to mattress until 12 am .For me replaced into ok as a results of fact i dont have toddler#2,im no longer working and likewise i had bunch of time for my self interior the morning. yet this twelve months on Sept,i desperate to alter that and that i did it,yet ....I had to furnish to my daughter a million hour b4 her mattress time 3 mg of MELATONIN and so she is sound asleep after that very superb,no difficulty each and every evening from 8 pm to 7-7:30 am she is sound asleep as she could desire to. My daughter has to take this ,if she wont take it,she could be up until over 10 pm Ur daughter is in simple terms 2 so extra effective if u consult along with her wellbeing care provider,possibly she needs extra lively day?

Answer 6

wake her up at 7 or 7:30 that way if she usually slept till 9 and went to bed at 12 at least now she will go to bed at 10 hopefully try quiet time and hot milk before bed good luck :)

Answer 7

You just walk in every time and put her back into bed. It's all about constancy and not giving up. Those nanny shows (Nanny 911 or the Super nanny) can give you some ideas. Good Luck, just make sure you follow through.