My 4 yr old son would not want to sleep in his bed?

Question

Any suggestions on how to make my 4 yr old son sleep in his bed through the night? I find him lying next to me every morning when I wake up.

Answer 1

Have you tried discussing with him the reason that he comes into bed with you? Is there something about his room that he finds scary and is unable to get back to sleep without you?

I'm a big believer in cosleeping, I still cosleep with my 2 year old during a large portion of the night. We start our night with her in her toddler bed and me in the aerobed next to her bed. After she falls asleep, I get up and putter around the apartment, and go to bed. When she wakes up in the middle of the night, I go to her and pat her back or just lay down on the aerobed until she falls asleep again (we're in the process of night weaning.) Sometimes I fall asleep next to her, which is why I have the aerobed, lol.

I liked the suggestion of putting a mattress or something on the floor in your room, that way when he wakes up, he has a special little place near mom and dad to sleep, and you can slowly move it into his room. (You can probably get an extra mattress for relatively cheap from Target, or even Craigslist.)

A resource that really helps is "The No Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers" by Elizabeth Pantley. I really liked her book because it focuses on gently teaching your child how to fall asleep, and stay asleep, on their own, with gentle guidance. I highly recommend it (that's what we're using right now and it's going swimmingly!)

Answer 2

I do not know if this will work for you but it has worked for me in the past. Allow him to sleep on the floor of your room. Not in your bed. After a few nights my sons always return to their own bed. If my children are afraid or uncomfortable in their own bed my husband I and I make a blanket fort in their bed. The boys like that. I also give the boys couch time to read or watch TV and when timer goes off it is bedtime.
These work for me. Good luck.

Answer 3

Make sure that he has a night-lite on , lay some books with his favorite characters by his bed and tell him that when he wakes up in the middle of the night to get his "friends" (books) to lay down with him to help him go back to sleep. You can also bribe him by telling him that if he sleeps in his bed all night that you will buy him some more "friend" books.

Good luck!

Answer 4

You could try letting him sleep in the floor in your room or you sleep in the floor in his room. Once he gets used to this, move a little towards the door each night. And finally, you'll both be sleeping in your own beds.

Answer 5

Be patient with him. Children have a heightened awareness about the darkness and evil that lurks. Don't push him away. Continue to have him sleep with you for a bit longer - it's a healthy thing and love on your part.

Don't listen to the advice of stupid liberals concerning this. What good have they ever done, and how have they ever helped anyone?

Answer 6

If he isn't disturbing anyone, let him stay. He'll grow out of it. Otherwise, check out the No Cry Sleep Solution book. There's a chapter specifically on this subject (and specifically for pre-schoolers)

Answer 7

Put him to bed in his own bed, either put up a child gate in his doorway or shut his bedroom door. When you wake up and he is sleeping there, wake him up and walk him back into HIS bedroom and put him back to bed there. It might also help if you became more aware of when he comes into your room and returned him to his bed at that time.

Answer 8

Nanny 911

Answer 9

Super Nanny

Answer 10

Try being a parent. Tell him to stay in his room. Assure him that you love him very much, but to stay in his room. Children need discipline. He may not like it, but he'll get over it.