How to get my daugher to sleep in her own bed?

Question

My daughter is 21 months old and for the past month and a half she has been waking up/sometimes not going to sleep in her own bed. She was doing fine before that, but now she won't go back into her bed. All she wants to do is sleep out in the living room on the futon, so I have to sleep on the other couch. Every thime I try to put her back into her bed, she cries. She shares a room with her 8 month old sister and when she cries she might wake her up. How do I get her to sleep in her own bed as well as her not waking up the baby? I am tired of sleeping on the couch and just need a solution. I have looked everywhere? Please help me I am looking desperatly for an answer! Thank you!

Answer 1

I sympathise with you. The main thing to remember is that most kids go through stages, and hopefully she will grow out of it. I think by sleeping on the other couch you are encouraging her. You have to be strong, I know during the middle of the night it is hard to but you have to let her know that it is not acceptable and that she has to sleep in her own bed. Perhaps if you took her back to her bed, read her a story , tucked her in and tell her goodnight. Then when she gets out again, just put her back to bed. It will be tiring, but worth it in the end. good luck

Answer 2

If she's not getting the bed with you and just sleeping on the couch then don't worry with it. My 3 year old sleeps on the couch sometimes nad I let him, at least he's sleeping. She may justbe wanting to get away from the baby, so put another baby moniter in the living room so you can hear her when she getsup. Don't go to the living room and sleep with her. Or maybe put a sleeping bag in teh hallyway in front of her bedroom and if she moves to it just pull it back into the bedroom and it won't wake her up. Either way it goes it more than likely just a phase and you shouldn't have to worry with it for long.

Answer 3

I have had exactly the same problem, and don't worry, it is now solved! Firstly, please dont just let her cry as someone suggested. I am studying child psychology, and the controlled crying method, although effective, is NOT good for a child. You are teaching them that when they need you most, you are abandoning them.
Know that this is a stage, it is natural for a child to want to sleep with their parents, in so many other countries it is normal!
Saying that, I took the gentle approach and explained to my son in age appropriate language that it was time for us all to sleep in our own beds. If he needed me in the middle of the night, he could call me and I would come straight away. I would sit on the bed and hold his hand until he went back to sleep. This slowly became less frequent and now hardly ever happens.
It may be worthwhile thinking about why your child does not like her bedroom. Does she feel safe and comfortable?
If you dont have one, maybe get a monitor so that you can hear your childs noise straight away and go straight in, to stop the possible waking of the baby.
Another technique that worked wonders was the sleep fairy. I had my son decorate a sleep fairy pot, and every morning that he woke up, if he had stayed in his own bed all night (even if I had to sit with him a while), the sleep fairy had magically left a small present.
Hope this helps, and good luck. I know it can be very tiring, but keep your childs mental wellbeing in mind, no matter what you decide. The problem wont last forever and when she is older you will miss waking up next to her :)

Answer 4

My daughter is now 3 but she went through a 5 month period where she wouldn't sleep in her own bed (or room) until my mother came to visit after I gave birth to my second daughter. After Gramma left, she asked to sleep in her own bed. I think that once she saw that everything was ok each morning she was fine with it. She still wakes up in the middle of the night but I can put her back in her bed and she'll sleep the rest of the night. With a new baby in the house I am very aware of the noise that baby makes to make sure that I don't distrub her. I do have humidifier and radio on in her room so that she hears that over the baby. I did try trading places with her for a while and had her sleep in my room (on the floor) and I slept in her bed. That seemed to help too.

Answer 5

At 21 months my son was in bed with me every night. It's very natural for kids to want to be with their parents at night. You have to let her know kindly and firmly that she will not be sleeping on the futon any more. Encourage her into her own bed by letting her choose some special things for her bed from the store - the nightlight idea is a great one. Using language appropriate for her age, tell her that if she really needs you in the night, she can come to your room and climb in your bed BUT only for a one-minute cuddle, and then you will put her back in her bed. This way she gets the reassurance she needs but she also knows that her place is in her own bed.
The best sleeping-problem solution plan I ever read is in Good Night, Sleep Tight, by Kim West. It's the most useful thirty bucks you will ever spend, I promise. It has detailed, kind solutions for all common sleep problems with young children.

Answer 6

I had that problem too I put the bed in the same room I wait when she is really sleeping I try to put in her bed i huge her like 5 or3 minutes or you can put the bed next to your bed after some days you tell that is not a baby and the other kids sleep alone and they are very happy that they feel big like Mommy and daddy, my daughter sleep alone with a teddy bear she will have 4 year and my other daughter will have 9 month, sorry I can't write good english God blees you, bye .

Answer 7

take the pack and play and set it up in the front room and put the 8 month old in it. Be very consistant for a couple of days and get the 2 year old back in her bed when you've got that settle work the 8 month old back into the room.
Good luck!

Answer 8

with our son we told him in 3 days you sleep in your own bed like a big boy. We then took him to the store to let him pick out his own night light to put in his room. He picked the most expensive a fish one that changes colors but it worked. Daddy had to start out sitting in there till he fell asleep while looking at the light for about 4 days then it was like clock work. At bed time he laid down and watched the light change colors and fell asleep. Hope this helps good luck I remember those nights.

Answer 9

When she'll go to sleep bring her to her bed and lay with her until she sleep. Get a story book for children and read to her a story. Do it every time she'll go to sleep until she became used to sleep into her bed.

Answer 10

to the fool "Jessica …"posting the link "http://hometown.aol.com/goodjessica98815..." your soo stupid and you need to stop..

tell her she has to keep the baby form being loney. and when she doesn`t sleep with her than the baby cries cuz she misses her or maybe that is she doesn`t stay that the baby has "nightmares" and needs her to prtect her.. then read a story or take her to pick out a bed time teddy to cuddle with her and then tuck her into bed and when she hops out tell her to hurry back to bed before the baby misses her.. give her teddy and tuck her back in bed.. this will probley go on for about 2 day but as long as you make her feel important for stayin with her sis like she`s protecting her then it won`t be as bad..
good luck!