Please help! I haven't slept in 5 days!!!?

Question

My son is 16 almost 17 months and after 4 nights without sleep we decided to assemble his Toddler bed and try it out.
It took almost 2 hrs. to get him to sleep last night. we tried everything: closing the door (and letting him cry), turning on a DVD, allowing him to walk out of the room and we "calmly" return him...finally I decided to lay in the floor. He finally fell asleep after about 20 minutes.
He then awake again at 3:00 a.m. (which is what he was doing while in the crib) and wouldn't go back to sleep (at this point I was sleeping in my room) again I tried all the above methods, and finally at 5:00 a.m. I caved and put him in bed with us.
I haven't gotten more than 4 hrs. of sleep in 5 days!!!
BTW he eats before bed, and has suficient naps, and fresh diaper before bed every night

There has GOT to be an easier way to do this!!!!
ANY SUGGESTIONS!!!!????
(I'm at my wit's end here)

a few extra details: he has fallen from hgis crib once, and has been crying excessively at night (in the crib) I talked with a few other mom's and they all said he's ready for a toddler bed. so, we bought and put one up.

The only problem with "crying it out" is that we have touchy neighbor's and they have called th cops on us for much less.

I'm adding more inresponse to a few of you who said that he shoudl go back to the crib. That is not an option. He has fallen twice and climbed out more (we happened to see and caught him) so NO we won;t be doing that.
I welocme any advice, but please don't suggest that anymore.
**my landlord came by last night and said some neighbors have complained already, I'm SOOO drained, and still nothing is working..for the past 3 nights I have just been laying in his floor (not looking at him or talking to him) unitl he falls asleep, then putting up a gate and when he awakes at night doing the same** NOT WORKING!!!

Answer 1

Personally, I'd put him back in the crib until he falls asleep on his own. Then, I'd go back to trying the toddler bed. FIRST, I'd put him in bed with me and "catch up" on my sleep so that I have some patience and sanity. Are you using the same routine every night? We go like this: snack, play with the lights down for about 15 minutes (and I warn him his bath is coming in X # of minutes), bath, books (with the lights low). He usually goes to sleep reading. I read one and he "reads" one, then me, then him. Some nights, he wants to "bath" because he wants to go read books, so he hurries up and washes to get to lay down with me and the books. I learned quick that a solid routine works best for my son and we follow it even when we are on vaca. I have also found that he "acts crazy" on his dad (who lets him stay up late), whereas I start his routine between 6 and 7. He gets to sleep early and is easier to deal with (generally, not always).
I know this is a very trying time right now. Make sure you are taking care of YOU.
Good luck and best wishes.

Edit: I take it back. I'd keep letting him sleep in the crib until he learns to crawl out.

If he has fallen out, that changes everything. He should go in a big boy bed. Keep a routine and eventually, he will follow it. My dad said he and my mom had to lie down with me at first, then eventually, I started going to sleep on my own. My step-mom said the same thing about her 3 kids. I don't believe in the cry-it-out method. I think it is cruel to let a baby cry on and on.

Answer 2

I think the problem is that you are trying "all the above methods" without just being consistent on one routine. A dvd will be stimulating to your child, rather than putting him to sleep. Choose a consistent bedtime routine, instead of trying "everything" and eventually "caving." Read him a story, tuck him in, and then put him back in bed without talking or making eye contact when he wakes up. Do that every time, every night. You're helping him to learn a new habit. If you do something different every time he gets out of bed, he's going to keep getting up just to see what you'll do next! Wouldn't you?

Although: I think 16 months is way too young for a toddler bed. I would wait until age 2.

Answer 3

I would take all the toys out of the room, so he doesn't want to play. You can get these door locks, like the ones you put on your front door and it keeps them in there. They are plastic attachments. So I read and watched on nanny shows methods of getting them to sleep. You have to sit close to them so they can see you, but you are not allowed to look at them, touch them or talk to them. You are there just so they can be comforted by you being in your presence. The first day you try this, it will drag on, and will be very hard because they will cry. You have to stick to it. (also start a bedtime routine if you haven't already. Like 8 read a book, brush teeth, kisses. Then each night after that, you move further away from them, doing the same thing, (not talking not looking) and then you sit in the hall the last day, or few days if they are still having a hard time. It usually only takes a few days, and the kids know what to expect and don't fight you because they see you sticking to it. And for waking up in the night, as hard as it is, it is for their own good at that age, to let them cry it out as long as they are not sick. That only took one night and the next night they didn't wake up, or they fell back asleep quickly. Just stick with it, even though it will be hard the first few days you will me surprised at how easy it can be after that.

EDIT: Some people have said to bring him in your bed for a few nights, but personally I think it would confuse him if you didn't want him to sleep in your bed long term. I would recommend getting a babysitter to catch up on some sleep if you really need it. Wow I can't believe about the cop thing. Try a fan so it blocks out some of the noise, no wonder you are pacing the room trying to keep him from crying. Gosh, kids just cry sometimes.

Answer 4

When my son was about the same age I had the same problems with him. I finally started to put him to bed in a regular bed at a set bedtime. I would put a gate in the door so he could still hear what was going on and wasn't scared. I think it took him 3-4 nights to finally start going to sleep without throwing a fit. The first couple of nights he actually fell asleep crying by the gate, it was heart breaking. At the same time I was also at my wits end and had to do something. After those first 4 nights he went to bed at a set bedtime and I haven't had any problems with him since, he's 4 now. Good luck!

Answer 5

ok, in all seriousness. Put him in your bed. Just for a little bit to get you back into sanity again. you need the sleep. when it comes right down to it you can't bed-train a kid when you are crazy and have no patience from lack of sleep yourself. Do whatever you can to get him to sleep..if that means putting up the crib again do it. he might just not be ready. Get a few good nights sleep and try it all over again. Maybe he just needs a bit more time before he will be ready to sleep on his own in a big boy bed. Rushing won't help him any and if he's not ready nothing you do will work. sorry that you have slipped backwards but really, he is still just a baby..there will come a day when you fondly remember and wish for those sleepless nights back. Let him make his own path at his own speed, however slow that may be.

Answer 6

We did this .......get one of thos tall baby gates.( It touches the top of my thighs when I step over it) Put it at the entrance of his door so he can open the door but cant get out of his room so its basically a large room size crib.
Our son went through this once he started to crawl in and out of his crib at 20months.
The first time he realized he couldnt run out, he cried but we would just put him back in his "big boy bed" and he would EVENTUALLY go to bed. If he woke up in the middle of the night, we would go put him back in bed and wait next to the room(outside the baby gate) and assure him we were there. But insist he stayed in his bed. He would fall asleep again. After about 3 weeks of this, he now goes to bed no probelm. We still keep up the baby gate because there is the occasion that he will wake in the middle of the night whether it be a bad dream or just cant sleep. Now even in the mornings, we will hear him over the baby monitor playing with his toys in his room when he wakes up . He knows that when the gate is up, he cant get out. Its great for those morning that you need that extra 10 minutes of sleep. Good Luck!

Answer 7

Time and patience are the answer. Sorry - no quick ways, but you need to stick to one method.

You need to tell him he is sleeping in his own bed every night. Then put him in bed. Read him a book. Tell him good night - hug him, kiss him and leave the room. Then - do the "calmly return" thing without talking to him, interacting with him or even looking at him.

Expect that it could last hours the first couple nights. Within a week or 10 days, the time should be considerably shortened and your routine is set.

Answer 8

I think you ought to put him back in the crib my son is just as old and still in a crib i didnt put my other 2 children in a toddler bed until they were a little older than 2. but when he is ready it will take a while for them to get used to it. we just put them back in bed when they got out and they finally would just fall asleep.. just give it some time.

Answer 9

For the most part, a normal person can't go without sleep for more than about a day without it showing, and about 2 days without it affecting them. Whilst I could probably go for 5 days without sleep because of a rare form of Epilepsy I suffer from, the effects would easily be noticeable after at least 3 days, and really affect me by the 4th, possibly even earlier.

Answer 10

try keeping him busier and more active during the day, this should help him from waking up in the middle of the night.

as far as getting him to bed in the first place goes...try to develop a relaxing routine before bedtime. sit down with him in his room, tuck him in, read him a story or sing a song with him, you might have to tuck him in again.

once he is settled in, give him a toy that he can only have at bedtime like a glow worm or a stuffed animal...hopefully, this will help him know that bedtime is a good thing and help make it a "special" time for him. getting kids to sleep is TOUGH, but if you develop a routine and are consistant with your rules (i.e. bedtime and sleeping in his own bed) and the routine...you should both get used to it soon :) good luck!