How do you get a 2 yr old to go to bed at night? I guess it's our fault for never starting him out with a?

Question

bedtime but he was little and we didn't really think about it. Now he's 2 1/2 and if he doesn't take a nap he'll go to bed at 8 or 8:30 but even if he takes an hour hour and a half nap (which is required he lay down at least that long at daycare) he is raring to go til 10:30 at night. He is always awake by no later than 7:30. It's getting tough because my husband and I never get any alone time. By the time our son goes to bed we're ready for bed too! Any helpful suggestions? And no, he doesn't eat candy all day or drink sugary drinks or any kind of pop with caffeine in it, if any at all.

Answer 1

It's just a habit he has, we had the same problem. Here is what you do.. you set a bed time and 15 minutes before that time you start to settle him down, don't let him play up until bed time. With us a bath worked good right before. Then say goodnight place him in his crib and close the door with a monitor. He will cry for about an hour maybe more but eventually he will go to sleep. Make this your nightly routine and by the end of the week he will not make a sound and just go to bed. The first night is going to be very hard because he will cry but you have to let him cry himself to bed. Each night after that the crying gets less and less until one night you will both realize he is asleep. One warning, if you go in at any time during the night and he sees you it will restart the clock and you will start over with the hours worth of crying. But once they realize you will not come into save them they will roll over and go to sleep. We also left a stuffed animal to cuddle with so they had something to comfort themselves with. Good Luck !

Answer 2

I had the same problem....We found that a routine really did work. Every afternoon when we get home she has "playtime" while a relax for a few minutes and cook dinner. When dinner is ready she eats usually around 6 or 6:30 she can either play or watch a movie until 7:30. At 7:30 she has bathtime and by 8:15 she is in bed. I read one or two stories and leave a nightlight on for her. I also play soothing calming music while she is sleeping. She is very scared of the dark and I was the same way. I know that when I was little every little noise or headlight would keep me up. I was terrified that something was going to get me no matter what anyone said to me. I have found that my daughter is similar and that the calm low music makes it easier for her to fall asleep, but it doesn't distract her or keep her up. Good Luck and hang in there. Just remember to be consistent and firm with whatever you decide to do.

Answer 3

Sounds like he doesn't need his nap anymore (if it's allowing him to stay up until 10 pm - he doesn't need it - this little guy should be in bed by 8pm, max). You need to establish a bed-time routine (max time allowed 30 min). That way he'll know what to expect each night and it'll cue his brain that it's time to wind down and go to sleep. Kids are creatures of habit - allow him to get into a GOOD habit of going to bed nicely and sanely. Maybe give him a fruit snack at 7:30, with some milk. Then take (escort) him up to brush his teeth and go pee(if he's toilet trained). Then take him to his room and get his PJs on. Then allow him to choose a book to read and sit him on your lap and read it to him. have a few min for a cuddle and then it's lights out. If it's the SAME (roughly) every night, he'll soon get the idea, kids are smart, but you need to be 1 step ahead. Your time with hubby is important, and so is your time with your child... Your child will test you at every turn... DON'T fail the test! Stick with your routine, even if it requires the odd time-out because he's upset and pushing all the buttons. He'll want to know if you are serious about the new rules and thus he'll try to over-step them all. Stay plesant, keep reminding yourself that it's for everyone's benefit (including your son's) and whatever you do don't cave. Good luck, it is possible, you just need to be ready.

Answer 4

Routine! Routine! Routine! Start one now...I have a 14 year old boy and 2 1/2 year old boy and my 14 yr. old was and still is horrible about bedtime. When my two year came along I was a stickler with bedtime and the routine that occurred beforehand. Now, he's so used to it he does the routine on his own once I tell him it's time. So much so that when I switched him from his crib to a toddler bed he never ONCE even attempted to get out of it. 9pm at my house is bedtime, bath, story, prayer and up in bed he jumps. I walk out and never hear a sound from him. He lays there quietly until he finally falls asleep. It won't be easy to start now...you'll get some grief and crying but stick to your guns. They'll get used to it.

Answer 5

I do daycare in my domicile and presently I watch somewhat boy that screams consistently. If the service can not paintings with the habit then they'd desire to communicate it with the discern. If the habit nevertheless does not replace then the service needs to ask the mummy and dad to take the newborn someplace else. We understand that it is your infant and which you particularly prefer to be close with your newborn yet there are different procedures of doing it without sleeping with them and retaining all of them day. As a daycare service i could somewhat like not something extra desirable than to sit down and carry toddlers all day however the priority comes while all 5 prefer to be held or you are able to desire to alter diapers or make meals and snacks. in some unspecified time sooner or later you will would desire to paintings with the aid of this or p.c. in case you prefer to in basic terms locate different care. Oh and don't worry with the human beings telling you to stay domicile - does not or not that is superb if we couldd all purely stay domicile!! of direction each mommy desires to stay domicile despite the fact that it purely isn't achievable!

Answer 6

It's not too late to get him started on a bedtime routine now. If he just isn't tired, then part of your routine could be sending him to read or play quietly in his room for a certain amount of time before you come in to tuck in and turn lights out. Our girls (10, 5, & 3) don't get tucked in until about 9:15, but they all go upstairs to read at 8:45. Yes, even our littlest will "read" for that long. Sometimes she will play quietly on the bed for some of that time, too. So they aren't sleeping, but it gives hubby & I time to relax and be alone with one another in the evenings. It also serves to relax the girls and prepare them mentally for sleep.

Good luck!

Answer 7

I went through this with my niece. My sister would leave the T.V. on in our niece's bedroom to get her "out of her hair" for the night. A big NO-NO!

Start with a routine. Bath, story, bed.
I took our son to the park each night before bath to wear him out- he is autistic and getting him to bed was hard. Autistic kids have a difficult time turning their minds off.

BE FIRM! After the story- it is bedtime. I leave the light on for 15 mintues so our son and my niece could read on their own- and then lights out. If they get out- they go right back in.

My niece is 11 now and lives with my parents. When she came to us- she never napped or slept before midnight. It was crazy! When she went to my parents at age 3.5 she was on a bedtime routine and never strayed from it.

Talk to your son- after story it's bedtime- and you are not to get out. Little boys need their rest, etc. Over and over and over.

Make each night the same- It does work!

Good luck!

Answer 8

My twins are two. If they get out of bed, they know they're going to get spanked and put right back in. Works every time.

As far as calming them down, we have a routine we never stray from... bath, pajamas, story, get tucked in. Also, since they do a great job of riling each other up, we've found that treating them like wild animals helps -- speaking softly, no quick movements or yelling or losing tempers. That just winds them up even more. They know that once they're in bed they have to stay in.

Answer 9

start waking him up in the morning and later on during the day take him to the park or do something outside when its bed time he will be ready to lay down......and put him to bed with a book or something.

Answer 10

The rituals work. Also read a book, and sometimes (especailly when Im tired) read it in a real sleepy voice - kind of like a boring high school teacher :)