My toddler wont sleep in his toddler bed!!

Kayla - posted on 12/07/2012

This is EXACTLY what I am going through with my 21 month old! We lived in Okinawa, Japan for 3 years (Air Force). My son was born the year we left in 2011. He always slept in his play pin in our room and did so well with it. When we were getting ready to move back home (he was 8 months old), we had to live in a hotel for almost 2 weeks before we got to leave. And of course, they didnt have any sort of baby bed or anything for him to sleep in, therefore forcing him into our bed. After we got home, he refused to sleep in his bed (all night at least) because he got use to sleeping with us during those 2 weeks. We gave in and let him sleep with us and never tried to get him back into his own bed. Now, he is almost 2 and wont sleep in his own bed. His bed is now a toddler bed and we just started trying to wein him from our bed. The technique we have tried so far (we've only been at it for a week or so) is letting him fall asleep in our bed then transferring him to his bed, only to have him cry to get in our bed in the middle of the night. We have tried laying down next to him but he wont have it. He loves his bed during the day...playing on it, laying and watching a movie in it. He has even fell asleep by himself a few times during the day watching a movie. But sleeping in it at night or falling asleep in it by himself is a completely different story. My husband and I NEED our bed back. We arent getting the proper sleep we need and well....the proper lovin' we need either!! :) It is also starting to take a toll on me as a mother, making me feel like a failure. I am going to keep trying and try my hardest not to give in. Any advice on how to get him in his bed and how to not feel like such a failure as a mom??

Claire - posted on 11/29/2012

well I have got my lil fella to stay in his room by watching bob the builder or something like that and he loves this and goes to sleep he usually likes me to be in room but lately i would say mammy is jsut going to have a shower or last night i said mammy is just going to put something in the bin and he fell asleep! NOW my problem is he NEVER stays asleep he came into my bed at 12 (he only went down at 9) but he NEVER stays still crying on and off every half hour twistign and turning hes NEVER comfortable unless its his buggy! i am at my wits end as we are both getting sick alot because we are run down! if it does not improve after Christmas at all i'll have to get soemone to help as i really think there is a problem with him or maybe he is just bold i dont kow! I might try the radio low in his room ? thats sounds like a good idea?

Carrie - posted on 11/27/2012

Well looks like I'm not alone on this issue either, thank goodness! I have a 2 1/2 year old who won't sleep in his big boy bed either, he sleeps in our bed. If we go to transfer him to his room he either wakes up freaking out because he knows what were up to, or if we're lucky he will sleep for a couple hours and wake and make his way to our room. I've tried the putting him back to his room thing but he screams and throws an enormous fit. So I'll be waiting patiently to see if someone else knows of a good trick:)

Claire - posted on 07/17/2012

Hi Sarah I have a 23 month old that never really slept but started climbing out of his cot since this I had to put him in toddler bed! (NIGHTMARE) he just freaks out ive done the weeks upon weeks of putting him back into bed sitting outside his door lying in his room lying on his pillow and gradually moving away puting him back into his bed when he comes in but NOTHING is working for me both me and his father are WORE out at this stage he never stays easy in our bed either and we do not know what to do anymore?? if you find a solution would be GRATEFULLY appreciated ahahaha :)

Katie - posted on 02/07/2012

Hey Sarah,

I have a 3yr old who still won't go to sleep in her bed alone. We moved to Texas at the end of last July and have been here for about 6 months now. Once she's asleep for the most part she's good now but we either have to put her to bed asleep or lay with her until she falls asleep. One things we've been doing lately is leaving music on all night on low. That seems to be helping with staying asleep as its a constant sound so that when noise happens outside it's okay. We also just bought a fish tank and a couple fish which we have sitting on her dresser on the other side of the room. She absolutely loves it and it's rather soothing. Even though we are still staying with her until she falls asleep she is now usually out within 10 min. You could always try letting him pick out his own bedding. Also, I was also told that kids shouldn't take naps in their bed until around 2-3 yrs because they will confuse the two and not sleep as well at night so I don't know if Cameron takes naps in his bed or not but if so, maybe you could try changing that and see if it helps at all with him at least staying in his own room at night. One last thing, when my daughter has been waking up in the middle of the night lately I've been saying you need to go back to bed and then I take her back to her room and tell her night night go back to sleep and that seems to help. I hope I've been somewhat helpful, I know how stressful that is and hopefully things get better soon.

Pamela - posted on 10/05/2009

Hi.. I have a Cameron he is 20 months, born on the 12th of Jan.. we started introducing him to his toddler bed after a big move from london to perth australia with another one on the way ( 14 months different) I really wanted to get him ready so we started by just giving him naps in his toddler bed we knew the morning nap he would sleep for ages and always went to sleep no problems so we started with that .. then after a few weeks we added the afternoon nap this one took some time he kept coming out we would say nap time and put him back prob took a whole month maybe more if Im honest he came out less and less then one day he didn't come out.. so then we tried night time and he took to it straight away he is a funny kid he comes out once and we say bed and he takes himself back and shuts the door behind him.. we have moved since then but after a few hiccups ( waking up a bit early coming out of bed a few times) he is fine we let him pick out his own bed, though at 12 months Im not sure he really cared and we recently let him pick his own bed spread its has a big shinny robot on it .. he recently ( I think it was his last teeth coming through) came to our bed crying at 4am and as tempted as I was to pull him in with us I didn't I took his hand and said bed its to early and after a few trys and days he got it he still occasionally comes out (I mean he is only 20 months he has to push some boundries) but I take his hand and its back to bed.... this last weekend was our first weekend without my boys my youngest was in a travel cot and cameron was on a mattress on the floor of the spare bedroom.. my mother was looking after him and she took him to bed and left the door open ajar she said he came out and looked at them they said Cameron bed and he said door and shut the door and went back to bed for the whole night and even in the morning he came to them and said Is awake ok? and of corse they said sure and took him for a walk - this surprised me but made me very proud he did that for 4 nights which is great although this morning ( first morning back at home) he came to me with his shoes and said I's awake walk?? it took him some convincing that walking is only for his nana and pop at the farm at 6 am !