Getting 1 1/2 year old to sleep

Nicole - posted on 02/03/2010

My son wouldn't go to sleep either - we ended up co-sleeping as he just had to have us near at all times (frustrating at the time, but LOVE that he's my cuddle bug now - at 6 1/2 years!). Daughter was just opposite - wouldn't you know? She likes her space; so it made it all the more special to have a cuddly kid. Anyway - he was 19 months, nursing to sleep and I 'thought' I was ready to wean him (looking back, I didn't have to, he wasn't ready and I could have waited longer) - but we substituted a warm sippy cup at bedtime (one of us still had to lay down with him). We could almost set a clock to him waking at about the 2 hour mark, just crying (having us near was his security blanket). He screamed the first night horribly (broke our hearts), but soon accepted the milk instead. However, that created it's own monster as they both, now (at 6 1/2 and 3 1/2) have to have milk at bedtime and there's the domino effect: having to pee during the night and leakage, the teeth, etc. Bottom line is you just do what you have to do - and tune out what other's say who are disapproving. These years are so precious and are gone so fast - do what you have to, to get through it, but also enjoy it (who doesn't like warm milk? both of us adults do, too!), or back rubs (that's slowly taking the place of milk), or stories or music??? They have a CD that has been played at night every single night since they were infants and it still gets turned on! Oh, just read how your boy is very active - he might be over tired. My son, also, seems to rev up at night-time - usually he's on a second wind from being over tired. I'm just amazed when I back up bedtime and they actually fall asleep! You have to watch closely for his signs when he's tired - yawning, glazed look (google it for more) and then use that tiny window to get him to sleep (I think that came from the Baby Whisperer - one of her books)... Routine as well helps then motor down and know it's bedtime. Hate to say it, but TV even could be helpful - "The Purple Crayon" is a cute DVD with stories and soothing music - if he's engaged in the show, he might settle down enough to let body relax and go to sleep. Good luck!

Becky - posted on 02/02/2010

I wish I could help you out but all I can offer you is my sympathy, because I totally understand! My 23 month old is very difficult to get to sleep at night! We have our routine - I lie down with him in his bed, he gets 3 stories, we pray, and then he's supposed to go to sleep. But he just doesn't want to go to sleep! he wants more books, he wants to play, he's bouncing around the bed... I can be in there for over an hour sometimes before he falls asleep. And if I leave, he screams, he doesn't want to go to sleep on his own. I've found that telling him I'm going to leave, or leaving for a few minutes and coming back will often work, but I hate doing that, so I wouldn't suggest it to you.
What time does he go to bed and how many naps does he take during the day? could it possibly be time for a slightly later bedtime or to drop a nap (if he's still taking more than one)? Or just try to wear him out during the day!
Sorry I can't be more help!

Willow - posted on 01/28/2010

I remember that at 18 months it was still hard to get my son interested in bedtime stories. (Now he's 3 and he loves them! I think he really started to get into the stories closer to 24 months and they had be very simple & short.) I still nursed my son to sleep at 18 months old, and I remember it often taking a looooong time. I would encourage as much routine as you can. I didn't put a bath into his routine at night b/c he hated water at that age (instead we'd shower him in the morning.) But for a kid that likes water, a bath can be so soothing as the beginning of the bedtime routine (it works great for my 12 month old daughter.) He also didn't like massage - it seemed to wake him up, but again, my daughter is the opposite and loves her little nightly massage w/lotion. For my son, it was singing that did the trick. First I made up my own lyrics to a few of the popular lullabies (frere jacques, papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird, and even 99 bottles of 'milk' on the wall, lol.) It would still take some time to get him to fall asleep, but I found that eventually the time got to be less and less. (Nowadays we end his bedtime routine with just one song and it really helps his body fall asleep... it almost makes me think of that famous experiment - is it Pavlov's dog that heard the bell when he was fed? The tune for frere jacques helps my son know it's time to sleep.) With my daughter I've been using a white noise machine that plays 'Lullaby' while she falls asleep (nursing) and I'm hoping that when it's time to stop nursing her to sleep that the song Lullaby will help her know it's time to sleep. Good luck!