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How to get my toddler to sleep at night

Krysta - posted on 08/10/2009 ( 1 mom has responded )

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My two year old toddler won't sleep at night. We put him down at 9:00pm and he turns on his light and sit's in his room and plays intell midnight sometimes later. I go into his room about 1:00am and turn his light off, but not even an hour later he while wake up and cry and turn his light on. Finally I put in a motion light so when he falls a sleep it well turn off and wont make my electric bill go sky high. He wakes up about 7:30am and takes a nap at 1:30 to 4:30. I think he get's night mares and I know he is scared of the dark. He has a nightlight but he has to sleep with the light on even with naps. I would like him to fall asleep at a normal time. I've tried everthing I can think of. I even tried what nanny 911 show'sbut it doesn't work. What do I do?????

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Liz - posted on 08/10/2009

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A strict schedule is a great thing with little ones. I would not give him a nap so late.....if my children sleep that long there is no way they will go to bed before 11pm. My three and a half year old stopped taking naps during a normal day at 2 years old. With my oldest we used to get up about 7-7:30 in the morning, we would go down about 1-2pm and sleep for an hour and a half at the most. That way when 8 pm rolled around he was tired and wanted to go to sleep. A bedtime routine also helps big time. Have dinner, take a bath, read a book, and then time to go to sleep. Turn the light off (have a night light on low dim) and tell him it is bedtime and to go to sleep.



This will not happen in a day and probably not even in a week, but you can get your little one on your schedule that you want them to be on. You need to just set the goals and go with it. My little ones when they fight me to go to sleep at night I will tell them well if we are going to do (whatever) you need your sleep so you can go and do it tomorrow, that helps as well.



You can make it so he can't turn his light on at night-tape the switch, there are other ways to stop that habit as well.



The biggest thing though is the very long nap, if you took a 3 hour nap at didn't get up until 4:30 that is like starting a new day for some children. Starting a nap after lunch and letting it go an hour but no more than an hour and a half, and bedtime by 8-8:30 will get your little one tired enough by that time at night that he will want to go to sleep.



Good Luck, I know it can be difficult!

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