Pure Parents

Question:

My two year old comes in during the night wanting to sleep with us.  So far I have succeeded in putting her back in her own bed but she seems to be returning more frequently.  Last night, at 12.30,  she was awake for 11/2 hours,  she seemed so wide awake and she wanted to play with her toys instead of going to sleep.  Eventually I left her and went back to bed, everything seemed fine but I woke in the morning to find her asleep on the floor beside the bed.  She has a good afternoon sleep, roughly for 21/2-3 hours.  Maybe she’s sleeping too much during the day to get a restfull sleep at night??? Twink

Response:

Two is often a really scarey age to be, especially at night. If your 2 year old is playing, the problem may be that she is not tired, but it is often anxiety and need to be near you and then they sleep well. You could try putting a sleeping bag and mattress on the floor by your bed so she can just pop into it if she is frightened without waking you. There are more ideas in parenting and child health on www.cyh.sa.gov.au under sleep. Most children grow out of this as they are reassured and feel more confident. Pam

Response:

I agree with this advice.  My 2 year old has a toddler bed in our room but rarely uses it.  She likes being in bed with me and dad!!  I have to admit, I prefer having her with us too.  I think we all sleep better.  But her bed is there if/when we decide to move her!! My problem is our 9 year old wants to be in bed with us too!!  4 in  a bed is a bit much but we do it from time to time! Good luck. Dawn (Taylor & Mackenzie’s mom) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->As long as you and dh are comfortable and have enough room, why not just >let her come into bed with you? I can’t think of a better way for my son >to fall asleep than right next to me, especially if he’s having trouble >sleeping at night. >If that’s not possible, maybe move her bed in your room, next to yours. >Then she won’t have to sleep on the floor when she wakes up in the >middle of the night, and you still have your bed space.

Response:

I know it’s annoying but young children like the comfort of knowing you are nearby.  They are only young for a short time and they do outgrow it.  If you make a fuss about it now, it will only make it more important. I would suggest quietly taking her back to her bed when she comes into your room.  2 is a little young to give up naps but she might sleep better at night if she’s not sleeping so much during the day. It could be worse.  At 2, my daughter was still waking me up every night. When she finally started sleeping well, I kept waking up because I couldn’t believe that she was sleeping! Madeline http://www.delphi.com/fammedia http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=fammedia

Response:

I just read an article that said 11-13 hours of sleep per 24 hours is the norm for toddlers, though there are variations. 2 1/2 hours for a nap sounds like a long time. If you’d like your child to sleep longer and more soundly at night, try waking her up after a 2 hour nap. It may take a few days to adjust. Good luck! Carolyn

Response:

My two yo sleeps eleven (or so) hours at night and takes a nap in the afternoon that lasts no longer that an hour and a half (I wake her up if necessary).  If I let her sleep longer at nap time, bed time that night is guaranteed to be a hassle.  Sometimes she elects to skip sleeping during the nap, and that usually means she goes to bed a little earlier (once she fell asleep in the middle of dinner!).  I let her wake up when she chooses to in the morning, and she’s generally quite regular.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I just read an article that said 11-13 hours of sleep per 24 hours is the norm >for toddlers, though there are variations. 2 1/2 hours for a nap sounds like a >long time. If you’d like your child to sleep longer and more soundly at night, >try waking her up after a 2 hour nap. It may take a few days to adjust. Good >luck! >Carolyn

Response:

As long as you and dh are comfortable and have enough room, why not just let her come into bed with you? I can’t think of a better way for my son to fall asleep than right next to me, especially if he’s having trouble sleeping at night. If that’s not possible, maybe move her bed in your room, next to yours. Then she won’t have to sleep on the floor when she wakes up in the middle of the night, and you still have your bed space.   Kids’ sleeping patterns change throughout their lives, and perhaps she just doesn’t need as much sleep at night. Maybe night mares are waking her, a sound outside her window, dreams, etc. Watch her carefully and see when she’s showing signs of tiredness during the day, and see if she’ll snuggle with you for a 1/2 hour or so during that time. It won’t be sleep, but it will be rest. I hope that helps! Kristina – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> My two year old comes in during the night wanting to sleep with us.  So > far I have succeeded in putting her back in her own bed but she seems to > be returning more frequently.  Last night, at 12.30,  she was awake for > 11/2 hours,  she seemed so wide awake and she wanted to play with her > toys instead of going to sleep.  Eventually I left her and went back to > bed, everything seemed fine but I woke in the morning to find her asleep > on the floor beside the bed.  She has a good afternoon sleep, roughly > for 21/2-3 hours.  Maybe she’s sleeping too much during the day to get a > restfull sleep at night??? > Twink

Response: