HELP how to change my 2 year olds sleeping schedule

lovelyMYlovely

my 2 year old son stays up so late!! ill put him to bed at 9pm... and he ALWAYS wakes up at 12am and falls asleep at 2 am!!! and he loves waking up at 11 am the next day.. yesterday i didnt even put him down for a nap and HE STILL WOKE UP AT 12AM!!!

so this morning i woke him up at 9am because my 3 year old daughtergoes to sleep early and wakes up early... so i woke up early as well and got him up.. meaning him n i only got 6 hours of sleep.... ahhh.. im not letting him take a nap today... i hope he sleep through the night!!

is this how to change a 2 year olds sleeping schedule.. by the way whenever i let him take a nap even if he woke up early he still goes to sleep very late..... its so annoying help

lovelyMYlovely

bump.. really need help .....?..

hearthemelody

I don't have kids, but I would check with a parenting website if I did.

hearthemelody

In fact, here is a link for you:

http://www.wikihow.com/Put-a-Two-Year-Old-to-Sleep

lovelyMYlovely

hmm ok....... thanks....

beernpizza

2 is a tough age, especially if he's out of a crib and into a toddler bed. The thing that helped me the most was just keeping with a schedule. They'll eventually break.

rompers16

You can't really let him sleep til 11 and expect him to have a normal schedule. Start getting him up earlier and then work on having a set routine for bedtime.

RGv2

You can't really let him sleep til 11 and expect him to have a normal schedule. Start getting him up earlier and then work on having a set routine for bedtime.

/thread.

The problem is letting him sleep til 11.

seekingstrengthX2

You already did what I would have recommended. Wake him up at 9am...every day. Always. He shouldnt be sleeping til 11. You are setting him up for eating issues in the future. How can he eat breakfast when he is gettjng up ag lunchtime? Make sure he is asleep at 9pm....not starting some 30 minute bedtime routine, but asleep. Wake him at 9. It might be Hell for a few days but his body will adjust at some point.

Mummyadams

I feel you pain. I agree with setting a more rigid routine.
Start putting him to bed earlier and getting him up earlier.
A 2 year old really should be in bed by around 7pm and while he may wake up during the night, it may be due to hunger. He is only 2 so his tummy is still small. Offer him a drink of milk and quietly put him back to sleep with no fuss.
If he is still taking day naps, reduce them so that he is tired at night. Good luck. There really is nothing worse than a broken nights sleep.

lovelyMYlovely

lol the only reason i let him sleep till 11 was because he kept me up till almost 3 and i was tired as hell lol.... i still am right now.... ahhh i feel like i may have my son take a nap right now and take one myself... my schedule sucks.... ahhhh lol...

ahamm002

my 2 year old son stays up so late!! ill put him to bed at 9pm... and he ALWAYS wakes up at 12am and falls asleep at 2 am!!! and he loves waking up at 11 am the next day.. yesterday i didnt even put him down for a nap and HE STILL WOKE UP AT 12AM!!!

so this morning i woke him up at 9am because my 3 year old daughtergoes to sleep early and wakes up early... so i woke up early as well and got him up.. meaning him n i only got 6 hours of sleep.... ahhh.. im not letting him take a nap today... i hope he sleep through the night!!

is this how to change a 2 year olds sleeping schedule.. by the way whenever i let him take a nap even if he woke up early he still goes to sleep very late..... its so annoying help

If he's happy and just entertaining himself in his room then what's the problem? If he wants you to come play with him at midnight then obviously that can't be happening. Start getting him up earlier and letting him cry it out at midnight. He's old enough now that he can consciously adapt a little bit. It's not like he's a baby anymore and doesn't understand.

lovelyMYlovely

i always give him milk in the night... the problem is he is hyper in the night. I DO PUT HIM TO BED AT 9 and i said he goes to sleep till 12 and goes back to sleep at 2-3 am its hard 4 me..... im doin th right things but yes i think the problem is him sleeping till 11 but i only let him because he doesnt sleep till 2-3 am! lol i dont wanna deprive him of sleep.... anyways.. my new schedule is

-wake him up at 9 am....

-nap time 1 pm


-night night time 830 pm....

ill try this for a week if all else fails idk what the hell to do lol

MyChocolateDiet

so this morning i woke him up at 9am because my 3 year old daughtergoes to sleep early and wakes up early... so i woke up early as well and got him up.. meaning him n i only got 6 hours of sleep.... ahhh.. im not letting him take a nap today...

I would only wake him up earlier, but would not interfere with his nap at first. Because he may need that especially since he's being woken up earlier. Then if doing this for a week he is still not going to bed early enough, I would start waking him up earlier from his naps a half hour or fifteen minutes at a time and trying each phase for a week before shortening it further until he is going to bed at a reasonable hour. I found waking earlier caused earlier attempts at bedtime to go smoother. Little by little bring him to bed earlier and do your normal routine.

When he wakes in the middle of the night give him NOTHING, don't change diaper, don't talk and hardly move. If you must get near him to help him back to sleep do so quietly with no lights on little sound or commotion and literally play dead and let him bore himself back to sleep. This should stop sooner than the other problem I think.

stumblinthrulife

Routine, routine, routine.

Dinner, bath, pajamas, stories, bed. Dinner, bath, pajamas, stories, bed. Dinner, bath, pajamas, stories, bed. Or whatever your personal routine is.

Even within the stories, have one story that is always read last. Between each story, recount which stories are still to be read, ending with 'bed'. "ok, we'll read story 1, then story 2, then story 3, then your favorite, then bed" "ok, story 2, then story 3, then fave, then bed", "Story 3, then fave, then bed." "fave, then bed", "ok, time for bed!".

Offer some choices he can make throughout the day. I found that when given sufficient control over other things, my daughter was less likely to struggle for control over things that are important to me. Do I care precisely which books we read before bed? That her outfit matches perfectly? Not really. But I do care that she gets to bed at a good time. So I only pick the fights I know I will persevere at and win. To my daughter it appears that I always 'win' power struggles so now she doesn't bother or gives up very quickly. The reality is that I pre-choose strategic 'losses' and present them as choices.

If you are looking to move his bedtime earlier (and I would, 9pm seems very late for a 2 year old), then I guess you have two ways you can do it. If you are very strong, and willing to persevere with the fight, you could go with a big bang approach. You have to be very strong with this approach though since once you start losing, you'll keep losing. Alternatively, and I'd suggest this, you can start moving it forward 10 minutes every couple of days. I wouldn't even necessarily tell him you are doing it (assuming he can't read a clock).

All of this is just from personal experience, of course. Doesn't make it right, and doesn't mean it will work for you. But it's worked out pretty good for me.

algebravoodoo

Yes, getting him up when you want him up is a step in the right direction.

Fully realize that this is a human being with his own biological rhythms, there is only so much you can do to shift his internal clock. With this in mind, setting up a bedtime routine is big help, although it sounds like you may already have one going.

Supper at about the same time, followed by bath, followed by story (with less lighting to set the sleepy mood), followed by bed without compromise will help him establish a routine and he will begin to get sleepy on cue. You won't have to do this forever, but until he can learn how to make himself sleepy, it can save you some gray hair.

Being the mother of six, I know nothing will work 100% of the time, but I did have good results with this on 5 out of my six. Sadly, duct tape and ketamine would not have kept him in bed :sad: I was one stressed out mama fora little while there.

lovelyMYlovely

my 2 year old son stays up so late!! ill put him to bed at 9pm... and he ALWAYS wakes up at 12am and falls asleep at 2 am!!! and he loves waking up at 11 am the next day.. yesterday i didnt even put him down for a nap and HE STILL WOKE UP AT 12AM!!!

so this morning i woke him up at 9am because my 3 year old daughtergoes to sleep early and wakes up early... so i woke up early as well and got him up.. meaning him n i only got 6 hours of sleep.... ahhh.. im not letting him take a nap today... i hope he sleep through the night!!

is this how to change a 2 year olds sleeping schedule.. by the way whenever i let him take a nap even if he woke up early he still goes to sleep very late..... its so annoying help

If he's happy and just entertaining himself in his room then what's the problem? If he wants you to come play with him at midnight then obviously that can't be happening. Start getting him up earlier and letting him cry it out at midnight. He's old enough now that he can consciously adapt a little bit. It's not like he's a baby anymore and doesn't understand.

well if he was quietly playing i wouldnt be asking u guys lol.. he is very loud and cries and cries till i get him out.... or give him milk.. if i try to ugnore him he cries louder till i come... he can cry up to an hour and after an hour i surrender because how can i sleep with a screaming baby? plus he wakes up his sister so i try 2 get to him as fast as i can but he will cry till i get 2 him.. he just likes to play... idk.... he is a night owl like me lol....

beernpizza

What is he doing at night prior to bedtime? At 7:30 we start our bedtime rouitine and give the kiddo a bath, when she gets out of the bath the lights in the house are off or dim and we play quietly with blocks or coloring books until bedtime. Pretty much anything that's calming we do, not playing with the drums or anything too loud.

lovelyMYlovely

well when i do put them to bed all the lights in the house are off except the closet is on because i like having them get a bit of light and i have that cracked open...

also they will BOTH be sleeping and then he randomly wakes up 2 hours after his sleep.... so anyways... '

i just put him 2 take a nap.... at 1 and now ill have him sleep at 9pm HOPEFULLY he sleeps through the night!! and tomorrow ill wake him up at 9... i REALLY hope this works because idk how much more i can take.. because thats just his schedule.. mine is

lay down at 9 try to sleep- toss and turn - start getting sleepy and start falling asleep- hear him cry! get up- give him a milk/change him- i lay back down- hear him cry AGAIN- bring him out with me to show him everyone is sleeping put him back in his crib- then I FINALLY go to sleep at 2-3 am.. i wake up at 5 or 6 - go back to sleep till 8 when my daughter wakes me up- give her breakfast and turn on her tv- go back to sleep till my son wakes up... thats my schedule.. but im trying to change it lol! as u can see i dont get much beauty rest... its horible

supplemama

When my kids were that age their bedtime was 8pm. Up at 6am.

Remember you are the parent and you control when his bedtime is. If/when he gets up, simply put him back in the bed. If your kids have a TV in their room, remove it.

stumblinthrulife

If your kids have a TV in their room, remove it.

I'm a firm believer in no TV in the bedroom. I won't even allow a TV in the master bedroom.

Beds are for sleep and (for grownups) sex (at least when the kitchen table isn't available).

supplemama

And yes, he's going to scream and cry for awhile, but toddlers are fairly adaptable. He should be adjusted in a week or so. Stay firm and don't give in.

rompers16

As a side note, milk is a bad idea at bedtime..he can end up with milk teeth (decay). Sorry, it's the mom in me.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

My son goes through periodic sleep wonkiness. Children tend to go through the same things about the same time (stages) so I'd suggest you join your birth board here: http://www.babycenter.com/

Or you could alway purchase what to expect when you're expecting, the toddler years.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

As a side note, milk is a bad idea at bedtime..he can end up with milk teeth (decay). Sorry, it's the mom in me.

Milk is only a bad idea if you leave them with the bottle and you don't brush their teeth. During our evening routine we read stories and cuddle while he eats apple sauce and cottage cheese (he sleeps better on a fuller tummy) and drinks milk, then we brush teeth, then we turn out the lights.

rompers16

As a side note, milk is a bad idea at bedtime..he can end up with milk teeth (decay). Sorry, it's the mom in me.

Milk is only a bad idea if you leave them with the bottle and you don't brush their teeth. During our evening routine we read stories and cuddle while he eats apple sauce and cottage cheese (he sleeps better on a fuller tummy) and drinks milk, then we brush teeth, then we turn out the lights.

I agree...I hope she is having him brush before he goes back to sleep.

Cadori

Is he watching TV right before bed? That can rev him up and make sleep hard.

Does he have a lot of sugar during the day?

Our kids (5 and 1) have dinner at 6:30, bath at 7, story and bedtime at 7:30. Granted, they're up around 6, but their early bedtime is crucial to my sanity and for my husband and I to get some time together in the evening.

I would wake your son up by 7 and force set meal times and nap time for a bit (breakfast at 8, lunch at 11:30, nap from 12-3, dinner at 6:30, bed at 7:30 was my son's schedule at that age). It should make bedtime much earlier. Also, at 2, in a typically developing child, I would have him cry it out if he's waking in the middle of the night for hours at a time.

Good luck! Sleep trouble is the worst.

seekingstrengthX2

Stop giving him milk at midnight. He is 2, not an infant. Assuming he is being properly nourished during the day, he does not need food or drink in the middle of the night. He is training you. It needz to be the other way around.

Mummyadams

Stop giving him milk at midnight. He is 2, not an infant. Assuming he is being properly nourished during the day, he does not need food or drink in the middle of the night. He is training you. It needz to be the other way around.

I disagree with this - in my experience young children can wake up hungry and at the end of the day if takes a drink from a sippy cup to lull him back to sleep so be it. In regards to the milk/teeth debate, yes young children should not be put to bed with a bottle of milk but a cup never hurt anyone as long as teeth are kept brushed mornings & night.

stumblinthrulife

Stop giving him milk at midnight. He is 2, not an infant. Assuming he is being properly nourished during the day, he does not need food or drink in the middle of the night. He is training you. It needz to be the other way around.

I disagree with this - in my experience young children can wake up hungry and at the end of the day if takes a drink from a sippy cup to lull him back to sleep so be it. In regards to the milk/teeth debate, yes young children should not be put to bed with a bottle of milk but a cup never hurt anyone as long as teeth are kept brushed mornings & night.

I can understand where you are coming from, but there really isn't a nutritional need for a two year old to be fed in the middle of the night. A child needs to learn to get through the night without being fed. I'd say that if any attention is needed, it should be payed to the evening meal, and ensuring it is sufficient to see the child through the night.

The mother's sanity is as important a consideration as anything else. Waking in the middle of the night to feed a two year old who almost certainly does not need feeding is obviously taking it's toll on this poor lady, and will almost certainly have a detrimental impact on her parenting ability the next day.

Belenmc

Wake him up at 8 every morning. Get out of the house, go for a walk, a playgroup, the park whatever.

Afternoon nap: at this age some kids start dropping it. Dont let him sleep for a few hours

bedtime routine. dinner, bath, bed, same time, 8ish.. Or whatever works for you. Once in bed you dont leave the bed/cot, Its bed time until you wake up, not lets get mummy for lols when I am bored.

what happens when he wakes up at midnight? he cries and you come and give him milk. In toddler eyes this is party time. Check he is ok, nappy etc and then go to bed, no extra mummy cuddle time and milk. Also milk and juice before going to bed contributes to tooth decay.

If you are knackered it will be as hard on you as it is on him, but the idea is to learn that during the day you do thinks and at night you sleep, and mummy sleeps too, cheers.