 |
This post originally appeared March 14, 2012.
Ahhhh bedtime. Peaceful. Quiet. The perfect time for parents to relax, recharge and reconnect with each other. After the kids have smiled their last sleepy smile you close the door and drift downstairs ready to let the adult time begin.
Doesn’t that sound fabulous… and well UNREALISTIC?!?!? I would have agreed until about 6 months ago. I was in search of a way to fix our bedtime woes.
The Bedtime Battle
M and M had become out of control at bedtime. Begging for one more drink, yelling for me (or at each other), crying for me to stay in the room. It was awful… and of course I made terrible parenting choices. I was so, so exhausted by that point in the evening that I was doing things I don’t even consider during the day.
Bribery, bending (um breaking) set rules, yelling (ick), and worst of all letting guilt sway my parenting choices. I just kept picturing their dreams being filled with my angry/ exhausted/ frustrated face… since that was the last thing they had seen. So I would go soft and let them get away with anything. It got to the point where Hubs had to put them to bed for me… I had lost ALL credibility at bedtime.
A Better Bedtime
I came across an idea that sounded so crazy I had to read it three times before deciding to put it into action.
Let the kids decide when to go to sleep.
My brain was spinning. ”WHAT?!? We would be nuts to consider it! No way, no way… NO WAY! Hmmmm…. what we’re doing isn’t working. Trying it out couldn’t hurt. Why not… we’re mostly nuts anyway.” 
So we set a plan… decided on the boundaries and braced ourselves for a very long night.
We had the kids prepped for sleep by 7:00 pm. (Teeth brushed, jammies on, stories read.) Then we let them in on the “rules” for the evening. We told them (very honestly) that we had enjoyed spending the day with them but now we needed some “adult time”.
They were welcome to stay awake, but they were to play quietly in their room. We would know they were ready for bed when they came out of their room. (The hidden meaning there is that they can only come out once!) We told them to enjoy their rest and then walked down the stairs.
Would you believe they played quietly for 1 hour and then ASKED to go to bed?!?! You read that right they actually said “I’m tired. I want to go to sleep.” It worked! It worked! It worked! Best part is… it’s still working. After 6 months it is still working. I love awesome parenting tricks that are so easy to execute!
Extra Tips: 1. In the beginning we were really strict (although kind, patient and calm) about the “once out straight-to-sleep rule”. There were NO exceptions. After a month or so we were able to be a bit more flexible. Sometimes Big M will have a Lego structure to show us and we can look then send him back up with no problem. It will be easy to go back to being strict if coming out becomes a problem though. 2. Rowdy play, fighting or just plain being loud are grounds for sleep time. 3. M and M have rarely been ready for bed past 8. If you have a real “set” time that you want your little ones off to dreamland the transition should be easy. Just guide them into bed with a kiss and hug. I bet they won’t even notice it wasn’t their choice after quietly playing for so long.
Ready for bedtime? Let me know if this works for you too!
*** update A lot of you asked about how this technique would work for younger kids. Here are some examples from the comment sections. Thank you all for sharing your experience.
Larissa says: We’ve used this concept with our children and the great part about doing it with your first, and then subsequently having more children…they learn the process off the older one. So the ‘battle’ we had with our first at around 2yrs old, wasn’t even an issue when we had our second child. She just saw what her big brother was doing (they share a room) and we had no battle with her. We have three children now, and when the baby is old enough to move in with her sister, same thing; wonderful bedtimes.
I always feel for the parents that have to stay with their child until they fall asleep. My alone time is so precious starting at 7:30pm. I don’t know what kind of a mother I’d be without it!
Kat says : my son’s 2-1/2 now and i’ve been doing this since he was around 16 months old or so. it works great! he chooses when he wants to go into his room (no later than 7pm – he usually goes in around 5:30 or 6pm) and basically decides when he wants to go to bed (usually falls asleep between 8pm-9pm). he sleeps better and it’s less stressful for him and us. i do this with his naptime too, but usually he just has a 1-1/2 hour “quiet time” because he stopped the naps but his doc recommended a quiet time around the same time as his nap would be. and he’s so much better when he’s rested even if it’s just playing in his room.
For more parenting tips and tricks check out Mommy Fun Facts.
WOW – How old where your children when you started doing this. I wonder if this might work with J he’s 31 months now and sleeps well but often isn’t quiet ready fr sleep but we lay in the dark with him until he’s asleep – giving him the choice ready for bed but he can play until he wants to lie down maybe the way forward.
Cerys @ Rainy Day Mum recently posted..Art explorers – Yarn
They were 5 and 4… but I really think I could have started a lot earlier. I would try it! You’ll know with in a couple of days whether or not it will work. I would love to hear how it goes if you do try!
Seems like you are all experiencing a bit of karma allowing your kids to rule the roost. Good luck !!!!
Ah but that’s the great thing! What they actually have is freedom with in boundaries. They are allowed choices within the rules we have set. It’s a win win.
So, if that doesn’t work, how do you “send” them to bed? My kids get out of their bed like 50 times a night! The only way to get them to sleep is to lay down with them and they are out within 10 minutes, sometimes sooner! So, I know they’re tired! I can’t tie them to the bed when they keep getting out, so then what? Thanks.
Erin… M and M were getting out, or screaming for me so many times. I think the reason this trick works is because it makes them “feel” like they are staying up. What we do is tell them that when the come out (for any reason… drink, hug, tell us something) they are letting us know they are ready for bed. I would make sure their room is picked up with a good area to play, and that there are a few choices of quiet activities you know will interest them. Big M loves Legos and Little usually plays with babies. Then just give it a shot. If they are that tired you might just find them curled up and asleep in bed… to tired to even come get you. (It’s happened with Little M.) Keep the questions coming until you feel comfortable and then TRY! I want to know the outcome too!
Thanks! I’ll try it tonight!
Okay, so what do I do/how do I handle the crying after play time and after they have come out. My daughter cried and did the “I want you!!!!!” for 30 minutes after she had played and then came out. I’m going to try again tonight doing it a little earlier and reminding them that if they come out they are telling me it’s bedtime.
Yep… that’s what I would do. You might remind her of all the things you did together through the day. Make a point of how important rest time is for our bodies and how you both need time to “play” alone. After the recharge time (tomorrow) you will have a lot of special together moments again.
We did this for a while, but now that our daughter is obsessed with chapter books, she doesn’t want to turn off the light. We start the routine at 8 and expect her to turn off the light and go to sleep at 9. What do you do when they just want to stay up passed what you deem as reasonable?
They haven’t tried to stay up past 8 very many times. Big M has started telling time so he sometimes tries to get himself passed a certain number but he is always to tired to go much further.
Have you tried just letting her read until she can’t keep her eyes open? She might be old enough to “feel” the consequence of being so tired the next day… or she might be asleep at 9:03. (It is really hard to stop reading!)
What about letting her go to bed to read like a half hour earlier, that way she can read longer but still goes to bed at the time you wish?
Just an idea
Yeah, that would be my suggestion, too – “If you want to read a lot, you’ll need to start earlier to make sure you have time to read.” I would stay up all night if my parents had let me…so I’d either say “lights out” at a certain time, or if you feel she’s old enough, let her stay up all night and reap the consequences the next day. Chances are she’ll only do that once or twice…and if it becomes a habit that disturbs the rest of the family, “I can’t let you choose to stay up late any longer because it hurts the family, so from now on, lights out at 9″ or “from now on, you’ll be going to your room for a nap if you are rude to your family members.”
When we were kids growing up,our bedtime was always at 8, but if we were in bed by 7:30, we could stay up reading until 8:30. It not only taught us that reading was a reward and not a punishment, but it also got us in bed earlier – extra bonus points for mom!
Nice! We love techniques with an extra bonus.
I LOVE this comment! That is genius!! I am SO writing this down for the future! Thanks for posting
I can see this working, but I have just one 4 yr old and I play with her all day and so does daddy when he gets home, the thing is that we feel bad when we ask her to go play by herself for a while just so we can talk. I dunno if our guilt will let us do this succesfully.
Liz… it sounds like you and your husband could use a little alone time! Playing by herself isn’t a punishment. Learning how to entertain yourself is an important skill. You just might get two bonuses out of this technique! Good luck and NO GUILT!
I completely agree! They need to learn how to play by themselves! Especially if you ever decide to have more kids! They can’t expect 100% attention from adults for the rest of their lives! It will only help in school too! Good luck!
Sounds like it’s worth a shot! We only have a one bedroom so hubby will have to suck it up for a while…but it’s better than stressing at bedtime! This way I can still get to have mommy time without hearing screams!
Lauren recently posted..Crochet Barefoot Sandal {Free Crochet Pattern}
It makes for a much nicer evening… for everyone! The funny part was that after a week of not battling at bedtime I stopped wishing they would be asleep. It removed the stress so I was stretching story time and spending more time with them. Without the battle looming in the distance, I could enjoy the bedtime process more. I’m sure once you give it a try you will be able to make it work for your situation so that everyone is happy!
My husband and I started doing this with our 3 year old a few months ago. We have her all ready for bed at 645-7ish and then she looks at books quietly in her room. I would say 95% of the time she is ready for be before 8pm. When she is ready for bed she comes out for hugs and then I tuck her in.
LOVELY!
We’ve used this concept with our children and the great part about doing it with your first, and then subsequently having more children…they learn the process off the older one. So the ‘battle’ we had with our first at around 2yrs old, wasn’t even an issue when we had our second child. She just saw what her big brother was doing (they share a room) and we had no battle with her. We have three children now, and when the baby is old enough to move in with her sister, same thing; wonderful bedtimes.
I always feel for the parents that have to stay with their child until they fall asleep. My alone time is so precious starting at 7:30pm. I don’t know what kind of a mother I’d be without it!
Thank you so much for sharing this Larissa! Do you mind if I pull this up into the post? I think it would be really helpful for other parents and I want to make sure everyone sees it.
Absolutely! Anything that will help parents get through a tough bedtime routine is so important! I’m so glad this has worked for us, and you have done so well to highlight it for parents who are struggling!
Larissa, can you describe a bit more how it works with kiddos sharing a room? Are they all in there playing together? Or do you have one of them play in a different room? My two share, but I am imagining if they are in there together playing til they are “ready”, we’ll have lots of squabbles and similar issues. They’re almost 4 and almost 2 1/2. Thanks!
Hi Kristine! It’s been a while since your comment. Did you end up giving it a try? M and M share a room. They are a bit older than your two, but we don’t have many issues with squabbles. Arguing or the opposite (wildness) calls for bedtime.
For the most part they are ready for bed at the same time but once in a while one of them will want to stay up a little longer. When that happens we pull them a closer to the hall, turn out the bedroom light and remind them to be respectfully quiet for their sibling.
good luck.. I would love to hear how it goes.
Jillian
my son’s 2-1/2 now and i’ve been doing this since he was around 16 months old or so. it works great! he chooses when he wants to go into his room (no later than 7pm – he usually goes in around 5:30 or 6pm) and basically decides when he wants to go to bed (usually falls asleep between 8pm-9pm). he sleeps better and it’s less stressful for him and us. i do this with his naptime too, but usually he just has a 1-1/2 hour “quiet time” because he stopped the naps but his doc recommended a quiet time around the same time as his nap would be. and he’s so much better when he’s rested even if it’s just playing in his room.
I love this story! Thank you for sharing. So many people have been asking about younger kids. Do you mind if pull this up into the post?
Now if I could make this work for twins…thoughts? Any success stories using this technique with multiples?
Samantha,
I don’t have twins but M and M are only 18 months apart. They share a room and I think it’s actually neat for them to get this quiet time to play and chat together as they wind down. Good luck.
Mine are 18 months apart & share a room as well-I’m having a huge trouble with nap time…the older one keeps the younger one awake or wakes him up. I’m at my wits end here with naps & bedtime. I really don’t know what to do.
How old are they? M and M are 18 months apart also.
1 & 2.5
Is there any way to put the older one in another room for nap time? I remember how tiring those ages were!
My girls are 4 and 2…and they share a room. I have to put them in separate rooms for nap because often my oldest doesn’t nap. Even when she does nap it isn’t for as long as her older sister. This has worked out great for us.
Thanks for the supportive words, Jillian! You’ve actually given me hope in the nightmare that is often bedtime around my house :p My twin boys (almost three) tend to egg each other on and are not exactly calming forces in each other’s lives…that said, who knows? Maybe they’ll stay in their rooms (even if they do mess it up) at bedtime. I’ll give it a try. Gulp.
Samantha recently posted..30 Second Mom Twitter Party: Talking Travel With Kids
M and M are the same way… but that is one of the rules. If they are wild … lights out. I’ve been very surprised at how calm they are and how well they occupy the space together. Good luck. We all need a little “rest time”.
You’ve given me some hope. Thank-you!!!
Samantha recently posted..30 Second Mom Twitter Party: Talking Travel With Kids
I have a question for my friend. She has a 3 year old and a 5 year old. Both can’t sleep by themselves. They have to be sleeping with either my friend or her husband. The boy will sleep though the night as long as he knows his dad or mom is in the bed with him. The girl will get up multiple times a night crying or asking for food. What would you recommend them try? I sent her the link to this post to read and maybe try with her kids.
Oh boy that is rough! Well the first thing I would ask is do your friend and her husband want the kids to sleep by themselves? Some parents prefer co sleeping. If what they are looking for is kids that sleep in their own bed through the night I would say they have a few sleepless nights ahead. Sleeping alone, and self soothing back to sleep are skills that have to be learned and practiced. Being firm and consistent are the best practices. If they set rules that both parents can stick to ahead of time it will be easier. Working together and knowing what our plan is always helps my husband and I when setting up to make drastic changes. If your friend is interested have her come here and leave me a comment. I would love to help anyway that I can. I know what nasty bedtimes are like… and I want all parents to get some downtime.
Thank You. I have sent her the link and told her she should leave you a comment. I do believe they both want the kids to sleep in their own beds by themselves. Because right now most nights the husband is in the big bed with the boy and my friend sleeps in the little girls room with the girl. They both don’t believe in the crying it out approach. So I have been trying to help her come up with some ideas. I will pass along your advice and tell her to talk to you. Thank you so much for the advice. I am glad I found your blog though pinterest.
This is my problem! We don’t have too many battles before bed because we’ve always kind of implemented the “you choose when you sleep” but they usually don’t get to play, just read books in bed. BUT then they both wake up multiple times at night until we just give in and let them sleep in our room
I hate it! But We spent a month of sleepless nights trying to put them back in their bed every night and it wasn’t worth the grouch that I was becoming. Now at least they each only wake up about twice instead of every hour… but I would still love to wake up without a baby foot in my face!
Gosh it sounds like you could really use a good night sleep! Little M was waking up in the night for a while (felt like a very long while) even though she stayed in her bed it was exhausting being woken up several times through out the night. Her problem was bad dreams. I found a handful of children’s books about dreams and we did a few activities to match the books. It solved the waking up problem for us. I don’t know if your little ones are having bad dreams but if you look at these books as a way to encourage good dreams they might work for your situation?!?! Here are the books and activities I found. Good luck… I hope you are all sleeping soundly very soon. http://amomwithalessonplan.com/category/dreams/
This is an amazing trick! ( letting kids to decide when to go to bed) Nothing wrong in trying – I will try this with my daughter!
Cindy recently posted..Better Memory The Easy Way
Good luck Cindy… let me know how it goes!
This is exactly what we need! DD5 and DSalmost3 have shared a room for about a year. DS is mostly the bedtime delayer (as was DD at that age). DD goes straight to sleep about 90% of the time, but the boy has other plans in mind.
We will definitely be trying this tonight! Thanks!
Hope you have a peaceful evening! Let me know how it goes.
Night #1 was a bust only because I got them to bed too late. I think I need to bump our routine start time back 30 minutes. Will let you know!
Can’t wait to hear!
We did this with our 2.5 year old. She was screaming and waking up her 1 year old roommate every night. She would say, “I CAN’T GO TO SLEEP”. Finally, I gave up and I said, “You don’t have to go to sleep.”
We are a little stricter with our rules though. She isn’t allowed to get out of bed, but she can play with her books and stuffed animals that take up most of her space! We also keep her light off and she only has a small amount of light from the hall shining in. No more crying. Sometimes I hear her talking to her animals about 20 minutes after we put her down, but she is almost always asleep in 15-20 minutes!
So moral is….this technique works with wee little ones too!
Love it! I like your modifications. This technique works so well because it is easy to modify. I am going to be bringing up a few of these younger kid examples and adding them to the post. Do you mind if I use your comment?
I like the sound of this. The only thing I wonder is that my daughter uses the “I need to go to the toilet” excuse to keep coming out of her room. As she has only just turned 3 and has only been without nappies overnight for a few months, we find it very hard to say, “Stay in bed” (despite her having already been to the toilet etc)… It would be interesting to see if she stopped doing that because that means sleep time..? She already chats and plays with her stuffed animals for ages. hmmmm lol (you’ve certainly given me something to think about) Debs
Deborah recently posted..Make a dinosaur helmet
UGH! The potty trick is a tough one. It’s so scary to not let them go. Keep me posted… it would be really great if you could help both problems with one trick.
We’ve done something similar to this for our DDs bedtime. She goes up to bed but then is allowed to watch a movie and play. The movie is set on a sleep timer for 30 minutes. She is allowed to play with her toys on the floor but when the movie goes off that means its time to head to bed. Its still setting up a bedtime for her but it makes her feel like she is more in charge as there isn’t an adult there telling her what to do. We have snuck a peek many nights at the 30 minute mark and sure enough when the tv goes dark she gathers her things and climbs up in bed. Its actually quite cute. We did run into the “potty trick” though and I solved the problem by placing a child size potty in the room for her to use thus eliminating the need to come out of the room. She did make a point of using it the first couple of nights because it was something “new” to do…..but when the newness wore off potty breaks were totally forgotten about.
Love your potty idea!!!!
oh my goodness! When I was reading this I totally thought you were talking about MY kids and house at bedtime!! I hate having to “yell” at them to go to sleep so I’m really hoping this works for my kids! Thank you for posting this!
Yeah! Can’t wait to hear how it goes.
Trying this with my 2 1/2 year old! Thanks so much!
How did it go?
Pingback: Bedtime Routine??? « Family of Five
This post was just for me. This week has been crazy and I wanted to tear my hair out. Last night my girls kept coming out of bed while I was folding laundry and then they wanted to put it away. A first, since chores are not something they voluntarily want to do. They would do anything rather than go to bed. So I said, “You girls can stay up and clean, or you can go to bed. Once you stop cleaning, or start playing, then I know you want to go to bed.” It worked! One of them went to bed and stayed there, the oldest picked up toys for 20 minutes before going to bed. I’ll have to give your method a try. Sounds like it might work.:)
Good luck! (I like the cleaning idea too.
)
I may have to give this a try again. My boys (5 and 3) eventually fell asleep with this method, but not until almost 10:00! They just kept going and going and then would be cranky the next day. I gave up after a few days. Right now I sit in the room with them reading my kindle (to myself) for 20 to 30 minutes. If they aren’t asleep by then, I tell them that I will check on them in a little while. I would really love this to work for my boys and I LOVE hearing other people’s problems with getting kids to sleep. I am not alone!
You are definitely not alone! Posting this article has shown me just how many people struggle with bedtime! I really think the key to this method is making sure the activities they are doing are quiet and not stimulating. Just a couple of nights ago my Hubs and I stayed upstairs while they had their quiet time. They stayed up way past their usually sleep time and I think it was because we were there to keep them charged.
I would like to try this but I think the hardest part will be getting my son to comprehend the idea that he cannot come out of his room until he’s ready to go to sleep. How do you explain that to a 2-yr-old? I’m afraid he’ll just come out of his room anyway and I’ll end up having to force him to go to bed right then (to enforce the rule) and it’ll be an unpleasant struggle. Maybe after a few nights of that he’ll start to “get it”? Hmm it’s worth a shot though!
I know this technique will be a little tricky with younger kids… but oh boy if you figure it out!!! It would have saved us YEARS of nasty bed time. Come back and tell us how it went. There are a lot of parents who could use your insight.
Baby #2 is on the way so I’m hoping to master this with #1, since others have mentioned that the younger ones pick it up easier as they see their older siblings do it!
I’ll be back with insight if (when!) I find success! lol
I tell my kids there are 3 bed rules.
1. lay down
2. hold still
3. close your eyes.
That might be helpful to use when he does come out of his room, and you have to put him in bed. I don’t tell my kids they have to go to sleep because I have found that, that just makes them want to stay awake.
I tried this last night. Worked really well!! They played quietly for an hour and then told me they wanted to go to sleep. Laid them down with no fuss but a half hour later they were crying to go to my bed. Any tips on keeping them in their own bed?
Do they sleep with you often? We never let the kids in our bed… but I know there are a lot of parents who like co sleeping. Are you a follower on my Facebook Page? Maybe we could ask some other readers for ideas? What do you think?
With our oldest we co-slept until he was 2. Then, he went to his bed for about a year and I started giving in when my husband was working nights so I didn’t have to sleep alone. My youngest was in his own bed from the start until he was old enough to realize it wasn’t fair that his older brother was in our bed…
It’s honestly not about them sleeping with us to them though. It’s the comfort of our bed and room. My husband and I have retreated to their full size bed while they sleep in our room because there’s just no room left in there to try and fight for space.
This is my go to answer for everything… why not ask the kids? If it is that they like your room / bed better what would make them want to stay in their rooms? What would make their bed more comfortable? A different type of pillow? A night light? A softer blanket? I can not tell you how many times I have sat down with M and M asking their opinion. “So we have this problem. How do you think we can solve it?”
I don’t know if this would help any but I do know it works well with the little ones. Kids (and adults) have a very keen sense of smell. The smell of their parents is very calming to children and makes them feel secure. When our little ones were sick and wouldn’t stay in their beds, we would take one of our used pillowcases off our pillow and put it on theirs, or put daddy’s tshirt over their pillow and it kept them in their beds. Or, you can sleep on your sheets for a night or two and then put them on your kids bed. Then they will smell like mommy and daddy. Whether it will work for the older kids, I don’t know, but if I was desperate I sure would try anything.
That is a very interesting idea! I bet it would help for when parents have to go out of town, or for when kids have sleep overs as well. Thanks!
When I was young, the “Mommy-smell” was amazing. My mom would taker her old nightgowns and make little pillows for us so that we had something that smelled like her to comfort us. Sometimes she would just let us sleep with one of her nightgowns like a blankie. Worked like a charm, and I still feel relaxed today when I hug her and smell that same old scent!
I’m home with my 2 year old son all day, so he’s used to having me play with him quite a bit. I’m positive that he would simply keep coming out to play with us rather than stay in his room. Would you suggest continuing to take him back to his room? Staying in and playing with him until he gets the hang of it? I don’t think I’d be able to shut him in there; we’ve got a pretty “open door” household and I think he’d interpret that as a punishment.
Honestly I think knowing what you are comfortable with from the beginning will be a huge help for you! Maybe playing with him for a bit and then leaving for a while and then coming back. If you did this and stretched the time he might just get used to it. I’d love to hear how it goes… good luck!
Pingback: Pajaminals Giveaway – Bedtime Battles after Daylight Savings Time | hands on : as we grow
Def gonna try with my kids, thinking should work good with 4 year old but like many others commented on, getting my 18month old to comprehend the idea of staying in the room may be difficult, If anyone comes up with good idea please post.
From what others have said, it might be good to get stared with your 4 year old… that way when your younger one kids a little older you’ll already have the system in place. Let me know how it works!
Fabulous! I had bedtime issues with my first child, but I don’t have any problems with these last two children.
My tip? Bedtime stories by Jim Weiss (I have never met this man nor do I benefit from promoting his bedtime stories). I would put my daughter to bed and she would listen to one of his CDs. These CDs will put anyone to sleep in minutes – tricky. I also used this when she would have sleepovers to get the girls to go to sleep. At a certain point all the girls would get into their sleeping bags and “stay up” to listen to the bedtime stories. You never heard a peep out of them.
I recently recommended this tip to a friend and she said it worked like a charm.
Great tip! I’ll have to find that CD!
We sort of do this but it doesn’t really work for us. I have a 4 1/2 boy and a 2 1/2 girl who share a room (not ideal but we’re stuck with it for now). I put them to bed and they are allowed to play or read quietly in their beds. My 2 1/2 year old is usually asleep with 1/2 an hour. But my 4 1/2 year old will play quietly until 10, 11, even 12!! He gets up every morning between 8 and 830. It doesn’t seem to matter what time I wake him he still goes to bed late. Most nights I’m like will you go to sleep so I can go to sleep?! I am at a total loss with him and I feel like I’ve tried everything.
Jamie,
I don’t know how I missed this comment back in April! I am so sorry.
My kids share a room too. We don’t have a choice either, but I’m kind of glad they do. There is something fun about them being together, and I know being boy/girl we’ll have to separate them eventually. I’m glad they get this time now.
I am not a night person so those late hours would be so hard for me! Do you think it’s possible he just doesn’t need that much sleep? I know you said it doesn’t matter what time you wake him. Have you tried waking him at an early time regularly for 2 weeks? 8 am would be scary late at our house. Mine are “you may not get out of bed until you see the 6″ type of kids. Maybe it’s just a matter of moving his routine to a different time schedule.
Again so sorry for the late response. If you have any other questions please let me know!
I think I will have to give this a try with my kids. I’m not sure how yet. I have a 3 year old and a 15 month old who share a room. The younger one is ready for bed around 6:30 while the oldest one isn’t. Hmmm, we might have to figure something out here. I also work full time too, but like my own time to relax and get caught up on laundry.
Anna, Is there a space just outside the room that the 3 year old could be in without disturbing the little one? There are a few others who have commented that figuring out a system like this with the first child made it so easy to transition the younger ones. You most definitely need your down time… makes for more peaceful mornings.
If you find a way that works will you please come back here to let us know? There are a lot of other who could use any tips possible!
I tried this last night and it worked great. What we ended up doing was since my youngest still nurses himself to sleep. Instead of feeding him in their room while our daughter is out I switched it and my daughter stayed in their room and played. I feed my son and when he fell asleep I layed him in our bed until our daughter fell asleep. That way I didn’t have to worry about my son waking up from my daughter.
What a wonderfully creative solution! Thank you for letting me know that it worked for you. I hope it keeps working and you enjoy many restful evening.
Thanks, our plan is to slowly start feeding my son earlier so he falls asleep on his own, but first we want to get his sister use to the new routine. She has been the problem all along with not wanting to go to bed and sleep.
Many of you have two in one room, as do we (my two older girls, 6 and 4). How do you work it out so that one doesn’t disturb the other if they want to sleep?
I am very interested in trying this technique to get more quiet time for DH and I.
M and M are in the same room (6 and 5). There have been a few occasions where one of them has wanted to sleep and the other is not ready. For those times we have the “awake” kid move closer to the door so they can play by hall light. In all the time we’ve been using this technique it has only been a handful of times that this has been an issue. I think they decide together when to go to bed. The alone time they get with each other has been wonderful. They play along side each other and once in a while together. Good luck and enjoy a little Hubby time.
I have been doing this for a long time with my 20 month old. I will put her in the crib for nap time, but if she does not feel like a nap, she will play quietly for about an hour and a half. I have found that even if she does not sleep, we both come out more relaxed. Since I have been doing it for so long, I rarely have issues with her crying. At night, we put her to bed at about 8pm. Most nights she comes to us around that time and says ‘Night, night!’
I thought I would feel guilty hearing her fuss, but the benefits far out way that. To be a good parent, you have to have the Adult time!
YES! Adult time is so very important. I really wish I would have had such a good nap time routine. Bravo to you!
Well… he didn’t come out of his room… but he also didn’t sleep. At all. For three days straight. Oh he finally passed out on day 4… at 2 in the afternoon. =/
Oh No!!! You must be exhausted. What did he do all night? How old is he? What did you do when you were ready for bed? I really, really want to help. (and you must really, really need a break!)
To the parents who have children coming into their room several times a night: I have a friend who’s son did this every night for weeks because he hated to sleep alone. They got a set of walkie talkies and placed one with the son and kept one in their room. They told him anytime he was scared to just use the walkie talkie and they would answer to let him know they were still there and everything was ok. The first night he still went into their room to “make sure”, but after the 4th night, he stopped with the walkie too. He had the reassurance and I guess eventually realized they are always there if he needs them and nothing bad happened when he slept in his own room.
What a great idea! Thank you for sharing.
Our 2.5 yr old started her terrible NON-sleeping habits when hubby went on a 1 week rotation for school away from home. I was with her by myself and 8 mo prego. Of course she woke up the first night sick with a fever and the whole week was hard for us both. I was praying to not get sick!
Then he was home for the next week for spring break.
Then he was gone for another 1 week rotation.
All this change in daddy’s schedule messed everything up!
Then we had my in-laws come to help out for the weekend to give us a break and help prepare meals for after the baby arrived, and help fix up the house a bit (we are moving soon and selling our home). Having them over also messed with nap time. ARGH!!!
Then the next week the baby was born and the in-laws came back to stay with our daughter. Another change—- you get the picture.
I made a day schedule for her while hubby was on his 2nd rotation that pictures everything we do on a daily basis- wake up when it’s light outside, get ready for the day, eat, play, and then our bedtime routine…
She loved the idea and would point out everything on the chart. But now she asks for everything under the sun before going to bed….please rub my back (what we did when she was sick), please put my head down, please close my eyes (seriously?!?!?!), please fix my blanket (nothing wrong with blanket), etc. Then once that is all over after our usual planned routine, she comes out of her room over and over again. The rule is, if you come out of your room you get a time out. After 3 time outs she finally falls asleep.
Then like clock work she gets up 3x during the night and comes to our room. AHHH!! With a newborn and her throughout the night we can’t get any sleep!
We try to let her be in control with her night time routine. We let her pick out her pajamas (or try to). She LOVES to procrastinate and will sit there and stare at her drawer or just sit there and refuse to do it, and then says, “mommy wants to pick” and if we do try to pick, it’s not the right one, none of them are the right ones. So it’s back to raising our voices and telling her if she doesn’t pick then we are leaving her room (which starts another tantrum).
We’ve even had to close her door and hold it shut until she falls asleep crying at the door because she kept getting out and going to time out and not listening. Oh, by the way, she loves to say, “I can’t listen”- which leads to more time outs or not getting to do something fun the next day.
We are desperate for any ideas! We’ll give this a shot, but she is very stubborn and will stay up for hours and hours… even if she misses a nap for some reason. I hope to try this tonight!!
Did I forget to mention that hubby is graduating, and family is coming for that, then we are moving?!?! How can we keep a good routine/try this idea of you pick when you go to bed when you are ready with so much change this year?
Hi Brittany,
I was out of town for the weekend. Just wanted to see how your weekend went? Did you end up sticking to the bed time technique?
Brittany! AHHHH!!! That is a lot on your plate… a good bedtime (along with a good night sleep) would probably make a huge difference for everyone. Try it out just as I wrote it and note any issues you have or need help with. You can try leaving a comment while in the process. If I’m on the computer I’ll answer asap. I would love to walk you through it and make this as easy as possible.
I think having a good bedtime routine will only help with the up coming changes. It will be something that your daughter can rely on as fact and take comfort in know the way it will be no matter who is there.
My Little M is about as stubborn as they come and this works like a charm for her. Remember getting her into her room BEFORE you want her sleeping is important. I want them out by 8 so we try to have them in pjs, book read, teeth brushed by 7. (Doesn’t work every night, but because the routine is in place we can be flexible.)
Good luck and remember… I’m here for you.
Pingback: Grow Mama Picks for April 2012 » Grow Mama Grow
I do this with the child I look after. By the time it’s his bed time, I am exhausted – I babysit in German and it is very tiring to use a foreign language. After his bath and teeth brushed, he goes into his room, practices piano for a few minutes then ‘reads’ quietly until he’s ready to sleep. I then go in later and turn the light off. Works wonderfully. Sometimes he’s asleep within 10 minutes, sometimes within an hour.
It’s a beautiful thing when kids can hear their own bodies tell them it’s time to sleep. What a lucky little boy to have such a wonderful care taker. Thanks for sharing.
I just happened on this awesome advice on pinterest today and am at the point of trying anything. I have 2 sharing a room – 6 year-old girl and 3 year-old boy. The 6 year old has always been great at going to bed when needed, but the 3 year old sometimes keeps her up with his constant up and down at night. Reading Brittany’s post made me laugh and realize that I have a normal child. Her story about her daughter’s stubborness and the examples she used sounds frighteningly familiar. We have been doing the same thing that you described in your original post – screaming and impatience that we don’t normally choose to do during the day. It just feels like he thinks it is a big game. We have tried the supernanny approach – quietly putting back to bed without expression on face or making a sound – but he has tested it out every night and doesn’t seem to improve in playing his game. We have tried timeouts, we have tried staying in the room and falling asleep and leaving when he is asleep…seems like every approach out there.
I put them down at 7:15, hoping for an 8:00 bedtime – the 6 year old came and got me at 8 without me prompting her…gave me encouragement for the boy…it is now 8:30 and i can hear him still looking through his stories…holding on for stubborness sake? 
I will keep at this and keep you posted on their improvement. My fingers are crossed that my prayers have been answered. 
Thank you for posting this experience of yours for others to receive help from!!!
Until today.
Debbie,
I can’t wait to hear more! Every once in a while Big M will get the “I want to stay up late” bug but it rarley goes a half hour past the time I want it to. Tonight my Mom watched the kids right at bedtime. She said Big M came down, and she asked what he needed. “I want to go to sleep.” I am thrilled that we don’t have to be present for this to work. Good luck… I hope it works your family too!
Jill
Pingback: How to Get Two Squirrelly Boys to Go to Bed « Structure in an Unstructured Life
We have 2 kids, ds7, dd6. My husband works shifts and is gone for most bedtimes. We have always laid down with our kids until they’re asleep. No crying, no fuss. When either is home alone, the kids sleep in our bed. When we’re both home, we each lie down with a child in their own room until they fall asleep. They are always allowed to come into our bed if they wake at night… Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. We told them that when Daddy’s home there isn’t enough room for all of us now that they are so big. They understand and get that, so there’s no complaints of sleeping in their rooms. But now we think we’re all ready to start falling asleep on their own. So… We’re thinking of doing your routine… But we know that they will want a cuddle before sleep (who wouldn’t?). We were thinking we could give them a cuddle when they come and get us… But what we really want is for them to sleep in their own beds through the night as there has been times when they both come into our bed a night and daddy ends up getting pushed out. Would love to hear any feedback you have
Vanessa,
It sounds like your family has a wonderful routine that has worked really well for your family. I bet a transition into a new routine will be easy for you! Mine are 6 and 5. It’s been almost a year since we started this and I am still amazed everyday. Just last night Little M, who is 5 said she wanted to go right to sleep (we were getting them to bed a little late). She kissed us good night and Big M quietly moved his Lego’s to the hall. He was so respectful of his sister it was touching. It was about 15 minutes later that he asked to go to bed. It’s so wonderful for us but the most incredible part is they are learning how to listen to their own bodies and sleep when they need to!
My only real suggestion for you is that you might want to try the cuddles while you are getting them ready for bedroom rest time. Once they are ready for sleep you don’t want to risk recharging them or letting a “second wind” take hold. Of course I sounds like you are very aware of what works with your kids and what is most comfortable for you will probably be the best thing to do!
please let me know how it works!
Jillian
I love this idea going to try it when my son gets older. My son is 1.5 and has slept with my husband and me or in the same room since he was born. Any tips on how to get him to go to sleep in his own room and bed? We can’t let him cry it out because we live with grandparents and they will go get him and then Rick him to sleep. I hate bed time, my husband and I very rarely get time to our selves. We have gotten to the point where we will let the babe fall asleep with us put him in his bed when he is asleep but he wakes up about 2-4 and then ends up back with us. Any tips or tricks would be appreciated.
I had a ton of friends in your boat before I had kids… so we made a strict rule of no kids in our bed from day one. Do you mind if I post your question on my Facebook Page to see if anyone with experience has any tips for you? I know you want advice that works, a relaxing bedtime makes everything better.
Not at all any help would be appreciated
Here’s the link https://www.facebook.com/s.a.h.Kids/posts/438267032873364
We’ll keep our fingers crossed that someone will have an answer for you!
Hello ~ Love your post! Have a couple for questions. I have 2.5 year old twin boys who share a room. They are still in their cribs (they play, sing, scream, and sometimes cry for a 1 or 2 hours before falling asleep) but have started climbing out and having a party (ripping blinds off the window, slamming closet door, throwing the sound machine around ~ general craziness!) We have a new baby and are potty training. We had hoped to hold off on big boy beds but crib tents have been recalled. I have though about creating a bedtime chart with photos to help with the new routine, playing soft music or books on tape, having special night time toys, and putting a gate with a door in it to prevent wandering at night. How would you handle a bad case of the sillies and destructive behavior? I am worried about naptime they play for an 1 or 2 hours and then sleep for an 1 or 2 hours ~ A bit worried about nap time. Could you suggest a daily schedule? Any advise would be amazingly helpful! LOVE your site. Thank-you Shannon
Shannon,
Your ideas about a chart with pictures and soft music all sound wonderful! Have you put the plan into action yet? I bet doing all of that would ease the silliness. I know since Big M was little the more tired he gets the less control he seems to have over his actions. It’s when we let bedtime get too late that things go wrong. Nap time can be a struggle too! The readers on my Facebook page have been really helpful offering sleep time suggestions for other readers. Would you mind if I share your nap time concerns there and see what brilliant ideas they come up with?
Jillian
Thank-you:) I haven’t put it into action yet. I decided to really make a big deal with the new big boy room. We are going to redo their room in a space theme, got an Elmo big boy bed book and video, create quite play boxes, and practice the diffrence between quite and loud by playing the quite/silly game, we got each of them a ladybug that puts stars on the ceiling , and set up and iPod with white noise and soft music and kids books. Over kill? We hope to have it all together in a couple of days. Thank you for the feedback:) I would love to hear from the wonderful ladies on your Facebook page. Thank you again Shannon – a really tried Mom of three kids 2.5 and under.
I don’t think that is overkill at all! sounds fab. I can’t wait to hear how it goes. In the meantime I will ask for some nap time advice on my page and give you the link when I do. (Tomorrow or Friday).
I forget to mention that we are also creating a social story which is like a book that explains what is expected.
When we go night night we….
Thank you Shannon
I know just what a social story is! We use them all the time. Great idea!
Just tried this with our 20 month old daughter. On her first night in her big girl bed she got up 6 times. I read this post and tried it on night two. She comprehended more than we thought she would. We told he since she was a big girl she could play and read until she was ready to sleep. Within 10 minutes she came to get us. We explained that meant she was ready to sleep. We started our routine of book, song and prayer and 1/2 through the book she said “sleep?”. It was perfect from there. She didn’t get up once. So glad we learned about this so early. Especially since little brother will be arriving in 3 months.
YEAH Kat! That is a beautiful move into the big girl bed. So glad it worked so well for you. Thank you for sharing. (And congrats on baby number two).
Oh man! It’s seriously still working EVERY night! She is a very stubborn child, so I’m totally shocked at how simple and how well this works! Finally a parenting victory! Thank you again… And again!
YAHOO!
I just found this post via pinterest and am so ready to try this asap! My son is 26 months old and has a big boy bed and our usual routine is book, prayer, hugs and kisses and then mommy or daddy get to sit outside his room for at least 30 mins! Yay! (note sarcasm) I do have a few concerns, knowing my little one so well. First, I expect he’ll be out of his room real quick and want to know what your suggestion is there. He has a new little sister, only a month old, and hasn’t had too much playing alone time at all without someone close by. I just don’t want a struggle when he realizes that now that he is out of his room, play time is over.
Second, he almost always gets out of bed at least once during the night and comes in our room. Being the wiggleworm he is, we take him back to bed rather than let him stay with us, another kiss, tell him its time for ni-night and we sit there for another 20 minutes until hes back to sleep again.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
-Briana
Briana,
Sounds like you could use a good switch in your routine. I’m sure 1/2 an hour feels so long when your ready to relax for the night. One thing you could try for keeping him in his room longer on the first few tries is to make sure the toys are ones you know will engage him. What does he have that will hold his attention? Maybe something he hasn’t seen in a while or something that is fairly new. (Make sure they are quiet, relaxing toys.)
You could also wait until he’s closer to being ready for bed so the quiet time is less. I’d be really careful though, I know for my kids there is a very fine line between tired and overtired. Overtired is the only time we ever have a problem.
Good luck! Let me know how it works for you.
I feel inspired!!! Bedtime has always been a struggle! Every summer I get him (my 4 year old) into a bedtime routine. Then in August when I go back to work, it falls apart; he protests in various ways and I feel guilty that our time together is limited. This past year I just gave up…my little guy goes to bed when I do. The hubs and I have no time to ourselves in the evening. I’m going to try your idea tonight!
My daughter is turning 3 in the next two weeks. We kind of have this system in place when it comes to her bed time, at 8:30pm every night we put her in her jammies and place her under the covers and pop on her favorite movie to watch…. my question is how do I keep her in her room without a fight? She keeps coming out and asking for something to eat or drink, or to cuddle or to even just see what I am doing. Timeouts are starting to reflect this consistent coming out of the room behavior. How can I correct this in a positive way without yelling or spanks (because it seems to be coming down to that a lot lately and I feel like an awful mother) Like I don’t even ask her to go to bed I just tell her to go watch her movie, I’m very frustrated because she either talks back to me or she lays on the floor screaming and kicking………please…..help me…..I swear to god my neighbors think I beat my child or something by the temper tantrums she has :S
AHHH! I feel your pain. That’s exactly how I felt before we started our routine. My first idea would be to take away the movie. (I know that probably sounds drastic!) For M and M TV stimulates them, extends their awake time, and makes for a whine filled evening. I would try puzzles, dolls, blocks, books, etc. Things she can play quietly in her room until she’s ready for sleep. With M and M the rule is one time out of their room means they are ready for sleep. That means if they come for a drink, to ask a question, or get rowdy.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any more questions.
Wish I would have known about this 5 years ago. My 9 year old would never go to sleep. It does work on my 7 year old, she is a dream to put to bed. She usually falls asleep by 9. Although I think that if I was to get her ready earlier she would fall asleep earlier. If I gave my 9 year old the option I don’t think he would go to sleep.
Oh my gosh. I have been struggling with bedtimes for what feels like forever. I have tried so many things but never would have thought about this…. It gives me hope that i might be able to get my 3 and 4 year old to sleep before 10 pm… thank you will let you know how it goes.
I can’t wait to hear! Good luck.
sadly my children are now 9 and 6 and they, well more my 6 year old has a huge issue with going to sleep. My husband has made a bad habit and laying in the room with them and playing music. I am going to start this tomorrow ASAP. Any tips for keeping them in there bed all night? My son 6 comes to sleep with me every night around 1:30 I am so use to it I don’t even hear him coming in anymore! My husband spends the rest of the night on the couch.
Thank you and I will let you know how it goes!
Marci
Hi Marci!
How were the first few nights? I don’t have any tips for keeping them in bed once they’ve gone to sleep, but I wonder if switching to this technique might solve that problem too.
By letting them choose their own sleep time they will also be training themselves to go to sleep on their own. When they startle awake in the night maybe they will feel more confident in just going back to sleep. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you! I’m sure your husband would rather be holding your hand on the couch than laying in their room!
Jillian
Hi Jillian. Our problem is we have to sit with our little boy until he goes to sleep, sometimes that takes five mins sometimes an hour (how did we end up in that situation, errr ….). Tried this technique and after about two minutes of playing he said was ready to go to sleep. So went in turned out the light and tucked him in. All happy and fine. But then it is the problem, what do I do now. He wants me to stay with him until he went to sleep, holding his hand. And he wasn’t very sleepy at all, but it is late and time for sleep. Talking away, and it was an hour before he went to sleep and I could leave the room. Help. Any suggestions.
Kim,
How old is he? I do have some ideas. I’ll be back in a bit with those but knowing how old he is will help.
Jillian
PS If you read through the comments you will see you are not the only one in a similar situation. Bedtime can be very difficult!
Hi Jillian,
Sorry I thought I included that. He is three. My addled brain. Any suggestions you have would be very, very much appreciated.
Kim,
3!?!?! Perfect! I bet he loves the idea of being a “BIG BOY”. You might try playing on that. Make it a big deal that big boys go to sleep on their own. Discuss what other things big boys get to do. When it comes down to it, learning to put himself to sleep will benefit him. (If that helps you feel better about it.
) You might talk about how you put yourself to sleep. Do you stretch? Close your eyes, think about the day? Hum a song? Listen to quiet music? I love to ask my kids questions like “What do you think will be your favorite way to go to sleep?” It gets them thinking about what’s to come in a positive way.
As far as the timing. YIKES! There is a very fine line between too early and too late. In the beginning if you wait to begin his bedroom playtime until he’s already calm and close to ready for bed it might be easier to transition. (but again we always have a problem if they are over tired when we get them in their room). Do you have toys that you know hold his attention? Cars, trains or special books? That might help him want to stay put and enjoy his play time.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you have anymore questions and I would love to hear how it goes.
Hey Jillian, a friend directed me to your site and we tried it the very next night. We have three boys, but its the older 2 we tried it on. They are almost 3 and just turned 4. So we did just as you said, got them in their room before we wanted them to sleep, non-stimulating toys, yada yada. Not even 30 min later 4 year old wants to go to sleep. We’re doing a happy dance. Well not really I was nursing their little brother, but I could have! So 3 year old plays a little longer, then comes and says hes ready too. More dancing from us.
BUT THEN.
they got up to go potty. then they got up bc they were “scared”, (not the real scared, but the I know I’m in trouble, pity me scared) then 4 yo had to go potty again, it carried on forever. ended in impatience and tears. failure.
I’m pretty sure it would have worked like a charm for the almost 3 year old. but he’s not the problem. What do you do when they just will.not.stay.in.bed?
thanks for your great idea, just need to figure it out for us.
How is it working now?
We do a simialar thing with our 3 year old daughter. After her bed-time routine, she is allowed to “read” (she can’t read yet!) and turn her lamp off and sleep when she is ready. If she gets out of bed, she looses her “big girl” privileged of reading – we take her lamp away for the night. She feels like she has control over some aspect of bedtime, and we hardly ever have to take it away!
Okay…I’ve been reading the posts and comments and I’m a little skeptical…but I’m willing to try. Our daughter is 2 1/2 and an only child (at this time) and very strong-willed. It sounds like this will work…I’m going to try it and see…so please pray! any ideas for children that are strong-willed?
Toney,
My Little M is pretty strong willed. I think this works so well for her because she feels in control. (Even though I know it’s with in my parameters.) Good luck! I would love to hear how it goes.
Jillian
My daughter is 2 and she often does this except she lays in my bed doing it. She always falls asleep in our bed and I put her in her bed (next to ours) shortly after. She still drinks milk every night. Help??
Have you tried putting quiet toys in her room that will entice her to stay there? If she’s already putting herself to sleep it shouldn’t be that difficult to change the pattern. Can you close or lock your bedroom door?
I can’t get my daughter to go play in her room by herself in the middle of the day.
Well then this might be just the trick to get her used to playing independently! We try to make sure there are quiet toys they can’t resist.
my daughter is 2 she has always been a great sleeper 10-12 hours, she sleeps in a a big bed and does well. The past couple weeks she has been wanting me to lie with her at nap time and every night, if I don’t she gets out of her room 5-10 times until i give in and sit on the bed until she falls asleep. We typically start bed time around 7:30 unless she didn’t get a nap. She is also waking up 1-2 times in the middle of the night and coming into my room. I take her back to bed and leave, sometimes she comes right back. im not sure why this is happening all the sudden but its wearing me out
I will try and see what she thinks about this new method tomorrow. Any suggestions would be appreciated 
Erin recently posted..My Baby Turns 1
Erin,
How did it go?
Jillian
the 1st attempt at nap time was a HIT she fell asleep coloring which is her new thing. For bed time it didn’t go too well….she came out, so i told her it was time for bed and i put her back and she cried for 45 min
but i did figure out that she wants the light on. I always have the lamp in her room on so she can read and play and see if she wakes up. This was the ultimate trick, all along she wanted the light on but wasn’t communicating that to me. As for waking up in the night that was still going on until last night, she slept all night and didn’t come into my room. I just hope it continues!
THANK YOU! We’ve been struggling with naptime for months (with my 3 year old). Today I tried this out and would NEVER have imagined him playing for 20 mins in his room then saying “I’m ready for my nap, can you tuck me in?” Amazing!
YEAH!!!! I’m doing a happy dance for you.
I hadn’t thought about using this for naptime. My son hasn’t napped in almost 3 years, but we are about to have his baby brother in November, so I am going to need him to have some quiet time while the baby sleeps. Setting a specific time frame for him to play quietly in his room might be the solution I’m looking for.
Jennifer,
I love this post from Toddler Approved about establishing quiet time. http://www.toddlerapproved.com/2012/05/establishing-quiet-time-when-your-child.html
Jillian
I really want to be able to et my kids to sleep. I never used to have an issue with my oldest whom of which is my son. He is 5 now. But when I had my daughter and she started getting a little more sassy if you will, it went down hill. I can’t get them to go to sleep sometimes until after 1am. Depending on their moods. So it scares me to try and do this…especially when they hate playing on their room too…
help!
Shannon,
I was right there with you (not until 1am.. poor thing!) but it was those rough nights that had me searching for any answer. M and M will not choose to play in their room in the day but they love to play in there at rest time.
Make sure their favorite quiet activities are available. Maybe check out some library books they haven’t seen before or bring out something they haven’t seen for a while. Once they get used to the routine they can tell you what they prefer.
Good luck and let me know how it goes.
Jillian
I have used this “technique” successfully with our son a couple of different times. But for some reason I have gotten away from it both times. Right now we are remodeling his bedroom (so he has nowhere to go for quiet play time before bed…and lights out for him right now also means lights out for us because he is sleeping in the living room) but as soon as his room is back together, I will be using this again.
Jennifer,
Remodeling can be hard on routines. I bet everyone will be so happy once he’s in his “new” room.
Jillian
I love this post! I’ve just featured it as one of my 5 all time favorite parenting posts. Please stop by and link up to the Sunday Parenting Party and see the feature! http://www.dirtandboogers.com/2012/09/top-5-parenting-posts-and-new-party.html
Amanda @ Dirt and Boogers recently posted..Top 5 Parenting Posts and A New Party!
AWESOME! Thank you for including me on that great list.
I’ve been wondering how to transition our 2 year old daughter from being rocked to sleep (and subsequently CARRIED to her crib) to going to sleep on her own!
Any advice?
She won’t stay in her room and play either, although she plays nicely on her own, just not in the nursery…unless she’s up to something!
I tried the “let her decide” theory but she stayed up until 3am and I just can NOT do that!!!
I don’t MIND rocking her but she’s getting heavy! I’ve had problems transferring her into the crib a few times and I know I need to start her on the journey to going to bed on her own…soon.
When you let her decide what was she doing? My first thought would be to make sure she has quiet toys that she loves in her room. Maybe pop your head in every once in a while at first so she’s not coming out to look for you. If she likes to play alone it should be fairly easy to get her used to bedroom playtime.
Teaching her to put herself to sleep will be a valuable skill that will be with her forever. When you are ready to start… remember that! Good luck.
Ok, this sounds like a fabulous idea!! my problem here though is my Dman is 2.5 and still refuses to sleep without a bottle. He only gets one and Doc has (very huffily) admitted that wont hurt his teeth bottle mouth wise. I have tried taking them away and them just no longer existing and for almost two weeks straight he laid in his bed screaming then puking then screaming every night for HOURS!!! I would love to try this idea because I think it is perfect for him I just need to take care of this bottle issue first.
Hmmm… I wonder if the two transitions could go together? If he is interested in being a “big boy” you might be able to make a big deal about how big boys go to bed. Anything where you are removing a comfort is really exhausting… for everyone. Good luck to you! Remember that it won’t last forever.
I would LOVE to try this, but my 3 year old twins, I very seriously doubt would actually listen and stay in their rooms to play. Any ideas would be appreciated! Sounds great!
Molly, I felt the same way when I gave it a try. Now it is time that M and M look forward to. My advice would be to have quiet toys they haven’t seen in a while that you know will capture their attention. Do they love cars or dolls? What can they do for a while without your attention? Good luck and let me know how it goes. (Can’t hurt to try.
)
We love this idea! We started using it a few weeks ago and it had really been working well. But for the last few nights after he comes out and tells us he’s ready for his tuck in (he’s 2 and 3/4), he then starts up with the requests for water, cries that he’s heard a noise, etc. Since we’ve already told him it’s bedtime, what do you recommend at that point?
Thanks!
Hi Lisa,
Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. I know when it comes to bedtime I want answers NOW! Have you still been having the same problem? For the water, giving him a drink before lights out would be easiest. If it’s always he hears a sound you could ask him to be a detective and figure out what the noise was. Reporting to you in the morning instead of after bedtime. I hope this helps… I really hope you already had it worked out and are enjoying some lovely adult time!
I have been doing this with my 3 yo daughter (whom i have struggled with sleep for most of her life) for a few months now and it really works. After months of tracking her sleep I have finally worked out my daughter does need less sleep than her friends and its a very long and unpleasant 3 hours if left in a dark room by herself. People have been giving me a hard time about it but I have tried it both ways and this way is much more pleasant for all of us. I feel so much better after reading your website and seeing that other people are doing the same. Thanks!!
You daughter is so lucky to have a Mom who is willing to follow her own instincts. You are absolutely right not all kids need the same amount of sleep and laying wide awake in a dark room for 3 hours sounds miserable. Sounds like the perfect time for her to enjoy some quiet time.
Thanks for sharing your story.
This is a great post! A few years ago, 7:00 bedtime was a must in our house for our two little girls. We all woke up pretty early, they needed their sleep, and we needed our adult time. This worked pretty well after we had our little boy, too, for a little while. When he was about 2, we were still putting all the kids to bed around 7:00 so he could get enough sleep, but I was constantly getting after the girls, age 5 and 7, for talking and sneaking out of bed to play. Well, I finally realized that they just weren’t tired yet and needed a little downtime before sleeping instead of laying like a lump in bed in the dark. But our little guy wouldn’t go to sleep before his sisters because he could hear them playing and it became a fight to get him to sleep each night. So we solved this problem with a variation of your suggestion: Every night at 7:00 we started our routine (pajamas, potty, teeth brushed, prayers) and our son went to his room and the girls went to their room. I set a kitchen timer for however many minutes were left before about 7:45-ish. The girls could play quietly with legos or barbies or read a book until the timer dinged, then they put the toys back and turned the light off. This worked so well! I called it “playtime” and my favorite part about it was that it gave me something to take away as I deemed fit. They knew that the faster they got ready for bed the more playtime they got! If they didn’t go to sleep within a reasonable amount of time after the timer dinged, all it took was a warning of losing playtime the next day for them to quickly settle down and fall asleep. If I had to go in again, they lost their playtime the next day. This especially worked well with my 5 year old! Everyone was getting enough sleep and we all felt so much happier! Now they are 4, almost 7, and almost 9 and still sleep great — just in time for our new baby to upset our sleeping schedule.
Ha ha Amy! I love that comment. You made me giggle. When I had kids my Mom said “Just when you think you’ve found the answer something will change and you’ll have to start a square one.”
Trying this tonight with our 3 year old!! In like 15 min! (jammie time) the only thing I can see as an issue is she is “afraid of her bed, afraid of her room…monsters.” We do the monster spray with air freshener and “the dog will eat then outside.” But sometimes she will wake us at say 2am talking about the monsters…
How did it go? Little M had problems with bad dreams for a while. She was afraid to go to sleep because of them. We did a few activities (Dreams) and my husband explained that she can control her dream, turning scary dreams silly. I’m not sure which method worked or if it was a combo of both… but the bad dreams stopped!
My daughter is still in her crib. She’s 2 1/2, but has never tried to climb out so I’m leaving her in there as long as she wants to stay. I’m terrified of her wandering around the house at night. Could this work with me still having to go put her in her bed? Most nights, bedtime isn’t too bad. We are on a set schedule that we rarely deviate from. But other nights isn’t a nightmare that ends with her on the floor pitching a fit because she doesn’t want to go to bed. This is an interesting concept that I’m willing to try.
If it works… the transition to a big kid bed should be amazingly easy! Since we come in and tuck the kids in anyways I don’t see why putting them into bed would be any different. Good luck, and let me know how it goes!
Ok…so I saw this on Pinterest today and read it very cynical…..no way could this work on my 3 and 5 year old who share a room. Gave it a test run tonight….HOLY CRAP…it worked! Both were snoozing by 8:15…when many nights we are pushing 10….thank you thank you thank you for this! I will be going to bed earlier tonight and sleep so much better knowing my kids went to bed with me smiling, tucking them in, and smooching them! GOD BLESS YOU!
YEAH!!!! I am thrilled for you and your sleeping loves. It sounds way to go to be true and after all this time I am still amazed. A week or so ago my 7 year old asked to go to sleep just after 7 (about an hour earlier than normal). He knows how to listen to his body, something I need to do more of! Thank you for sharing your story.
Great tip
I am so intrigued by all these suggestions. First, let me say that we have little to no problems putting our little one (19 months) to bed (knock on wood). However, some nights she just doesn’t seem to get tired until 9pm and by that time, I’ve been ready for her to go to bed for an hour! I think she would play in her room independently; however, I have 2 issues. #1…working mommy guilt…how can I let her play by herself and not give her my attention when I am home with her. #2…I can’t imagine my 19 month old understanding the concept that she decides when to go to bed AND even if she did, her bedroom is upstairs and my husband and I would most likely be downstairs, so how would she even tell us she was ready if she can’t come down the stairs? Perhaps, developmentally, she’s just too young for this concept? Thank you for any suggestions!
Hi Courtney! Sorry it took so long for me to respond. Somehow I missed your question.
Anyway. I understand the mommy guilt but if you are spending quality time with her when you are with her then there are great reasons to make bedroom rest time work. #1 You will be able to give her what she needs if you are well rested and allowing yourself some downtime. #2 independent play is a really important skill and giving her all the practice at it that you can is good for her! #3 sometimes parents can be stimulating. You might find that she is actually tired faster because she is playing alone.
As far as being has her being upstairs while you are down. Eek that could be a little scary. If you have a monitor, perhaps you could teach her how to just ask for help. That’s assuming that the entire upstairs is baby proofed.
I don’t think she’s too young for this… and there is only one way to find out! Let me know if you give it a try. I’m sure there are other parents in your special situation that would love to hear about your experience.
Good luck!!!
Ok, so, we have been trying this for about two weeks now with my 2 year old daughter, and honestly, bedtime is still a complete disaster. In fact, I think it is getting worse. The first night it went well, the second night was ok (came out after lights out once or twice), but now it seems that the time she spends playing is just tacked on to the hours we try getting her back to bed. I’m so sick of the screaming, the crying, begging for dad, then begging for mom, one-more-potty, one-more-snuggle, one-more-whatever. Here is our routine, and I welcome suggestions from anyone for what we could be doing better:
6:00-6:30 dinner
7:00 – 7:30 clean up toys in living room, bath, diaper, jammies, brush teeth
7:30 and on: read stories (2 or 3), play with a quiet toy that she doesn’t get frustrated by (worked that one out the hard way), then snuggles and lights out.
Some nights she will play for an hour (awesome!) some nights just a minute or two before coming out of her room. Sometimes she will say she is done playing, but never, ever does she say she is ready for bed. We usually end up doing lights out when it’s obvious that she is over-tired or when she has come out for any reason other than to potty. Usually my husband does this on his own because I am in the other room nursing and putting the baby to sleep. But once the little one is down, we are both on hall-monitor duty for 90 minutes to 2 hours. Every. Single. Night. She never had sleep issues until about 4 months ago (before the baby came, well after she was in a toddler bed, no other big changes at that time that I can think of). I’m really starting to wonder if this is our payback for when she was sleeping 10 hours straight every night at 3 months old. And I’m really missing those days.
Again, any suggestions are appreciated. I feel like we have tried everything.
Oh Lydia that sounds exhausting! I’m sure it’s no fun for you, hubby or your daughter. Here are a few extra tips that might help…
Could you move bath and cleaning up toys to another part of the day? Maybe right before dinner or morning? That way her actual “rest time” could start around 7 or 7:15 rather than what I’m guessing is closer to 8. She may be tired early than you think if she is ending up over tired.
A positive behavior book might help too. You can really display for her what a perfect night would look like and how she would feel while it was happening.
Depending on her verbal and comprehending skills you could try asking her what she did before, when she was sleeping so easily. Did she have special ways of putting herself to sleep? Playing the BIG GIRL card usually goes along way. “Now that you are a big girl, you get to have a rest time before bed. You are so big you get to help decide when your body is ready for sleep.” Talk a lot about the difference between a rested body and a tired one.
I hope some of this helps. Let me know how it goes and if you need more help I would love to brainstorm with you!
Jillian
Thank you for replying so quickly Jillian! We have talked about moving her bath to an earlier time since I think it kind of winds her up, but the logistics of what to wear to dinner after the bath held us back. I told my husband today that washing one more outfit a day is nothing to me if it helps her get to sleep earlier!
The positive behavior book is a great idea, I am going to start looking for some pictures to put in ours – I think they will really reinforce what we are trying to say. For so many other situations (walking in the parking lot, putting on socks when I ask, etc.) just asking her to “let me know when you are ready” works like a charm, so I was really hopeful about this bedtime technique. Looks like we just have to keep tweaking it until it fits.
I’ll give these changes a couple nights and check back with you. Thanks again! -Lydia
Baths have always gotten my kids more energetic too… I always heard they should be relaxing for kids but I know I prefer a nice shower to wake me up.
Make sure to use the behavior books for one behavior at a time, they should be short and easy to digest. We used a lot of them over the years with Little M.
I will ALWAYS respond quickly to the bedtime post… I know how important a good night sleep is for everyone. Good luck.
So tonight is night 1 of trying this. We did our bedtime routine and left him to read books/play at 7:15 pm. He came out at 7:40 pm saying he was ready for sleep. He didn’t want to lay straight in his bed (I have no problem with but usually is his way of protesting going to sleep….) We kissed him regardless and as we were walking out he came saying “STAY! I want you to STAY!” I reminded him that he did “big boy bed time” now and he decided it was time for him to sleep and left (him still calling out) he then got out of bed running up to me and grabbed onto my legs wanting me to stay with him) I had to resort to what we had to do in the past of shutting the door for a short time until he was in bed and showing me he was ready for the door to be opened. He stayed in his room quiet for a few minutes then came back out wanting me to cover him up. I did the shut the door thing again (with giving as little attention as possible to him). And now he is sitting on his bed crying/calling out to me. This is pretty much where we were before. Any suggestions or do you think this might be the adjustment period?
Jessica @ Loving My Nest recently posted..Pumpkin Carving 2012
What do you mean he didn’t want to lay straight in his bed? You might try it again tonight and remind them that when he comes out it is time for sleep. Now that he knows what that means it might make him wait until he is really ready. Good luck.. again!!!
He lays sideways with his head and feet hanging off the side edges of the bed. It’s his “I’m in bed but not REALLY in bed” lol. We are trying it again tonight with a little alteration. We practiced with him putting himself to bed and put in a special touch lamp that has low light that he can turn off on his own. Our thought is that it’s the separation leading to going to sleep that’s the issue so if we separate from him to something he enjoys then turns off his own light and goes to sleep it might help with the “don’t leave” cries (since we won’t be in there anyway). We’ll see. I’m not ready to give up!
Jessica @ Loving My Nest recently posted..The Man With the Yellow Hat Costume
Love that idea!!! Can’t wait to hear how it works. I was thinking of you as we headed to bed tonight. It was a terrible hour before bed and no rest time (Little M said “I just wish I were in bed.”) It’s the time change… so keep that in mind if you change time where you are. Overtired kids have a very hard time cooperating.
Also both of my kids move, move, move… for about 2 months after she didn’t have the rail Little M feel off the bed every night. Hanging himself off the bed might actually be part of his process. If you ignore it, he might stop completely or you might find it didn’t really matter to begin with.
Good luck again
It actually went pretty good tonight! He came out and said he was ready to go to sleep, and I staying doing what I was doing and said, “Ok! Good night” and reminded him to turn off his light. He was hesitant and asked for us to “pat him” (what we used to do while getting him to go to sleep) I offered to tuck him in and give him a hug and kiss and he settled for that. He verbally protested once saying he didn’t like to go “night-night”, but I just said good night and left and that was the end of it! We’ll try again tomorrow and see if it goes as well. We had a rough few hours leading up to bedtime so I was thinking it was going to flop. He’s been in full 3 year old mode being very testy during the day, which is why I suspect night time has been getting progressively worse as well. About his laying in bed: we usually ignore his sideways laying and he always wiggles to a more comfortable position within a few minutes.
Thanks again for your help and support! Knowing I have someone else to bounce ideas off of (or at least vent frustrations to that understand) helps so much!
Jessica @ Loving My Nest recently posted..The Man With the Yellow Hat Costume
Great Jessica! I hope it continues.
You are welcome for the support. I know what a huge difference a calm and relaxing bed time made for us… I want everyone to enjoy that type of peace!
I am coming from the other perspective, my mom did this for me when I was little, well really through middle school. Each child had a specific bedtime that was determined by age, we had to get into bed by that time and mom would hug us and kiss us goodnight (bath, books, and whatever were already done) and then leave the hall light on and doors cracked. I would stay up late naturally and as long as I was in my room being quiet everything was fine. When I was little, mom would put on a book on tape to let us listen to or lullabies. I remember often times getting up out of bed and turning the tape over to listen to the next story before I was ready for bed. As I got older and began reading I would stay up late reading. It was always my choice and I learned to sleep when I needed it and deal with staying up late. For me reading was worth it. If I was still up when mom went to bed then she would come in and tell me the world is going to sleep now and time to turn off the lights and I would go to sleep happy. (we had a set of books about the people who wake the sun in the morning, hang the moon in the sky, etc, so I had learned about the world going to sleep and the moon watching over me when I slept). This worked for us through high school with 3 kids. Though by the end bedtime was a non-issue because it was 10 or 11. But we learned how to be responsible with our sleep and listen to our bodies.
Mom also instituted rest time in the afternoon on non-school days. Where we had to be quiet and in our rooms playing softly. The rule was that we were suppose to leave our rooms but we often did. I think mom knew but didnt care as long as we were quiet. This lasted till I was 9 or 10 and old enough to be out with friends all day or mom would tell us she needed quiet time and not to disturb her-we couldn’t leave the house without telling her but we no longer had to stay in our rooms.
I don’t remember mom doing this when I was in preschool but she has told me she did with good success. And that she would often come when she was going to bed to tell me that world was going to sleep and now I had to too, at 11 at night. So don’t worry about children being up to late if it is their choice; their natural rhythms will work themselves out.
From a child who has done this, try it-it should work through at least middle school if not high school because this plan is adaptable.
Thank you so much for sharing the “child side” of this bedtime technique. I can see already in my 5 and 7 year old that they understand when they need to sleep. They know how to listen to their bodies, it’s really a life skill that has probably helped you tremendously. I also love that she was open with you that she needed quiet time. What a great lesson on respecting others and speaking up to get what you need. Thanks again!!!
Ok I tried this for the 1st time tonight. I have a 2 year old (8/1/10) that cries at bedtime every night for at least an hour. I told him that he had “big boy” bedtime and he played for about 30 minutes then came out of his room. He did not ask to go to bed and he did not want to go to bed but I put him in bed because he came out. He screamed and cried for mommy and daddy like usual. Is this normal for the 1st night and if so/not what am I doing wrong or are there any suggestions? Thanks!
Erin,
You are absolutely not doing something wrong! Since he is barely two he may not be able to really understand the consequences yet. When he came out did he want something or was he just done in the room? You may need to adjust the terms but don’t give up.
Maybe tonight you can try guiding him back to what he was doing and leaving him to play again. Since you can’t really explain to him that he is not to come out, gently showing him might work better. M and M were so much older than 2 when I started but I really wish I would have made it work when they were younger. It makes all the difference. Let me know how tonight goes.
Good luck!
hi. i posted “my son’s 2-1/2 now and i’ve been doing this since he was around 16 months old or so. it works great! he chooses when he wants to go into his room (no later than 7pm – he usually goes in around 5:30 or 6pm) and basically decides when he wants to go to bed (usually falls asleep between 8pm-9pm). he sleeps better and it’s less stressful for him and us. i do this with his naptime too, but usually he just has a 1-1/2 hour “quiet time” because he stopped the naps but his doc recommended a quiet time around the same time as his nap would be. and he’s so much better when he’s rested even if it’s just playing in his room.”
and you replied “I love this story! Thank you for sharing. So many people have been asking about younger kids. Do you mind if pull this up into the post?”
for some reason, it’s not letting me comment to the comment you made on my comment (lol). so i made a new one. of course you can pull it up into the post
he’s 3-1/2 now and it still works!
I think this is genius! Any advice for getting an 11 month old to bed without a meltdown? How to KEEP him asleep? Thank you!
We’ve always found with our two that get them into bed when they are just getting tired has proved to have the best results. Our hardest nights have always been with over tired kids.
Having a routine in place helps too. (Bath time at night has not proven to be the best way to wind down M and M) PJs, reading, singing or a quiet game. Just having a set routine that gets your little one ready while preparing him for what’s ahead. It might be a good way to start instilling bedroom rest time as well! Then when he’s old enough you could work yourself out of the rest time activities.
As for staying asleep, I have no good advice! Sorry… maybe naps for mom during the day?
Some positive reinforcement is something I would suggest the next morning for the little ones who are getting up just to get up. We have a jar that we put marbles in for good behavior. There are three “reward” lines on the jar. The first line he gets to pick something from the treasure bucket (all stuff the The Dollar Tree), the second is a home activity with us (making s’mores, choosing dinner, board game night, etc), and the “big” reward is is his choice of the zoo, museum, ballgame, etc. You have to be consistent in rewarding the GOOD behavior. Just as importantly, you can NOT take the marbles away as punishment. They earned the marble! Start the day by giving marbles for manners, doing something the first time they were told, AND “just because I love you” marbles. I used to carry a container with me at all times (had people ask me in McDonald’s, grocery stores, etc., what they were) so that he was instantly rewarded for good behavior.
I love the point you made about NOT taking the marbles away once they’ve earned them. Great ideas thanks for sharing.
My son is 20 months and sleeps in the bed with me and hubby. I’ve been trying to get him to sleep in his own bed for quite a while now. He does not like his bed at all…
We have to lay with him till he fall asleep and he still feels for me during the night. We recently changed his bed to a toddler bed. He gets in and out of it during the day, but will not lay down for a nap or sleep time. Please help!
Hi Paula! Sorry to be just getting to your comment. (I’ve been on a little blogging break, but I’m back now.) How is your bedtime going now? Has anything changed?
My son is 2.5. I’ve been doing this for a few months but he freaks out and screams even when I just leave him in his room. He also will just stay up until midnight. Ideas?
Hi Britanie! When you leave him in the room does he understand that it is his quiet playtime? (2.5 can mean so many different levels of understanding). Do you have a routine that leads up to rest time? If you keep things the same (brush teeth, pjs, book, rest time) it might help him be prepared for what is to come. Another idea might be to try a positive behavior book to help him understand what a nice parting looks like.
As for staying up until midnight… is he staying in his room the whole time and playing quietly? Does he nap? Is your family “rhythm” to be up late and sleep in?
we did the timed seated method by dr. sears. it worked great. I have an almost three year old. consistency is key with little ones. but jillians method seems to work with a lot of parents. kids definitely know when they are tired…they still need boundaries though.
Great post! I love the idea of letting them have control within boundaries set by us. Our 3 year old daughter loves books. After we read her 2 or 3 stories, we do turn out the light, but she is allowed to keep a book or two (or sometimes a photo album) in bed. She ‘reads’ them with her flashlight, and she gets to decide when to turn it off. Some nights she sets the book and flashlight on the night stand after 10 or 15 min, other nights we hear the flashlight hit the floor when she falls asleep. When the flashlight trick no longer works, we will definitely be trying your quite playtime idea!
Awesome! What a great way to instill a love of reading as well as giving her the space to learn when to turn out the light on her own.
My son is almost 2 years old but only goes to sleep if either I or my husband rock him and then lay him in his bed or sleep with him in the recliner. 70% of the time he wakes up right when he hits the bed and runs out of his room crying or if the door is closed stands at it and screams while banging his hands on it. He’s also good at the “limp noodle” where he will just flop himself on the floor and throws a fit. Help!
This sounds just like my almost 3 yr old but without the rocking part. She refuses to play by herself and will fight sleep til nearly 3 am!!!! getting her to enjoy time by herself is the hardest part for us.
Kids are all so different. This technique would be very tricky for a little one who prefers to be “not alone”. I would be happy to help you come up with some ideas if your interested. Just let me know.
wow, I have the same problem.. as least we are all not alone. My son is 20mos and he too will pound on the door after I had put him down and/or wakes up as soon as I move to carry him to his room or as soon as he touches his bed and freaks out.
You are most definitely not alone! As you can see by the comments difficulties at bedtime are pretty common. I would love to help you come up with ideas to try if your interested.
I would try anything right now!! Thanks!!
Until he is comfortable with playing alone you can try leaving for small spurts.Go for just a couple minutes and then come back in. (“I have to go potty, you play with your puzzle and I’ll be right back.”) Stretch it out a little more as he gets used to it until you no longer need to go back. Good luck and let me know how it goes.
Try keeping his activities and your behavior as calm as possible. Use quiet voices, yawn and stretch, quiet music. Maybe even set up some quiet toys in his bed so he is already there and doesn’t have to be moved there.
Hope that helps!
Hi Steph,
Bedroom rest time would be pretty hard with kids who aren’t quite old enough to understand the idea. It might be worth a try though. Are there any quiet toys that he might be drawn to? If you can get him relaxed in the space without rocking him you may be able to get him to lay down on his own.
Jillian
My son (now 3) and daughter (now 5) were rocked to sleep up until they were almost 2. Bedtimes were (and still are somewhat) a night mare. I think 1st you should try to transition from rocking to sleep. That’s what we did. We would rock and read a few books and then turn the lights out and snuggle and rock for a few more and then it was time to get into bed. We would lay them down and leave. If he or she came out of the room we would just quietly take their hand and lead them back to their bed and lay them down again and simply say “stay in bed please. okay?” It took a few weeks for this routine to completely work but trust me if you keep at it eventually it will come!
Hope this helps a little! Good luck!
I did the pick your bed time since the day M was born. Bed time started out at 4:00am, but would sleep for 6 hours straight! After about a month or so it dramatically changed to midnight and now 10PM (M is now 2) If I am lucky and M hasn’t had her usual nap, M will go to sleep at 8:30 with no problem at all. I also nursed her to sleep until 3 weeks ago and then decided it was time to be done, told her that mommy nummies are now all gone and she hasn’t had any issue at all! I recommend the no bed time to every one!
Fantastic story Margo! Thanks for sharing.
I love this story!! I have a VERY STUBBORN 2 1/2 year old who refuses to stay in her bed unless I am in the room with her and when she comes out she always wants to go into my room to my bed whether I am in there or not. I am sad to say that this is partly, no mostly, my fault because, for different reasons, I have been one of those rock-her-to-sleep mommys and now that she is in her toddler bed she doesn’t want to stay unless I “put her to sleep.” I have to do it at nap times still (or at least I feel I do) because I take care of another little girl during the day and I don’t want the battle with my daughter to stay in her room/bed to wake the other child once she goes to sleep. Bedtimes have been rough over the last week or so since I have been trying anything and everything I know, even spankings, to make her stay in her bed. My friends have given me advise based on what has worked for their children, but I just can’t seem to find the patience to keep going and I end up putting her in her bed and standing beside it until she falls asleep, which after a couple hours of a battle usually only takes a couple of minutes. The point is that I am STILL in the room with her. I have always been taught stick with routine because routine and schedules are best for toddlers and babies. That worked for awhile, but now I don’t know what else to do to make it go smoothly. I am not even sure if something like this will work because she always comes out of her room to find me once I leave. It just gets so frustrating, ESPCIALLY when I am tired and know that I have to get up earlier some mornings than others.
Oh Misty I feel your pain!!! Tired and out of patience makes it even harder to stick to a new routine. My suggestion to you would be to keep the rocking as part of your routine, just change it up a bit. “I will rock you while we sing 2 songs and read 1 book, then you play with your puzzles while I go switch the laundry.” Until she is comfortable with playing alone you can try leaving for small spurts.Go for just a couple minutes and then come back in. Stretch it out a little more as she gets used to it until you no longer need to go back. Good luck and let me know how it goes.
My daughter is 20mo and to go to sleep she lays down in between hubby and me. How do I even get her to lay down in her own bed, and get her to put her self to sleep? Is she too young for your method?
There are quite a few people in the comments here who have had success with similar methods for young kids. We didn’t start until the kids were a bit older (but oh how I wish we would have)! It’s certainly worth a try.
I would suggest moving slowly and having a plan from the start. She will have to get used to being alone in her room and sleeping by herself. I can’t remember where I saw it but I’ve heard of people who put their own pjs in with their kids so they can still smell you and feel the fabric they are used to sleeping next to.
I hope that helps.
This is awesome. Especially since I just switched the kids room to being JUST a bed and JUST books with a tiny book shelf. I think Ill give it a shot.
Yeah!!! Can’t wait to hear how it works for you.
Hi! We heard this technique taught at our Love and Logic classes but are skeptical of how it will work with our 2.5 year old twins who share a room. My big concern is once they have decided to go to bed whether by their choice or by being too noisy or disruptive that my boy twin will still just jump out of bed and run around and think it is fun and games. He is so good about listening during the day but I struggle with bedtime/naptime with him and he often encourages his sister to join him. Any words of wisdom on what to do if this is an issue after they make the choice, or if one chooses at a different time from the other one? Thanks so much!
Hi Jill!
I had the same concern when I first heard about it. Mine little ones are not twins but they do share a room. Mine were a little older but honestly I wish I would have tried it when they were younger.
I guess my biggest tip would be to play up how nice it will be to play quietly by themselves and how big they are that they get choose their bedtime.
Good luck!
My kids love bedtime stories. Actually, we have 5 of them, so that’s a lot of reading. LOL! So we started a new ritual. Bedtime audiobooks. There’s lots of sites to download them, but we use one site in particular because the stories are all original and free. Here’s the link, if anyone is interested. http://www.twirlygirlshop.com/moral-stories-for-kids
I sort-of already do this for my almost 5yr old. According to him “When the baby stick is on the 7 and the mommy stick is on the 12 it’s nite-nite time” Or when Mommy’s phone plays Twinkle Twinkle Little Star(I have an alarm set every night for 7pm). He goes in his room with a cup of water and he has to sit in his bed. He can watch a DVD or Sprout until Mommy’s Phone plays Twinkle Twinkle Little Star again.(830pm) That means the TV needs to go to sleep and he needs to lay down and snuggle under his blankets. He doesn’t fight it because he’s always told that if he does then he doesn’t get TV at all the next day at nite-nite time. He’s usually asleep by 9pm if he even stays up that late. Other times he asks to turn off his TV because he’s ready to sleep. It’s great!
That’s great Sarah! Sounds like a routine that is working for everyone!!!
I want to try this, but my problem arises when my 2.5 year old comes out and even though she knows the rule that once she comes out it’s bedtime, she still says no. Then what? We have a 1 year old and I have a feeling this would come with lots of tears, kicking and screaming which would wake the already sleeping baby. Suggestions?
Just tried this tonight. It was easier than our normal hectic, crazy bedtimes than entail yelling, and screaming fits from both the kids and us parents. It was not a pretty sight.
I’m not going to say it was a complete success because it most certainly wasn’t. We started around 8 since we typically want them to be asleep by 9. My 3 year old son came out of his room twice. The second time we told him he must be ready for bed. He got into bed easily with no fuss, but continuously came out of his room, which eventually resulted in my hubby sitting in the room until he fell asleep.
My 5 year old daughter however was content to play all night long. Finally at 10 we had to tell her it was bedtime.
It was less stressful but still not a complete success.
I’m glad it was less stressful! Hopefully after a couple more tries it will be a complete success!
I bet your 10 year old will be more tired tonight and less likely to stay up too late.
Thanks for the idea! We have been really struggling with bedtime with my 2.5 and 4.5 yr olds, both girls, who share a room. My husband has to stay in there with them in the 2.5 yr olds bed until they fall asleep or they scream bloody freaking murder. We tried this tonight and they were having none of it…. We tried leaving the door open, closing it, they just freaked out when he left. We tried playing it up real big (“Now you get to pick your own bedtime! Yay!”) but they didnt buy it. *sigh* Any advice? We put them in their room at 830pm and its now almost 10pm and they are still awake with him in there with them. I feel like I dont ever get time with my husband because he’s always trying to put them to sleep. :/
Hilary,
It’s so hard when all you want is to sit and relax with your husband. I remember dreading bedtime so much. I hope I can help it go a little more smoothly tonight. First off I would say try starting your bed time routine earlier and getting the rest time started a hour earlier than normal.
If they go in there feeling “not tired” the entire process might take a different spin. Next, this is a great time to introduce a new toy or bring out one they haven’t seen in a while. Puzzles, books, dolls, blocks or cars… are all great quiet time activities. Try setting up the room so that it’s inviting and turn on soft music. If they are not use to being alone, you might need to start rest time with them… leaving for longer periods of time and saying “I’ll be right back.”
Hope that helps. Let me know how it goes!