As I posted earlier we got rid of the Binky. It has been a few weeks now. Gabe is still not sleeping well. He no longer asks for the Binky. He just doesn't sleep well. He has also stopped napping. He used to nap for a couple hours a day and for 10-12 hours at night, a total of 12-14 hours per day. Since we "pulled the plug" he has been averaging maybe 8 hours or less per night. This makes for a very cranky 2 year old.
We have tried the Super Nanny technique of just putting him back to bed. This works except for the fact that he will wake up at 4am and come into our room crying and wake up Lydia. She is sleeping more than he is at night. There is just something that isn't right about that.
He has never been a great sleeper. When he was little Jon had to mummy wrap him to get him to sleep. When that stopped working we started playing music. When that no longer worked he still had his Binky so he would give up pretty easily. Now we are all out of ideas. I have thought about just giving him Benadryl. I have not tried it but it might just be a last resort. PLEASE HELP US! We are desperate!
6 comments:
Yikes, that would make for a cranky 2 year old! My only idea is to see if you can get him to attach to a favorite car or small book and see if he can hold on to that. If you can figure out what it is that is making him get out of bed that would probably help. I would also try reading tips, articles on it online, I find that usually gives me ideas. Good luck!
Sometimes when Natalie is having a hard time falling asleep I say, "If you'll go to sleep and take a good nap, then we'll (fill in the blank) when you wake up." I usually promise a favorite treat or a trip to grandma's house, etc. She's been trying to give up her naps lately too and is also cranky. But fighting her isn't worth it, we have quiet time when a nap isn't going to work. (usually a favorite movie, or she'll read in her room for 45 minutes to a hour-and if she's really tired, sometimes she'll fall asleep!)
Second thought-try going for a walk in the stroller right before bedtime or go for a drive in the car and see if he falls asleep...that's what my parents had to do with me.-and it's a good excuse to walk the dog. Or if you think it will ware him out, let him walk the dog, with help of course.
I wonder if he thinks he is missing out on something since Lydia is still in your room and that's why he comes in in the middle of the night...I'm not a mom but I hear about kids being jealous of their siblings when they get more time with mom/dad.
We've had the same issues with Karlie for the last several months. Maybe it's the age, maybe it's all the changes. Regardless, it is no fun. You all need your sleep. We've tried everything as well. The controlled crying technique always works best to get Karlie back on her schedule, even though it is heartbreaking, it works after two nights. Consistancy is the key. I have a friend who gives her kids melatonin at bedtime, which would be a better alternative then the benadryl. You could also give it to Gabe when he wakes up in the middle of the night, then put him back in bed, and hopefully after a few nights he'll start sleeping through those wakeful periods. Good luck! Keep us posted on what works and what doesn't.
Katie will only sleep in her fold out Dora bed in her little tent. Have you tried having him nap again?
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