Are you desperate for your little ones to go to bed on time. Ask Supernanny Jo Frost for her advice on bedtime battles by posting your questions on the forum. We’re going to interview Jo Frost during this series and if you’d like to ask her anything about sleeping and going to bed, here is your chance. We’ll pick some of the best questions and we’ll post her answers up on the website. Just post your questions or dilemmas on this forum.
hi i have a 3 and half year old son who is not sleeping at nights he had a nightmare about 3 months ago and since then does not want to go to bed without a telly and light on he is going to bed at 9.30 pm but wont go to sleep until 11 then wakes at 1.00am then comes into my bed i have tried putting him back but it is a constant battle which i hate to say i am losing before the nightmare he went to bed at 8pm with a book and just the hall light shining in his room please please help i am very tired as is my son
We are trying to move our 2 and a half year old son into a proper bed. In his cot he has no problem going to sleep. We have some stories and then he goes into his cot for the last story (for which he lies down and doesn't complain) and then it is lights out, and he just lies there until he goes to sleep.
But with the bed he goes into it for a story and then tries to climb back out to get another story. Or he just bounces around on the bed during the story.
We've tried reward charts, telling him that he won't get a sticker for his chart in the morning if he doesn't go to bed like a big boy, and threatening to put him back in his cot like a baby (which is what we have ended up doing - but he doesn't seem to object to this).
I have a lovely 6yr old boy who is a star in all respects apart form sleeping. He doesnt like to fall asleep on his own and always wants mummy or daddy there with him. He also gets up and comes into our bed every night, which is getting a pain now he's older - no sleep for us! We tried putting him to bed each time he gets up but we were still doing that at 3.30am He was as fresh as a daisy, we were exhausted! We have also tried a star reward chart but to no avail - please help. Thanks Clairefrog
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Originally posted by C4 Editor: Are you desperate for your little ones to go to bed on time. Ask Supernanny Jo Frost for her advice on bedtime battles by posting your questions on the forum. We’re going to interview Jo Frost during this series and if you’d like to ask her anything about sleeping and going to bed, here is your chance. We’ll pick some of the best questions and we’ll post her answers up on the website. Just post your questions or dilemmas on this forum.
motherearth, i think all you can do is reassure him, making sure he knows this was only a dream and that there is nothing to fear, my daughter used to wake crying too, but i just told her it was a dream and it was over and she just went back to sleep. letting him sleep with the light and tv on is getting him into the habit of living like that hun, you have to break the cycle, and for a few nights, it will be hard, maybe a small night light will help him? perhaps a new routine, if he is scared, perhaps checking under beds and things just for the reassurance each night might help?
Willow, changing beds is a big deal to little 'uns and they will find it exciting and want to mess around, making them feel more grown up worked for me, constantly saying 'wow, you are in the big bed now, that means you are a big girl/boy and big girls/boys go straight to sleep' my 2 were always getting up, but it's just a case of leading them back to bed and not making contact, they see you talking to them as attention or a reward, so don't keep chatting to him, make it clear it is bedtime and that you won't stand for the messing about, he will soon learn good luck
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He who laughs last didn't get the joke.
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Hi my problem is similar to willowfae. I soo desperately need some good advice!!! I have a 2 yr old who Im trying to get to sleep in his bed instead of a cot. He used to sleep fine I could put him in his cot awake and hed go to sleep himself. Now that hes in his bed the second I leave the room he gets out of bed and screams, and screams and screams!! Its none stop! I constantly go upstairs put him back to bed, by the time Ive got to the bottom of the stairs hes out and screaming again, it lasts approx an hour! My other son is 7 and is back to school on Tuesday and will need his sleep. Can anyone suggest anything?? Im desperate!!!!!!
Hi, sue1974! Maybe after the comfort of his cot with its safety bars he's scared of being in a bed? Did you try putting a bed guard rail on the side of his bed-perhaps if it's a space thing, a bed guard may be comforting, cos a bed's got no sides on, unlike a cot.Perhaps he feels overwhelmed by it-it might help? Otherwise,does he have a favourite teddy or something, that he could help you make a "cardboard box bed" for. Part of his bedtime routine could be him putting teddy to bed in his big grown up "bed" before he gets in his!!
Hello Sue, I had exactly the same problem. Once they get that freedom of no bars they try and rule the roost. I did all that, going up and down the stairs not saying a word to him and just putting him back to bed, but that wasn't working for me.
In the end i would just leave him to cry and scream and play even in his bedroom...i sometimes held the door shut too, to stop him escaping from his room. It took about 4 days to complete my mission of bedtime.
A good trick is a good bedtime routine where its PJs, Wash, Story, BED!! My son still plays sometimes in his room for about half hour but thats good he has some time for himself.
Ignore this behaviour, just remember that they are not hurting themselves by crying. Alot of the time when i sneeked upstairs to see what he was doing he had got himself into bed with his blanket and was going to sleep himself. Shocked as i was i was so relieved!!
My 7 year old WONT go to bed on the time she has been told, just keeps getting out of bed, this has been going on for some time. I've tried everything star charts to taking toys away. She hasn't had her tv or cd player for months. Just need her to stay in bed when put there. I've even tried the GOODNIGHT method as seen on tv
JOJO, please help me, i am a stressed out mum of wonderful, wonderful twins but i am exhausted with the bedtime battle from hell.Feel like a an old crank even asking about this as they have been great children They eat well, sleep well and generally behave well until the terror began. Just after their 2nd birthday we decided to take the sides of the cots. Now they have become a pair of teeny terrors the minute they are meant to go to sleep. We have tried everything from the naughty corner, the naught cot, shouting and yes i hate to admit but even a spanked bum. The travel cot in the corner of their room being the most used method and the most successful. I think that after 3 months we would have had this problem sorted but there has been little or no improvement. We have tried to establish good patterns with Ben & Holly from day one and have been reasonably successful. Now though we feel we are cracking up. Should we try sticker charts - are they too young.
Please help Jo before the small people take control. x
Can you pleased help me? My 18mth old daughter is wonderful but she wont sleep properly. She wont fall asleep in her bed but she will fall asleep in the living room on the sofa. Usualkly after she has fallen to sleep we carry hwer to her bed but she only stays there for a bit. It can be anything between 2 hours to 5hours tops that she stays there. Up until now we have put her in bed with us but now we are trying to break this habit as she doesnt sleep properly there either. I near enough always end up on the sofa with her so she will sleep. I am at my wits end. Please help!
i have a 9 year old son and have such a battle at bedtime. no matter what i try it doesnt work. even putting him to bed at 7 and allowing him tv til 8 and then allowing him to read til 8.30-9.00. the he decides he is hungry or he has tummy ache or that he hears noises. This has been going on since he was 3 years old and i dont know what to try next. please help.
hello i have a 15 month old girl Gracie who will not go to bed in her cot awake. She has been held since birth constantly by everyone around her. If she cried she would be picked up immediatly, which i never agreed with and stopped it but family think they know best!! She is my first child and her daddy is recovering from a serious bike accident so all she wants is cuddles from me, but because of the upset i think it's important to get her into a routine. I'm being mummy and daddy to Gracie at the moment and feel i need some advice. She falls asleep on my lap at bedtime in the front room watching tv while having a bottle, i then put her into her cotbed, either alseep or half asleep. If she wakes in the night she just wants cuddles and can be a battle getting her back into bed. She's just learnt how to get out of bed so i wanted to know what should i try the technique of putting her back down when she wakes and letting her cry? How long do i leave her? Please Help.
Hi I have the same problem, my daughter is 16 months old, and it stems from my breastfeeding routine. I was told by the midwife to feed from one side, change her nappy and feed her from the other side until she falls asleep. I am still breastfeeding so she can smell the milk on me which doesn't help. Also I am on my own at night so don't have the support that couples do. I have tried bedtime routines but she just won't go to sleep, and ends up staying up that late that it's very difficult to wake her up some mornings. At the moment she usually stays up until about 10pm. I have replied to this message because I couldn't figure out how to start my own message. I really need help.
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Originally posted by laurajp: hello i have a 15 month old girl Gracie who will not go to bed in her cot awake. She has been held since birth constantly by everyone around her. If she cried she would be picked up immediatly, which i never agreed with and stopped it but family think they know best!! She is my first child and her daddy is recovering from a serious bike accident so all she wants is cuddles from me, but because of the upset i think it's important to get her into a routine. I'm being mummy and daddy to Gracie at the moment and feel i need some advice. She falls asleep on my lap at bedtime in the front room watching tv while having a bottle, i then put her into her cotbed, either alseep or half asleep. If she wakes in the night she just wants cuddles and can be a battle getting her back into bed. She's just learnt how to get out of bed so i wanted to know what should i try the technique of putting her back down when she wakes and letting her cry? How long do i leave her? Please Help.
Help. I have a lovely 4 year old. He is generally well behaved (for a 4 year old!). The problem I have is his nighttime waking. He goes to bed with no problems at all but wakes up every single night at all different times and will not go back to bed by himself. Sometimes he wants to be tucked in so I have bought some duvet holder grips to stop the covers moving. Other times he just wants someone to put him back to bed. We have tried constantly taking him back without talking to him but he doesn't seem to get the message. I was wondering if it is a detachment issue because due to my circumstances we had to share a bedroom until he was 16 months old. He sleeps the odd night through but only once or twice a week. Any suggestions?
dear jo i am a single mum who untill recently had my little boy in the same room as me every night, this was due to the situation when i was with his father and then when i moved from london back up here i moved in with my mum. We had to wait to be rehoused so i had to share a room with him as my mum only has a 2 bedroomed house. he is now in his own room but refuses to go to bed and fall asleep on his own he muist have a story or it is a screaming match. Not only that but he gets up every night and ends up in my bed i need help to get him to go to sleep on his own and to stay in his bed so that i can get a well need whole nights sleep. PLEASE PLEASE can you HELP ME i am at my wits end
Hi, myself and my partner went through the same thing our little girl started this when she turned one, we did the let her cry, we only let her cry for 45 minutes that was the longest but it worked, but we did have to go though it again when she turned 15 months. We also tried go up after 5 minutes calm them down, go out, if started again wait 10 minutes calm them down and then go in every 15 minutes etc. Hope this works
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Originally posted by laurajp: hello i have a 15 month old girl Gracie who will not go to bed in her cot awake. She has been held since birth constantly by everyone around her. If she cried she would be picked up immediatly, which i never agreed with and stopped it but family think they know best!! She is my first child and her daddy is recovering from a serious bike accident so all she wants is cuddles from me, but because of the upset i think it's important to get her into a routine. I'm being mummy and daddy to Gracie at the moment and feel i need some advice. She falls asleep on my lap at bedtime in the front room watching tv while having a bottle, i then put her into her cotbed, either alseep or half asleep. If she wakes in the night she just wants cuddles and can be a battle getting her back into bed. She's just learnt how to get out of bed so i wanted to know what should i try the technique of putting her back down when she wakes and letting her cry? How long do i leave her? Please Help.
I have a 20 month old who has been sleeping in a big bed for about 3 months now, but I am finding it is getting harder to get him to go to sleep. We have a routine of bath, book, milk and then bed, but he often takes up to an hour to go to sleep once I put him in bed. I always stay in the room and sit on the edge of the bed, but he tries to climb over me and wants to be held. However, if I do hold him he then clutches me so tight, and then constantly changes positions.
I have tried sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed but he gets hysterical. Should I persevere with this or is he too young?
Once he is asleep, he will generally sleep through the night, so it is just the actual process of getting him to sleep that is the problem. I am also finding it difficult for daytime naps unless he is really tired.
Please help. This is causing problems with DS#1 as he has to sit in the loungroom alone while I am putting DS#2 to bed, which I am feeling really guilty about. DH is travelling alot so is rarely home at night to help.
My daughter is 12 months old and will not sleep through the night. She wont go to bed awake, she just screams and makes herself sick. I have tried what seems like everything.. controlled crying doesn't work, she just cries for longer each nite. If she wakes during the nite she wont go back to sleep unless someone stays with her. I live in flats and can't just let her scream in the early hours. She is not hungry, even when I change her nappy she wont settle back down. She used to go to bed awake without a problem and settle herslef at nite and that changed and I cant work out why or how to change things back to how they were?? Her bedtime routine hasn't changed since she was 6 wks old, I have tried making the room colder, making it hotter, being deadly quiet once she's asleep.. I feel like I am going out of my mind and need help.....
Hi, has anyone given any suggestions yet?? I am also a single mum so know just what you mean.
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Originally posted by mandi2005: Hi I have the same problem, my daughter is 16 months old, and it stems from my breastfeeding routine. I was told by the midwife to feed from one side, change her nappy and feed her from the other side until she falls asleep. I am still breastfeeding so she can smell the milk on me which doesn't help. Also I am on my own at night so don't have the support that couples do. I have tried bedtime routines but she just won't go to sleep, and ends up staying up that late that it's very difficult to wake her up some mornings. At the moment she usually stays up until about 10pm. I have replied to this message because I couldn't figure out how to start my own message. I really need help.
quote:
Originally posted by laurajp: hello i have a 15 month old girl Gracie who will not go to bed in her cot awake. She has been held since birth constantly by everyone around her. If she cried she would be picked up immediatly, which i never agreed with and stopped it but family think they know best!! She is my first child and her daddy is recovering from a serious bike accident so all she wants is cuddles from me, but because of the upset i think it's important to get her into a routine. I'm being mummy and daddy to Gracie at the moment and feel i need some advice. She falls asleep on my lap at bedtime in the front room watching tv while having a bottle, i then put her into her cotbed, either alseep or half asleep. If she wakes in the night she just wants cuddles and can be a battle getting her back into bed. She's just learnt how to get out of bed so i wanted to know what should i try the technique of putting her back down when she wakes and letting her cry? How long do i leave her? Please Help.
Hi Jo I have a wonderful 2 and a half year old little boy who is generally a good boy, however bed times have become a bit of a strain. My husband is away two weeks of every month and i am expecting our second baby in six months and am begining to panic about my sons sleeping. He usually goes to bed without to much of a battle but once in bed he calls us back about three times for various reasons. If we dont go he crys until he throws up.. He also takes between an hour and an hour and a half to fall asleep, so although he is in bed at 7.00 he only falls asleep around half eight. He will then often wake once or twice a night from a bad dream but not necessarily a nightmare, ie its not a monster or something he is scared of, sometimes when we ask him whats wrong its something simple like his truck outside in the sand pit, he has to be calmed down to get back to sleep, but usually goes back to sleep fairly quickly but unfortunately we dont so we are exhausted. My main worry is if i'm up already feeding the new baby how do i deal with my son. He then also wakes up crying at 5.30am every morning, sometimes we can coax him into going back to bed for at least half an hour but most mornings he wont have any of it. Please help as my main concern is what to do when my husband is away and the new baby has arrived. My son has a lunch time nap for an hour, should i phase that out?? I worry about that as he is usally quite tired when he comes back from his play school. Thank you for your help, you are fantastic and i have a wonderful little boy because of your fabulous advice.
quote:
Originally posted by C4 Editor: Are you desperate for your little ones to go to bed on time. Ask Supernanny Jo Frost for her advice on bedtime battles by posting your questions on the forum. We’re going to interview Jo Frost during this series and if you’d like to ask her anything about sleeping and going to bed, here is your chance. We’ll pick some of the best questions and we’ll post her answers up on the website. Just post your questions or dilemmas on this forum.
