Hi
I'm a single mum of a 2 1/2 year old girl who will not sleep in her own bed through the night. I used to be able to go through bedtime routine and then leave her whilst still awake but not now. Oh no, now, I can't even get passed the first creaky floorboard without her screaming at me to hold her hand / sit with her etc. I've tried putting the babygate across her doorway but she can now climb over it - or once, she demolished it in an absolute rage. I don't want bedtimes to be distressing for her but I also don't want to sit for 3 hours at nighttime until she goes to sleep! She then wakes up in the early hours and sneaks into my bed - unfortunately I'm usually in a deep sleep so don't always hear her - when I do, it's a real battle to get her back to her own bed again.

My ex and I have a very good relationship still after amicable split so although the slpit may have affected her - I don't think this is problem. She sleeps well at her dad's house in her own bed!

Help - I need sleep!!

Hi, what worked with my son was gradually moving further away over several weeks. The first week I would sit on his bed, then I sat on a chair next to the bed for a few days, and every few days I moved the bed nearer to the door, then I sat on the stairs just outside his room, and after a few days of that he was happy for me to just put him in bed and leave. It took a while but was very pain free! He still comes into my bed in the night but I have a sticker chart for him and he gets a sticker every time he sleeps all night in his own bed. He used to get about 2 stickers a week, now he gets about 4 most weeks.

Thanks Judy. I did try it about a year ago and it worked really well though took less than a week to work. I think I'm in for the long haul this time so will try the gradual retreat over a longer time! Again, good point about the sticker chart but I've tried that and it doesn't seem to work with her. There's also a new play kitchen in the garage that she's dying to play with and I keep telling her she can when she sleeps in her own bed but that doesn't seem to have any effect either!