Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Mike's New Bed


Mike used to be a great sleeper. Lay him down with Friend, Bink, and Rainforest, and he'd go to sleep himself. This past weekend he started screaming and clinging to me when I'd try to put him to bed. I can't let him cry like that for more than a few minutes, so I always give in and try again later. Well...after staying up until 5 am one night and 3 am the next, I decided something needed to change. So, we changed his crib into a toddler bed. It didn't work. He still hates his bed. So last night I got him a cute Cars toddler bed sheet set. That didn't work either, but I think he looks cute sleeping in it (by the time I give in and cuddle with him in my bed, and get him sleeping deeply enough that he doesn't notice me moving him from my bed to his) so I'm posting the picture anyway. Now the only problem is when he wakes up in the middle of the night instead of turning on Rainforest and going back to sleep, he comes running into our bedroom and we have to start all over again...or, like the past couple of nights, when we've gotten him to his own bed by midnight, he sleeps in our bed from 4 am until morning.

Any other ideas to get him to go to sleep by himself again, we'll probably try them.

1 comment:

Pam said...

I do have a suggestion but you won't like it much...

You gotta let him cry it out. And he needs to be put in bed immediately after he gets out... it will be sad, and it will take a few days, but it will also not last forever and eventually he will learn that bedtime means going to bed, not getting out, and if he wakes up, he can turn over and keep sleeping...

Even if you don't take these suggestions- (cause thats all it is) it is really important to build a routine at bedtime and it is even more important to be consistent in punishments and routines...