How do you teach a 2.5 year old to sleep own bed

amother

OP ↓

Tue, Oct 08 2024, 9:15 pm

At my wits end. She sleeps in my bed. Refuses to fall asleep in her own bed. Falls asleep in mine. We transfer her. 2 hours later she wakes up crying refuses to be consoled in her own bed. The only way to get her to go back to sleep is if she comes to my bed..sleeps that way the rest of the night. We've done 3 am transfers also and without fail she wakes up an hour or 2 later to come to my bed.
I decided enough is enough she needs to sleep in her own bed. Yet she cries hysterically Climbs out etc. And even if I lay with her in her toddler bed and she falls asleep she wakes up later.
How do you teach a kid to sleep in their own bed through the night? Unless 2 and a half is too young to expect that?

amother

Plum ↓

Tue, Oct 08 2024, 9:18 pm

Developmentally it's still normal for a child to want to be close to their mother at night. But it may also be possible to teach them gently.

What if you prep a mattress for you next to her bed and when she wakes up you go lay next to her until she falls back asleep?

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Oct 08 2024, 9:43 pm

amother Plum wrote:

I tried a big bean bag near her bed...didnt work I needed to lay in her bed and hold her. And anyway 1 hour later she woke up.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Oct 08 2024, 9:43 pm

amother Indigo wrote:

She’s not in a crib? Or she climbs out of it?

She climbs out so we got her a toddler bed..

amother

↑ Plum

Tue, Oct 08 2024, 9:45 pm

amother OP wrote:

I tried a big bean bag near her bed...didnt work I needed to lay in her bed and hold her. And anyway 1 hour later she woke up.

I would wonder why she's waking up so often.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Oct 08 2024, 9:45 pm

amother Plum wrote:

How do you teach gently?
Should I give up and just try again at age 3?

amother

Sand

Tue, Oct 08 2024, 9:45 pm

amother Plum wrote:

She will naturally outgrow it around 5 years old. If you teach her before then there will probably be some crying. You still can, but it's normal.

amother

Dandelion

Tue, Oct 08 2024, 10:36 pm

Doesn't sound normal to me.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pre.....e_p67
This is a great book to read to wean babies and toddlers off bad sleeping habits.

amother

Chambray

Tue, Oct 08 2024, 11:28 pm

Following. My 3 year old will be going to a bed soon and I'm so so worried about how things will go.

I have a feeling hell come to our room and cry

amother

↑ OP

Wed, Oct 09 2024, 8:56 am

amother Plum wrote:

I would wonder why she's waking up so often.

I wish I knew...if shes in my bed near me she doesnt wake as often. Sometimes she'll let out a cry in her sleep and ill put my hand on her so she knows im nearby and she goes right back to sleep. Her favorite way to sleep is with her face an inch away from mine. I tried to put her in her own bed last night she woke every hour to 2 hours...at 4 am I gave up.

mushkamothers

Wed, Oct 09 2024, 8:58 am

It's not too young, you just keep doing what you're doing. But if there's something else going on like pinworms, adjustment to school, night terrors etc then it won't work. In that case if you're up for it you can keep sleeping with her and try again in another few weeks or so.

amother

Hunter

Wed, Oct 09 2024, 9:09 am

I heard for babies that mothers sometimes put their pillowcase or headcovering flat underneath them so they can smell their mother at all times. My baby sleeps better like that
Maybe you can do something like that?

stillnewlywed

Wed, Oct 09 2024, 9:17 am

amother OP wrote:

Does she still nap? A lot of times these issues are a combo of bad habits and too much sleep.

amother

Starflower

Wed, Oct 09 2024, 9:44 pm

My dd did this for about a year when she was 3. It was rough. We walked her back to bed and she would sometimes come back. Sometimes, we made her a bed with couch cushions on our floor. She was then an only child and she was lonely at night. Later, her younger brother did the same thing. It was rough, but bh, they grew out of it. Maybe you should consider consulting a sleep specialist. Does your pediatrician have any advice?

amother

Carnation

Wed, Oct 09 2024, 9:55 pm

Developmentally normal. I find this is when kids start to have a real imagination and the dreams that come with it can be scary. She seems to still need you, I wouldn't push away yet. She's still so young.

Frumomsi

Wed, Oct 09 2024, 10:27 pm

I believe it’s about missing a window of opportunity. Way easier to do this with a younger child. If it’s affecting your sleep, I would definitely put the effort into getting her to sleep in her own bed. It may mean a few hard nights but she’ll get the point.

amother

Marigold

Wed, Oct 09 2024, 11:13 pm

My 2.5 year old is in a crib with a tent. He has a high riser in his room.
This works well if he’s sad I’ll lay on the bed next to him, coming out is not an option. He’s in the crib for 12 hours