please help...How do you get a almost-3 yo to go to sleep!

[hollytheteacher]

Seriously. Ds is a great sleeper, once he IS asleep. He sleeps through the night (has since he was 2). But it seems like everynight when we put him down (we co sleep). he just kicks, pulls my hair, squirms like the dickens, no matter what i try. I've tried various routines...sleep inducing things like bath, massage, etc. Even reading long books...but i've actually read entire chapter books and he'll still be awake.

I don't know waht to do. Right now dh is driving him around because i'm so stressed out about it. Mostly because i'm pregnant and hormonal and SWEATING LIKE A PIG so i just can't even stand it. Doesn't help that he's pretty much weaned. He's probably nursed once in the last 6 days. Even when he did nurse before bed it didn't help him fall asleep since he was like 2.5.

I just need to figure this out because i cannot stand the squirming, hitting, kicking. It's like...i wouldn't even care if he stayed awake as long as he would lie still. It also doesn't matter how late it is. The other night we stayed out late at my mom's and didnt' get home until 10:45pm and he still took forever to fall asleep. He talks to himself, makes funny noises, tells stories, etc.

We've tried having him sleep in his room/bed but it doesn't work. I will offer it, he will say yes and then go lie down for 2 seconds and either immediately cry because he wants mommy or run back in and have a big grin on his face and it turns into a game of going back and forth.

i really feel like i need to pick something and stick wtih it, but i still dont' even know what to do. It's not like i want to physically pin him down everynight in order for him to surrender and fall asleep.

and as for naps. He naps on his school days and doesn't most of his stay home days although either way it makes no dent/difference in when he falls asleep at night.

The only things that have worked recently is when i watch something on hulu like america's got talent and ignore ds...and he watches it for a bit and then eventually rolls over and falls asleep. BUT i really do NOT want that to be what helps...i dont' really want / like him watching tv at all so i def don't want that to be his going to sleep aide.

*sigh*
I REALLY need help because I could tolerate this BEFORE the pregnancy hormones but i really can't now. seriously.

soryr for all the typos...i'm so hot and sticky and miserable.

[77sugaree]

to you mama because I know exactly how you feel. We went through this when my oldest was around 20 months and I was pregnant with his brother.

Yeah, the hitting and kicking... I ended up with a busted lip at least once.

If we let him watch T.V., he would be up until 2:00 a.m.

The car rides got kinda expensive when we were driving for 45 min- 1 hour.

Here is what finally worked for us: one night, I was so tired I said I cannot do this anymore and I turned off the lights and went to sleep (the bedroom was babyproofed and we had a gate on the door so he couldn't get out) and after he crawled over me a couple times and realized I was really going to sleep the little guy fell asleep. I was and

So it sounds like maybe this could work since you said he fell asleep while you were watching T.V.

I really hope this helps because I know how frustrating it can be.

[Katie T]

My ds loved to fight sleep, it is finally getting better but what worked somewhat for us was to pretend to be asleep, when he would talk I would remind him no talking, he would roll over and over and I would have to remind him to lay still my threat for not listening was that mommy would leave the room. I would to, and sometimes as soon as I left he would fall right to sleep. The times he didn't fall right to sleep he would come out and I would ask him if he was ready to go to sleep with me and he usually would.

Hugs, I have totally been where you are and it is no fun, I remember very pregnant in the hot summer and my blood just boiling because I just needed him to sleep so I could get a break! It will get better and I wish you luck!