I was hoping we were done with the sleep struggles, but this time it's all new and certainly no less infuriating.
DS is 3.5yo, has always been an EXTREMELY high needs kid, never slept more than 45min in his first year of life, never slept more than 2 hours in his second year of life. He stopped napping at 2, and we did everything humanly possible to keep him from napping unless he seemed to desperately need it past 2.5yo because he would be up til 1AM or later if he did.
At 2.5, we discovered melatonin and it has been a life and sanity saver. We try not to use it all the time, most of the time he is tired enough at bedtime if he doesn't nap, but some days it really is necessary for him to take a very small dose to get him over the wiggling-like-a-crazy-person hump to go to sleep.
We have a short routine, jammies, pee, teeth, stories, bed. But he is fighting it like never before. He's hungry. He's thirsty. He's hot. He's cold. He's scared. He's nervous (can't say why). It's too light. It's too dark. He has to poop (we've tried and he never really needs to). He has 82803832780780578849038908290 questions that have to be answered RIGHT NOW. He wants his socks on. He wants to sleep naked. He wants Daddy to do it. He wants Mommy to do it. On and on and on and on, and yawning the entire time.
I've tried rubbing his back, "sleepy" stories (using a monotone voice and telling a story about animals at the zoo going to sleep), rocking in a chair, listening to music, whatever would work. Then I've also tried completely ignoring him and telling him that the rule is to lay down in bed or I will have to leave the room (I hate this rule, but it's the only thing that seems to keep him in the bed). I've tried letting him do it alone, and this usually results in him melting down because he is scared, although he can't articulate why. I'm not going to force him to do bedtime alone if he's scared. I've even let him nurse a few times, even though he's been weaned for a long time now. If I don't engage at all, he does all sorts of wacky things to get my attention - blowing raspberries, kicking his feet, waving his arms, sticking his feet in my face, trying to undress me, trying to hang my bra strap on my ear, pulling my hair, etc. I don't let him hurt me, but it goes on like that for a long time.
I had gotten to enjoy bedtime with him finally because he would just snuggle up close to me and listen to a story and pass out in 20 minutes. This is awful! I want my enjoyable reconnecting time back! DH can only handle about 30 min of him before he starts to lose it. That's enough time for me to get my 17mo to bed and then take over. For an HOUR AND A HALF. Just in time for my 17mo to wake up and need me again. I spend all night putting kids to bed this way.
Is this an age thing? Is there some developmental thing that I should be aware of? Growth spurt? Crazy pills he's sneaking?
Did anyone find that their 3.5yo just didn't need as much sleep anymore and you could just put them to bed later?
Right now he's waking around 7 or 7:30 and going to bed at 7:30 or 8. He gets about 1:30-2 hours of outside exercise time per day. He eats incredibly well and is plenty hydrated. Help!
DS is 3.5yo, has always been an EXTREMELY high needs kid, never slept more than 45min in his first year of life, never slept more than 2 hours in his second year of life. He stopped napping at 2, and we did everything humanly possible to keep him from napping unless he seemed to desperately need it past 2.5yo because he would be up til 1AM or later if he did.
At 2.5, we discovered melatonin and it has been a life and sanity saver. We try not to use it all the time, most of the time he is tired enough at bedtime if he doesn't nap, but some days it really is necessary for him to take a very small dose to get him over the wiggling-like-a-crazy-person hump to go to sleep.
We have a short routine, jammies, pee, teeth, stories, bed. But he is fighting it like never before. He's hungry. He's thirsty. He's hot. He's cold. He's scared. He's nervous (can't say why). It's too light. It's too dark. He has to poop (we've tried and he never really needs to). He has 82803832780780578849038908290 questions that have to be answered RIGHT NOW. He wants his socks on. He wants to sleep naked. He wants Daddy to do it. He wants Mommy to do it. On and on and on and on, and yawning the entire time.
I've tried rubbing his back, "sleepy" stories (using a monotone voice and telling a story about animals at the zoo going to sleep), rocking in a chair, listening to music, whatever would work. Then I've also tried completely ignoring him and telling him that the rule is to lay down in bed or I will have to leave the room (I hate this rule, but it's the only thing that seems to keep him in the bed). I've tried letting him do it alone, and this usually results in him melting down because he is scared, although he can't articulate why. I'm not going to force him to do bedtime alone if he's scared. I've even let him nurse a few times, even though he's been weaned for a long time now. If I don't engage at all, he does all sorts of wacky things to get my attention - blowing raspberries, kicking his feet, waving his arms, sticking his feet in my face, trying to undress me, trying to hang my bra strap on my ear, pulling my hair, etc. I don't let him hurt me, but it goes on like that for a long time.
I had gotten to enjoy bedtime with him finally because he would just snuggle up close to me and listen to a story and pass out in 20 minutes. This is awful! I want my enjoyable reconnecting time back! DH can only handle about 30 min of him before he starts to lose it. That's enough time for me to get my 17mo to bed and then take over. For an HOUR AND A HALF. Just in time for my 17mo to wake up and need me again. I spend all night putting kids to bed this way.
Is this an age thing? Is there some developmental thing that I should be aware of? Growth spurt? Crazy pills he's sneaking?
Did anyone find that their 3.5yo just didn't need as much sleep anymore and you could just put them to bed later?Right now he's waking around 7 or 7:30 and going to bed at 7:30 or 8. He gets about 1:30-2 hours of outside exercise time per day. He eats incredibly well and is plenty hydrated. Help!
calmly too 
), we do have to start bedtime/winding down around 730, but we often end up in bed and staying in the bed around 830, and sometimes (if it seems like it going to be a fight or too-long bedtime) she'll do some quiet activities in bed for longer than usual while we wait to do the 'help falling asleep' thing.
