3 1/2 year old keeps getting out of bed before nap/sleep. any suggestions?

[nycholisticmom]

Our 3 1/2 year old has been driving us crazy this last week! When it's time for bed he keeps getting out of bed. We have tried everything - putting him back to bed and telling him that he has to sleep, putting him back to bed without talking, snuggling with him in our bed, giving him what he asks for (drink, potty, food, etc.) and nothing seems to work. Last night he got out of bed for at least three hours and every day this past week it has been at least 2-3 hours each time after we put him to bed.

We moved a week and a half ago to a new house - could this be why he is acting this way? He was starting to do this in our previous house as well, but it was for only an hour or so the two weeks before we moved. Before that he was going to bed just fine - staying in bed by himself until he fell asleep. 

Is it our move that's causing this? And how can we get him back to his regular bedtime routine? We are going crazy and don't know what to do anymore.

Thanks for your advice and insight.

[Pumpkin_Pie]

Is he getting out of bed repeatedly for two to three hours?  Or is he getting out of bed two to three hours after being put to bed?  DS used to do that when he was around 2 and I would just silently bring him back up to his bed, put him in and walk out of the room.  I did it over and over and over until he finally got that I was going to give him the same response every single time.  There definitely were some tears at first, but he eventually got it and now stays in bed. 

Is he getting enough physical activity during the day?  I would definitely increase that too.  When my son has had a hard day of play, it makes bedtime so much easier.  Maybe a warm relaxing bath before bed too?  A bath jazzes my son up, but some kids can relax in the warm water. 

I hope you find a solution soon, Mama!

[nycholisticmom]

Thanks for your suggestions! I am wondering if he shouldn't be napping at 3 1/2? He does nap at school, though, but he refuses to nap at home this last few weeks.

He is repeatedly getting out of bed, every few minutes (both at naptime and bedtime). Now it's at the point where we put him back into bed and he gets out immediately and starts running out towards the door. And then we put him back and he gets up again. For at least 2-3 hours every night and during naps. And for his naps, by the time it's 2-3 hours later, it's too late to keep trying to put him back to bed and he's exhausted from all the getting out of bed and crying.

He is getting plenty of outdoor time and activity. Actually, the reason we moved was so that we can have a back yard for our kids to run around in and we're out there a lot! And at school their main focus is to play outside (waldorf school), so he is definitely getting outdoor play and activity. 

My husband has been putting him to bed for the last hour and a half now and he's still not sleeping! Crying, running, kicking, talking... we just don't know what to do anymore. 

[Pumpkin_Pie]

Ouch, that sounds hard.  I am sorry that you are going through this with him right now.  He might be ready to give up his nap.  My son gave up his this summer for about two months or so and then he started at preschool and began napping again.  He missed his nap today for the first time in a long time today and conked out at 6:45 within five minutes of laying down with me.  How does the bedtime routine go for you guys?  Do you have a set routine?  We go to the potty, brush teeth, get pj's on, read a book, nurse for 10 minutes or so and then I leave the room with the lights on.  If he gets out of bed, I come up and snuggle him, give him a kiss and then the lights are out.  He knows that he is not allowed to get out of bed unless he really needs something.  He is allowed to call to me and I will go give him extra snuggles one or two times if he really needs them, but if he gets up, the lights go out, which he is not a big fan of. 

Also, what time is bedtime?  What time does he usually get up?  Is he possibly not needing as much sleep as you think?  What would happen if you just let him stay up until his normal time that he would usually fall asleep?  Not the time you usually put him to bed, but the time that he finally conks out?  Do you need him to get up at a certain hour to get him off to school or you to work?  Can he stay up a bit later and sleep in?

Also, my son would get super wound up when he had any sugar in the evening.  I used to think that it was him just being very tired as he bounced off the walls, but I recently took all sugar out of his diet and he is a completely different kid.  No more crazy activity in the evening, and he is on a much more even keel.  What does he usually eat in the evening?  At dinner?  After dinner snacks?

Hope something helps!