Need my 25 month old to start sleeping on her own...help!!

[bethany42309]

My daughter is 25 months old and has been sleeping with me since very early on.  I am now pregnant with my second daughter, due in August.  Sleeping is a chore!  She is very tall for her age..37 inches.  She is constantly moving throughout the night kicking me, hitting me and so on.  I cannot get rest!  I love sleeping with her but I think it's time for a big girl bed!  Any advice how I can make this transition easier for the both of us?  I cannot stand the thought of putting her in a room alone and her crying for me b/c she's scared.  I need help!!!

Thanks!

[newbiemama09]

i'm in the same boat! 25 month old DD will go to sleep in her crinb, but always ends up with us in bed. she's always been a mover, but now she's turning into a KICKER and kicking me right in the belly! for us it was a slow transition to even get her in her own crib to begin with. first i would lay the mattress on the floor, then lay with her. then slowly we were able to get her to go in the crib very carefully and quietly. she's much better now, but we still have to be fairly careful getting her down at just the right time.

maybe you could start with a mattress on the floor. my guess is if they're 2 and always had a parent with them in bed, it will be hard to get used to NOT having someone there. and perhaps after that you can ease her right into a toddler bed instead of a crib. maybe but the toddler bed in your room for a while. talk up the bed like it's really exciting and what a big girl she is!!

if something magically works for you, let me know!! otherwise it will just take time and patience.

[Katico]

You might be surprised by how well she takes the transition.

DD slept with us and I *dreaded* moving her to her own room.  She hated her crib.  Hated it.  Screamed bloody murder the instant you put her in, no matter how fast asleep she had been.  But, it was becoming a huge procedure every night to get her to sleep - I had to lay with her in our bed until she fell asleep, sometimes this took a couple of hours and it was driving me insane.  With naps, I also had to hold her until she fell asleep before laying her down....sometimes, she refused to nap unless I held her the whole time.  At about 23 months old, I had finally HAD IT.  So, I decided that she was going to have to sleep in her own bed because it was better for her than a resentful angry mother 

I moved her into her crib in her room and expected weeks of dramatics......The first night, she cried for probably 30 minutes, with me going in every 10 minutes to reassure her, kiss her and lay her back down.  The second night, it was maybe 15 minutes.  And after that?  She happily ran into her own room at the mention of bedtime.  Naptime? Same thing!!  I decide when it is nap time and she just happily lays in bed and falls asleep.  

The crying was really hard for those couple of nights, I won't lie.  15 minutes felt like forever.  BUT, I was okay with doing it because I went in to reassure her and because I knew she was old enough to understand that we weren't going to disappear, if she needed us we would come, that she was safe and it was time to sleep.  

I did find it hard to sleep without her for a couple of weeks - I worried whenever she was too quiet, slept through the night, etc.  But now, I sleep so wonderfully without toddler elbows and knees jabbing me all night!

I think routine was a big help - bath, teeth, jammies, hugs from Daddy, snuggles with Mama, spin her mobile,  a few toys books and a water bottle in bed.  very consistent.  

So, more sleep, happy toddler, more time at night to relax and clean up = major improvement in Mommy Morale.  

Good luck!

[HidaShara]

I moved DD into her own room with a toddler bed when she was about 23 months old.  The transition was okay.  I didn't try to make her learn to fall asleep by herself - I still sat next to her until she fell asleep, so it was a gentle transition.  I'd sneak away when she fell asleep. :)  While she was still nursing I'd have to get up at least once during the night to nurse her back down.  Once she weaned, she started waking up in the middle of the night and coming to my room.  She'd just quietly crawl in and fall asleep.  I didn't mind this: often it wasn't until 3-5am and, as I said, she was quiet about it.

Then magically, about two months ago (so 32 months-ish?) she stopped coming to my room.  She just... slept through the night.  So in the end, she sleeping in her own room happily all night long, and all I have to do is be with her until she falls asleep.  Considering this was all a very gentle process, I consider it a great success!