DS is 26 months and has been sleeping with us for a long time. Recently, getting to sleep has become a major PITA. We have a loose bedtime routine and generally DS is requesting to 'go upstairs' at around 8. We all go to bed at this time. I read him a couple of books, then DS turns off the light and the drama begins. He starts to headbutt, bite, hit, thrash around... On the one hand it seems like he needs to do the thrashing and even some of the headbutting but the biting and hiting is not acceptable. It has generally taken about 20 or so minutes of this for him to settle down. I try to rock him and he's caught on to this and as soon as he realizes it might put him to sleep, he won't tolerate it.
This weekend we were at a hotel and the first night was like the above but worse because he was in a new place. The second night we decided to wait him out and never mentioned bed, just read and played quietly till he decided to fall asleep on his own. It took an hour but it was peaceful.
Last night we were home and I decided to try the same thing. It was going okay and he even announced he was going to sleep a couple of times but he changed his mind and decided to jump all over the bed, tried to 'escape' the confines of the bed to hide in the closet, go look for the cats... I gave up and turned off the light to insist it is time to sleep and he of course refused and started hitting/biting/pinching... I decided to put him in his crib and was prepared to CIO.
: I covered my head wth a pillow and waited. Finally DH couldn't take it, he got up and held DS until he fell asleep and brought him back to our bed.
I know we have made some mistakes here and am trying to figure out what to do to either help him go pleasantly to sleep with us or how to get him to sleep in his crib. We can easily make the crib a toddler bed, just haven't bothered since we don't really use it. Also, even though I don't mention DH much, he is in bed with us and DS moves back and forth between us. DS likes me to read the night time books and cuddles with me but DH is rght there.
PLEASE HELP US!!!!!!
This weekend we were at a hotel and the first night was like the above but worse because he was in a new place. The second night we decided to wait him out and never mentioned bed, just read and played quietly till he decided to fall asleep on his own. It took an hour but it was peaceful.
Last night we were home and I decided to try the same thing. It was going okay and he even announced he was going to sleep a couple of times but he changed his mind and decided to jump all over the bed, tried to 'escape' the confines of the bed to hide in the closet, go look for the cats... I gave up and turned off the light to insist it is time to sleep and he of course refused and started hitting/biting/pinching... I decided to put him in his crib and was prepared to CIO.
I know we have made some mistakes here and am trying to figure out what to do to either help him go pleasantly to sleep with us or how to get him to sleep in his crib. We can easily make the crib a toddler bed, just haven't bothered since we don't really use it. Also, even though I don't mention DH much, he is in bed with us and DS moves back and forth between us. DS likes me to read the night time books and cuddles with me but DH is rght there.
PLEASE HELP US!!!!!!