[shmeans]

we have 2 sons- a 5month old born at 32weeks who still has reflux/colic and a 26month old who never will go to bed. help!!! i am going to lose it here!!! My 5month old is gassy/fussy every night so it makes it harder. Almost every naptime and bedtime is misery. We have always nursed down (until 19months) or lay down with our toddler but he now kicks, talks, screams in bed. Mind you we have a lengthy bedtime routine with stories and songs. I have tried rewards-no help, time-outs-no help, and refusing to lay with him until he behaves. He will not stay in bed unless you lay with him or he is utterly worn out. Refusing to lay with him worked some. I am currently walking him back to bed with minimal talking every time until he is ready to behave. Occasionally I remind him that I will lay down with him when he is ready to l"ay quiet, still, and rest." ( I am not expecting a mummy here just no constant rolling and kicking. We are going on two hours of this and he has been either giggling, screaming "i can't" ", or crying most of the time. He is sometimes crying for hugs, etc which i sometimes give but only after we have reached the bed. is it rewarding him, i dunno. This is hard because I have not been a cio mom but his behavior has been difficult lately. He is a highly verbal, determined child and he has been testing where he can push us recently. Is this cio? I don't know but I know this is killing us. honestly, i have to recite some kind of mantra so i dont just squeeze him too hard. My dh and I are at the end of our ropes and honestly it is hurting our entire family life at this point-even the poor neglected dog who probably want a walk right now. ANY HELP!!!

 

[boheime]

It sounds like he is over-tired and sleep deprived. I know when my kids are over-tired, they tend to get hyper and won't stop moving in order to keep themselves awake. I would recommend reading Sleepless in America. You may find some strategies in there for recognizing what your son needs in order to sleep well, recognizing his cues and getting him to sleep during that first window of opportunity, etc.

 

[seekingtruth]

My son is similar. He isn't ready to crash until 10 or 11, and I am done so long before that! We go to bed together and read stories, sing songs, then lights out, and I am usually asleep before him. I wake up to hear him doing things in the room in the dark. He's 33 months old, so older than your son, but was also very verbal from a young age, so perhaps this may help, but what I'm finding works to get him to lay in bed is to ask/tell him does he needs my help to go to sleep or does he want to do it himself? He's at an age that he wants to do everything himself, so this scenerio/conversation happens a lot. If he is unable to lay still enough that I consider him trying to go to sleep I tell him I have to help him, which means I hold him in my lap and won't let him up no matter what and we rock and rock and rock and rock (sometimes for more than an hour) in the rocking chair. I can only imagine what it's like with two, but I'll find out in a few months. Best of luck.

 

[blsilva]

Both of my sons did this right arounnd 2yo. We were so tired and frustrated- I can really sympathize. It seemed like most of our day was being spent putting my kids to sleep.

The only thing that helped us was to let them shorten and ultimately give up their naps. My boys never seem to need as much sleep as other kids.