You might remember back in August I wrote about our bedtime routine. If you have missed it or need to catch up on how our routine was back then you can do this here.
I have been thinking about re-writing another post about our current bedtime routine to get your opinion/advice and help.
In my previous post Matthew has been getting a bedtime bottle still. We got rid of it shortly after so he has been without it for around 4-5 months. He has absolutely no interest in it anymore which is good. Instead around 7pm he normally gets something small like a biscuit or a breadstick.
Unfortunately we are still rocking him to sleep. This is getting so difficult now though as he is nearly at the point of me not being able to lift him anymore. Daddy has been the lucky one of rocking him to sleep since November. He was really sick then and his whole routine turned around. Since then he can wake up anytime at night wanting to come into our bed. This was ok until now but with Chloe’s arrival this is nearly impossible now because it means when daddy is away for work I need to get him and put him in with me but Chloe is a very active baby at night and could cry for a while. Tonight is actually the first test to see if it will wake Matthew or not. Once he is in bed with us though he sleeps until the morning no problem. I’d like him to go back into his old routine though.
We have not moved Matthew into a big boy bed yet. He seems quite happy in his cot bed still and hasn’t tried climbing out of it yet. Yet I am thinking everyday will it make it easier if he is going to be in a big bed and will he fall asleep on his own…
I have read many different stories from other mums how they are struggling but also how they have successfully turned their toddler around to get him to falls asleep in his own bed rather than sleeping in parents bed or rocking him to sleep. One solution was “controlled crying”. I know for sure that this will definitely not work on Matthew. He is going into this state of crying where he starts coughing non stop and it triggers his throat and he gets a sore throat. I am hoping there is other methods out there.
So over to you… what advice can you give me to get my 29 months old toddler to fall asleep in his own bed every night? I would really appreciate it.
It must be hard trying to get through this. I think the fact that you’re finding it hard to rock him can not be good for you. You may injure yourself as you’ve pointed out, he’s not a tiny baby anymore. Also, a ‘big boy’ bed may help. My daughter is 17 months now and loves her bed as she can easily get into it when she is tired and i think she feels a bit more in control and that calmed her down.
Hope it works out soon. #mummymonday
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Maybe it’s time to move him too. I could just take off the rails on the cot bed first of all. Keep putting it off.
Baby is always asleep when we put her down. We are moving her to her big bed at the weekend, yikes! x
We moved Zach (also 29 months) into his big boy bed a few weeks back now and it has gone fantastically well. He seemed frustrated with his cot and if he does need us to stroke his hand or give him a cuddle, we can do it while he’s in bed…not something we could do through bars! #mummymonday
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He’s been falling asleep in his own bed when he first moved into his own bed in his own room at 4 months but at 12 months it took a turn then. He was able to rolls around and get up on his knees (he didn’t walk until 18 months) so since then he has been rocked to sleep.
I have no problem getting A to fall asleep in her bed; thankfully from about 4 months I started putting her down awake so she could get used to it. she just tends to wake up about 10-11pm and wants to settle in my bed. Thinking about getting her a big girl bed sooner rather than later, hoping that will work to keep her in it for a full night. thanks for linking up #MummyMonday x