# Getting Toddlers to Sleep



## Ryan8Kim (Aug 28, 2013)

My two little men have just recently started waking up in the middle of the night and staying up for hours. Is there anyway to get them asleep and stay asleep. My oldest is two and a half and youngest is one and a half and they share a room:scratchhead:


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## EleGirl (Dec 3, 2011)

Is one waking the other up? What do they do when they are awake in the middle of the night? Play?


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## Ryan8Kim (Aug 28, 2013)

they get up and scream the older one wakes up the little one and then the older one gets up and plays. if i could keep him asleep my nights would be a lot smoother


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## EleGirl (Dec 3, 2011)

That's what I figured. Reminds me of my son at that same age. Well, except it was his father who he'd wake up. 

He'd get up screaming and his father would go in an play with him half the night. My son loved it. I guess it was great fun. The thing is that he only did this when his father was home at night. His father was in medical school so he was not home most night. My point, he did it because the payoff was high.

You need to separate them if you have another room. This takes away the older boy's ability to wake up his brother to play with him.

And you need to make it no fun. Do not allow them to play during this time. The rule is that they have to lay down in bed and stay in bed.

At first one or both of them will cry and carry on. But once they realize that you mean business they will sleep all night.

If you have to, put a chair between their beds and sit there while they lay in bed until they go back to sleep. Do not give them attention. just sit there and make sure they stay in bed.

Children need to be taught a sleep pattern. Right, your older boy is trying to control and restructure the sleep pattern.

By the way, if they are up half the night playing. What time do they go to bed and how do they do during the day? Are they tired? TAke long naps?


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## LdyVenus (Dec 1, 2012)

Haha, going through this myself. Took the binky away from my LO Before her second B-day, she got used to me sitting there and rubbing her back. Now I just do it for 5 min and and keep returning her to bed when she comes out. The screaming does lessen over time.  Just stand your ground, keep the same schedule, wake them up at the same time every AM, and don't let them have longer naps.


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## Wiltshireman (Jan 23, 2013)

It is harder to deal with a child’s disrupted sleep pattern when they share a room with siblings.

If they had a room of their own you could to an extent “leave them to cry” but if they share a room that can have complications / consequences.

Our youngest (soon to be 3) did go through a stage of waking up in the night and would cry until someone went to him, as he shares a room with his older brothers this was waking them and could if left unchecked have effected their day at school (sleepy kids do not learn / do misbehave in class).

As others have said the key to changing this behavior is routine and consistency.
If a child that share a room wakes up in the night then you do need to do something about it before the other child/ren are woken. 
Our solution was for one of us as parents to get up, asses if there was a real problem (wet the bed / been sick) and if necessary deal with it, then as quickly and quietly as possible get the child to be quiet and lay down in their own bed / cot. Do not reward waking up with extra stories or a midnight snack / drink that will only make it worse. If this happens multiple times in a night or for a couple of nights running it is great if the parents can take it in turns so that they both get some sleep. Cutting out daytime naps and a good pre bed routine will help.


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## justonelife (Jul 29, 2010)

What the others said. Whatever you do, do NOT let him play or do anything fun in the middle of the night. My oldest has always been an early riser but if he knows he can get up early and watch tv or play, he will be up earlier and earlier until he's waking himself at 4am and wanting to play or watch tv. Once I tell him no, it's not play time, go back to bed, he magically re-sets his wake up time to 6:30.


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## bn311 (Aug 28, 2013)

Do exactly what super nanny does, no kidding, it works. When they get up the first time simply tell them "it's night night time" and say nothing else but put them back in bed, do not offer them anything unless they need to potty of course but only ONCE for that excuse. If they get up again say NOTHING, bring them right back to bed, keep bringing them back to bed even if they are crying and throwing a fit. I know it will be tough on you and them but you will thank yourself when it stops in just a few nights and they are good sleepers again.


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## looking for clarity (Aug 12, 2013)

Teething? Is there a special toy they can hold?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## TCSRedhead (Oct 17, 2012)

My eldest had a hard time sleeping some nights. She was allowed a small flashlight and some soft toys but the rule was that she could NOT leave her bed. 

She outgrew that phase after a bit.

It's hard to remember when you're in the thick of it but just keep in mind that these stages go by quickly. Don't stress out too much or you pass that on to your children.


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