Getting My Two Year Old to SLEEP!

Do you want to change things because you dont like getting up at 2am or do you not want him in your bed? It sounds to me like he is a pretty good sleeper actually. Dont rush to stop rocking your one and only child to sleep...it all passes so quickly and you should cherish this time. I am sure you will not have to rock him when he is 5. I recommend rocking him to sleep and putting him in the room with you on a pallet if you dont want him in your bed and keeping a sippy cup of water near by for him to get himself when he wakes. This way everyone gets to sleep and he gets the night parenting he needs and deserves.

Good Luck

First of all, this is not unusual. You need to do a routine every night even the weekends.
Children thrive with routine.

This is advice I gave on Jan 7th to another mom with the same problem.

No sugar after 3 in the afternoon.
Set a time for dinner. Eat at that time every night.
Next it is bath time. No loud playing, no more TV no rough housing. As long as you rile up a child, it will take double that time for him to calm down.

Have the lights low in his bedroom and his bed ready, have the pj's laid out.

When you bathe him use really warm water. Wipe him with really strong wipes when using the soap on the washcloth. Speak in quiet tones. Do not have a lot of noise going on in the house. We always tried to turn off all unnecessary lights so it does not look or sound like anything exciting is happening.

Wrap him in a towel and dry him with very strong slow motions, like a massage. Continue to speak quietly. Place him in his pj's. Make sure he has his lovey.

Make sure he has a night light. Sit next to the bed and read him a story. We learned that as we read, we would speak slower and slower with each page. This is not the time to do funny voices or ask him questions about the story.

When you are finished he should be so exhausted he will doze off. You could play soft music or play a story on CD play it softly. Turn off the lights and leave. Do not make a big deal.

If he cries, give him 2 minutes. If he is still crying go in and do not say anything. Do not turn on the lights. Lay him down and give him the lovey. Leave again. If he uses a pacifier, be sure to give it to him to use as a "soother". We had a neighbor who left 4 or 5 pacifiers in the crib cause each time her daughter was finished with one she would throw it out of the crib! Then she would wake up and want another.

If he wakes up in the middle of the night. Change his diaper in the dark and do not say a word. Place him right back in the bed with his lovey and pacifier if he needs. If he needs a drink give him lightly warm water or a very small amount of milk.

Also Check out the posts from Oct. 12th, Oct. 31st, Nov. 1st and Nov. 14th. They had similar requests and you may get some more info. and ideas. Notice how many of the kids are 2!

One way to change the first part of your routine is to read books together after pjs and brushing teeth. Make a definitive end to your routine. It's ok to rock for a while but then tuck in (maybe pray or give a blessing) say good night and leave the room. It's good to start this routine while still in the crib, but two is old enough to crawl out, so you might choose to change the routine when you transition to a toddler bed. Not sure how to change the waking up part...but usually I was just so exhausted I slept through a feeding and that was the end of it. Good luck!

Well, I think the 2 AM milk could stop. Try water.

But mostly, I want to know why you think these are bad habits? SOunds like he's sleeping very well with the comforts you've provided. He goes right back to sleep after waking at 2 and sleeps until 7 AM. SOunds great.

I have said it before and will say it again, You should PARENT your kids to sleep, not just PUT them to sleep. Parenting is 24/7, and it sounds like you're doing a great job. He will grow out of this need himself, I promise. My first son nursed to sleep for 20 months when he night weaned (he continued to nurse until 2). I rocked him to sleep any other time. Now at 3.5 he easily goes to sleep by himself in his own bed - though he is welcome in ours and comes in there some nights. He's perfect and never needed anyone to "break" his "bad" habits for him.

It might not be for everyone, but it sounds like it is working for you, and you didn't list any issues YOU have with it, except for breaking the habit. If that's all you're afraid of, perhaps it's not really a problem after all.

Good luck, but it sounds like your situation is just fine.

Have you considered moving him to a bed? My 1 1/2 YO started having trouble waking and I think she was too big for her bed. I put a bed in her room and used it at night. I put her to bed later then normal so she was very very tired, but still did our usual routine. Her naps were still in her crib. Bed time got earlier until she was going to bed at the usual time. That's when I started putting her in the new bed for naps as well, and in a week I took out the crib all together!

Naps were a longer adjustment, but she eventually got used to it and sleeps just fine now (almost 2 YO)

At 2, they seem so old, but they are still babies at this age. My first born would come into our bed until he was 4.
Not every night but, almost. My husband and I kinda liked to wake up all together. Soon enough they will want nothing to do with us, live up now! My son is 8 now and cant wait till the weekend when he can go to his grandparents or cousins to spend the night with them! If you completely can't handle your son in your bed, try a new big boy bed for him, maybe your bed is more comfy, of warmer. (I still sleep with my 2 1/2 and the baby 9mon- Its easier for me to just sleep in their room, I breastfeed the baby and our rooms are so far apart, anyway it works for us- I still "take care" of my husband. We just know this stage will be over way too fast, and we are not having any more kids.)

While I agree with all of the posters who noted that this is a short time that they are babies, learning to self soothe and developing good sleep habits is also a good thing for kids. I think having them in your bed is not good for you or them. The kicking of little feet and the crinkling of the diaper would guarantee no sleep for me.
So.......the idea of a routine, fixed, low lights, story etc. are necessary. Also, make the change with the idea of "big boy bed". Big boys can go to sleep in their big boy bed with stuffed animal, lovey, whatever his transitional object is. REmind him that he sleeps in his bed, you sleep in yours and tomorrow you are going to.....X<Y<Z. He just wants to know you will be there in the morning. You can go and sit in his room with lights out, remind him "time to sleep" and then nothing more. Sippy cup with water is a good idea so something is here when he wakes up the first few nights.
Keep it on floor next to bed so he can find it but so he doesn't knock it over.
Don't forget the gate for the door and to have all plugs capped and windows locked for safety.
I can imagine you are exhausted with this current routine and that can't be good.