Harry has decided that sleep = the enemy. He hates going to bed. At nap time I can just about get him down with minimal fuss but at bed time he screams, and screams, and screams. It's awful. Very very stressful to listen to and seemingly without end. He never seems to tire himself out.
Take last night for example. He was tired. He'd had a busy day with a short nap and he was ready for bed. Usually every day is the same re: nap length and bed time so I don't think he's lacking in sleep as a rule. His bed time routine complete we put him into bed and he proceeded to stand up and scream to come out again. He was in bed by 7.15pm and he screamed until 10.30pm. Then he woke again at 3am and screamed until 4.45am. If I go into him during the scream he begs to be picked up out of the bed. If I pick him up he's instantly fine and wants to play / leave the bedroom. If I don't pick him up but stay in there, he wants to read books or talk. Once I leave, the screaming resumes and intensifies.
At 3am we tried everything from a bottle to picking him up and bringing him to our bed (he's then immediately happy but starts arsing around) and in the end had to leave him in his room to cry it out - thus preventing us from sleeping due to the noise / stress for the next hour and a half.
This is becoming a habit it's the same every night... HELP! What do I do?
Posted by katie at July 18, 2006 12:56 PMThis is a horrid one to get through. Both mine did it, and to some extent they still do (sigh). I got round it by changing their bed-time routine so they didnt realise it was coming. Whilst all the books and (well meaning) older folk say that 'kids need routine', and to some extent this is true - they are also crafty little buggers and quickly learn that screaming for you is part of the bed-time routine.
So change the order you do things, have a bath or shower before dinner then if they ususally go straight to their room after that, let them come down for a bit of quiet time to read a book or watch a bit of calm telly. then when it is time to go to bed to sleep, leave a story playing (on repeat if you have to) on the CD player. I found this worked a treat because they were laying down listening to it and they dont get bored just laying there.
Other then that - you just have to sweat it out. Dont go back in there, you know that he is fine - you know the different crys, you know that he is safe. I think that it took about 3/4 night for them to get past this without me going back in there. And then it was over. But be careful, once they have gone quiet, still dont go in there because they may not be deeply asleep and then you are back to square one when they wake up again.
Of course, it may also be that he just doesnt need that afternoon nap. Immie and xander both stopped haveing theirs when they were about 2 - and then they were fine at nighttime.
Good luck!
Posted by: boo at July 19, 2006 04:19 AM