what do I do about my 3.5 year old getting out of bed continuously???

We have him upstairs in his room in a toddler bed. He continuously gets out of bed to try to go into the guest bedroom, the only other bedroom upstairs. Noone else is sleeping in there but the problem is that the baby's nursery is directly under the guest bedroom and when my 3 yr old stomps around up there, it wakes the baby up; so we don't want him sleeping in there. He says he doesn't like his room; we've tried everything to make it fun and kid friendly and it's dark so that the sun won't wake him up. The guest bedroom isn't as dark, so he's up when the sun comes up. We cannot move him into the guest bedroom since movement up there wakes the baby up. Any suggestions? It's getting exhausting! I've even tried to take his favorite stuffed animals away and punished him from going to his grandma's and birthday parties...it doens't stop him!!!

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Asked by survivor79 at 9:56 PM on Mar. 21, 2010 in Preschoolers (3-4)

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you just have to keep putting him back in his room, sit at the top of the stairs or outside his room for a few days if going up and down the stairs is a problem for you. see if he'll go to sleep with a toy, my son just turned 3 and the only way we can keep him in bed is letting him pick 1 small toy (sometimes 2 small cars) and he goes to bed with it. this way he can play for a little bit in bed before he passes out. GL

Answer by Anonymous at 10:12 PM on Mar. 21, 2010

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Have you put those doorknob covers over the knobs of the guest room? There are many kinds and you may need to try a few to see which ones would work best at keeping him out. Or put a latch at the top of the door. Something that will keep him out and when he realizes that he can't get in he may come to you or go back to bed. If he comes to you, you just put him back in his room and tell him, that's where he goes. Stand your ground. I know it's hard, but be firm, you are mommy! lol

Answer by mom2BOYZnDad at 10:13 PM on Mar. 21, 2010
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So..let me get this straight. You took him out of the nursery to put the baby in there and banished him upstairs alone at night? And you want to know why he won't stay in his bed and wakes up baby?
Um....possibly for attention. I can't believe you have a child that young that far away from where you are. I suggest putting him in the guest room and adding darkening curtains or teaching him what to do when he wakes up before 8am.

Answer by Anonymous at 10:19 PM on Mar. 21, 2010

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Is he afraid of the dark? Go to the store and let him pick out a night light he likes. One that he can turn on and off, make it his job to do so. My DD won't sleep with her night light not on, nor will she sleep w.out her blanket she's had since she was born, A small Tinkerbell, and a small Monster Truck my SO bought her for Christmas.

Does he have a TV in his room? Maybe put a DVD in and let him fall asleep watching it. I know a lot of my girlfriends have done this and it worked when they didn't want to stay in bed.

Answer by Kaydens_mommy06 at 10:26 PM on Mar. 21, 2010
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First of all a 3 year old should NOT be left alone upstairs like that, anything can happen! I'm going to give you a scene and I want you to think about it. Oh and what I'm about to say happens alot and can be easily avoided if you have a plan which in your case you don't! Everyone is sleeping, you wake up to your smoke alarm going off. You grab your baby and get ready to run up the stairs to get your son but you can't.... the fire is blocking your way. The fire is raging and smoke is getting thick. You have to get your baby out. By time the fire dept gets there, the fire has gotten worse and all the smoke was building up to where you can't see anything. Your son died of smoke inhalation! Electrical fires happens alot and no one can avoid it or know when its going to happen. You want your children where you can protect them and help them if anything happens and being upstairs you can't do that! Plain and Simple!

Answer by Anonymous at 9:13 AM on Mar. 22, 2010

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Personally I could never have my young children on a seperate floor from me, which is why I bought a ranch. All one floor, no basement etc. If for some reason he needs to be up there I would lock the guest bedrooms, make sure he has a night light. An extra tall baby gate ( I know some will climb, but my son never would), and a video baby monitor, Maybe then you can figure out why hes getting up and what hes doing. Maybe hes having trouble sleeping.

Answer by FDNYwife at 9:33 AM on Mar. 22, 2010
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Duct Tape lol

Answer by Anonymous at 9:52 AM on Mar. 22, 2010

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I have a 2 and a half year old. She was getting up in the middle of the night and She did not like her bedroom either. I moved her to a twin size bed. Started putting her in their at nap time and making her stay in her bed by herself. Sometimes she would throw a fit, When she did that I would go in their and be very stern with her. When she would get out of bed she would get put right back in their. What ever punishment u use. weather it is spanking or someother way thats what u have to do. So that he knkows that u are serious and u mean what u say. Now my daughter sleeps on her own and normally when she wakes up she yells "I awake yet" I say yes and u can come out. It took me a little over a month to get her to sleep on her own with out my husband and I haveing to lay with her. At first u can try laying with him to let him know that his room is a good place than gradually dont lay with him and just put him in their.

Answer by Des611 at 10:09 AM on Mar. 22, 2010
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To the anonymous answer about abandoning my child upstairs...first of all, that's what you get for assuming...no, we did not move him up there so that we could put the baby in his old room. I wasn't even pregnant when we moved him upstairs. The nursery is a very small room, the only other room besides the master, downstairs. We had no other option but to put him up there. We have a gate at the top of the stairs to make it safe. He has nite lights on everywhere. We have a video monitor to watch him and he has been sleeping up there since he was 2 (about 1.5 years already). the problem is that we moved him out of his crib into a toddler bed about a month ago (not to give it to the baby, but because he was outgrowing the crib). So, the next time you answer a question, please do not assume you have all the details! I was looking for suggestions to make this work, not someone to bash me!

Answer by Anonymous at 10:50 AM on Mar. 22, 2010

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I had this problem when my oldest was little. I asked the pedi cause there was no cm back then. The answer I got was put a safety gate up in the doorway. If it is climbed used 2 and stack one on top of the other. Then just walk away. Ignore the crying but do check on them from time to time to make sure they are crying cause they can't get out and not because they are hurt. Don't worry if they sleep on the floor (but of course make sure the toys are away from them while they sleep) Eventually they will just go to the bed and sleep once they know you will not let them out. At that point they will get on a regular sleep wake cycle (if you do it same time every night) and it will never be a problem again. You win!! And she was right it worked.

Answer by Anonymous at 11:40 AM on Mar. 22, 2010

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