WHY WONT SHE SLEEP?!?!?!

[SweetlilMomma]

I have 2 lil girls ages soon to be 1(liz) and soon tobe 2(lexi). My 2 yr old goes to bed and cries for at most  15mins and is out for the night. She has done this since her sister was born. Liz will not sleep more then 2 hrs in her bed. I cannt get her to lay down and go to sleep on her own. I know itz my own fault cuz i held her and rocked her to sleep this whole time but i am about to loose it. I never get ne sleep cuz im constantly up with her and the couch is makin my back hurt. I need some tips on how to get to lay down and fall asleep on her own??? This is also recking havoc on my relationship wit my hunny. Him and I never get to really sleep together and sex hell whats that.!?!?!

[averydog]

You might not want to hear this but I think you can let her cry it out. I know there are varying opinions on this, but it worked for us. It was sheer torture for 45 minutes-1 hour for two to three nights in a row, but once we made it through that we were successful.

One example I'd like to share is my sister never let her kids cry it out. She was in the same situation as you, she let her oldest sleep on her on the couch until she was over a year old. My sister was so exhausted, I felt so bad for her. She finally got her in her own bed after age one but then she was up multiple times a night for years later. Her oldest is now 5 and sleeps fine so it all worked out, however she now isdealing with her youngest, a 3 year-old who is still waking multiple times a night because she doesn't know how to put herself to sleep.

My son was sleeping through the night by three months old. Not really our doing though, I was very very sick for four months after he was born and just didn't wake to his crying. My poor husband was so exhausted and stubborn he didn't get up with him as much as I would have. As a result he learned to put himself back to sleep at a very early age.  My daughter on the other hand didn't start putting herself to sleep until around a year or so, that's when we cried it out with her.

There's something to be said for crying it out, I think it works, but I know others who are adamentaly against it and I respect their opinion. I'm interested in hearing what others did as well.

Good Luck!

Tesa

[gummylump]

I slept on the couch with my twins and husband for OVER A YEAR! It was horrible and one night I just said "Honey if you want to sleep down here again go ahead. I have a bed upstairs and I'm never sleeping down here again."

About 2 MONTHS later hubby finally saw the light and said "You know, they do have their own rooms." We made a date to put them in their own beds and that was that. My daughter had no problem at all going right to bed, no crying. My son would scream and bang and kick his door but I timed it and it was only SEVEN minutes. I thought it was an hour! Then he went silent. I thought "Did I kill him?" NO, he went back into his bed and was sound asleep.

That happened 3 nights and now my little muchkins march off to bed every night at 8pm. All I say is Time for Night Night. Say Good Night to Elmo (or whatever we're watching) and off they go. It is EXTREMELY rare that they cry at bed time at all. Usually that's if they're sick or we've gone way off schedule for some reason.

If I had another baby tomorrow the #1 thing I'd do is put them in their crib on night #1 and never co-sleep again!!!

[anjuliesmom]

Quoting gummylump:

 

If I had another baby tomorrow the #1 thing I'd do is put them in their crib on night #1 and never co-sleep again!!!

I don't agree with this idea. Every child is different and has different needs. Even the "experts" suggest keeping the baby in your room at least until they are 6 wks old.

I co slept with our 1st out of necessity. It was cold and we didnt have a heater other then a fire place or space heater. I was scared to leave her alone with either of those. Plus I was home alone for most of the night with her.

She was in our room until she was one. She slept in her bed/ swing in our room, but only in the bed if she was sick etc. She stopped sleeping in our bed around 5 months.

At age one she went into her own room with no issues. She sleeps 13-14 hrs a night. No CIO needed. Now that she is 2 many people think I should put her in a toddler bed, but I'm not yet because she is happy in crib, doesnt climb out etc.

My 3 month old hates his bassinet. Will only sleep in our bed with or with out one of us or in his swing. But he does sleep through the night.

We are picking up a crib soon to see if he will sleep in it. In our room still. I breastfeed and it works to have him near.

Each child is different. Try not to respond to the night wakings unless they are unconsolable....

Good Luck