Question
I’m in sleep hell and need your advice ASAP.
My son tried to climb out of his crib last night, had a nightmare that woke him and would not go back down. I ended up sleeping on the floor bed that's already set up in his room with him.
I would like to move him to the floor bed as I really am worried about him being hurt in the crib. He turned two at the end of August. He’s pretty fully into being two now and in moments he weathers things well other days he melts down all day. All good I can #embracethetantrum. Haha.
How how how do I get this kid to sleep in his floor bed without me though? He’s only slept in there with
me, never alone.
What to do? I’m worried about how I can get him to bed tonight without me.
SOS
Answer
Sleeping in the bed will take between 3 weeks to 3 months... yup BUT if you stick with the plan after that time he will sleep well in his bed.
1- Create a transitional book that tells him he is going from the crib to the bed. The book is split into three parts.
Part 1 - How he slept in the crib and all the feelings he felt
Part 2 - Why he is moving to the bed- "when you can climb out and hurt yourself its time to move to a bed" Part 3 - Predict what will happen when he sleeps in the bed, describe what I am writing in 2 and 3 in this part. Read this book everyday while in this process
2- When you move him to the bed - DO NOT LAY IN IT WITH HIM EVER.
You can sit next to him. You can hold his hand. But do not lay with him if you don't want that to be the consistent way you help him sleep.
3- This is the sleepless nights part of the plan.
Every time he comes to your room, walk him back, sit next to his bed and help him sleep.
The key here is to respond exactly the same like it says in 2 and 3 for 3 weeks plus...don't deviate.
He will cry.
He will have at least a week of calling out to you or toddling to your bed every hour on the hour. But if you stick to the above his brain will get used to the pattern and sleep.
The hardest part of this plan is your sleep deprivation. So plan with your partner on who will get to sleep and who will walk him back to his bed to make sure that each of you are getting at least 6 consecutive hours of sleep 5 out of 7 days.
The brain is experience dependent. It must repeat something several times for it to become a pattern. Be mindful of what pattern you are repeating. This is especially important for the toddler years.
Question #2
Do you think I should include a page about how when he would wake up I laid down and slept in his room with him? If so, what is the reason I am not anymore?
Answer
You can. The reason is, he is teaching his body and his brain to sleep without help in the bed.