Please tell me it will get better!

So Jack fell out of his crib about a week ago while trying to escape. It scared him to death and he became so afraid of the crib. After I figured that part out, we put his toddler bed up and for the most part it is going ok. I have to sit with him and rub his back or read to him until he falls asleep, but I'm ok with that for now considering this is a huge change in the life of a 20 month old. My problem is that he wakes up at 5am!!! Or if he wakes up in the middle of the night he wont go back to sleep without me sitting with him for another hour.

Anybody have any words of wisdom or experience with this? I'm grateful he actually slept throug the night last night from 9-5, but 5am for me is insane considering I am home all day with him. And getting him to nap during the day in his bed is impossible, so for my own sanity I drive around until he falls asleep and sit in the car.

Re: Please tell me it will get better!

Oh no.. I am so sorry. I transitioned my first son over to his big boy bed (actual adult twin bed, not a toddler bed) at 15 months old (3 months before his brother was born). We had the same problem. The only way we were able to remedy the problem was by CIO. we also installed a gate at his door so that he wouldn't roam around the house. That did the trick after a few INSANE days. As for naps, we never really had a problem with him napping.

Would you be willing to have him try and go back in the crib?

Re: Please tell me it will get better!

My first instinct was to let him CIO in his crib, but we are expecting a second baby in October and are moving at the end of September, so i decided to transition him now into the bed rather than fight with him to sleep in the crib only to have to take him back out of it in a few months.

Was your son waking up in the middle of the night and you let him CIO with the gate at his door?

Message edited 6/30/2006 9:11:32 AM.

Re: Please tell me it will get better!

It will get better. I did it with 2 kids already and it takes a bit of time, a few days to a week depending on the child. Definitely have a gate in his doorway so he cant roam (scary!!) and make sure his room is totally baby-proofed. You can try putting him in early enough that its kind of light outside and let him play with a few toys or books in there. My older son use to sleep in his doorway when he first went in a bed. We would try to get him to stay in bed and when that didnt work we would let him fall asleep there if that was more comfortable for him and then put him in bed later. After the novelty wore off, he'd just climb into his own bed when he was tired enough. He actually refused to sleep in the crib as soon as we brought my daughter home from the hospital. There were a number of mornings I remember him getting up super early - hes an early riser but up for the day at 4:45 was too much for me with a newborn as well. Luckily he only did it once or twice. Your son will transition if you keep going forward - dont bring him into your bed or put him back in the crib and he will be fine soon enough.

Re: Please tell me it will get better!

I still have to do this with Caiden. He'll wake up almost every night and won't go back to sleep until mommy goes to him and sits or lays with him. He'll just keep crying for me. He's been in a bed for 9 months now. I have a hard time with naps as well though he's in daycare FT. I usually let him fall asleep on the couch and carry him into bed. He loves his bed, but has a hard time falling asleep sometimes. At night I have to go in there with him and read books and then tell him lights out and then he "needs" me to lay with him and he holds my hand until he goes to sleep. Which basically mommy gets nothing done because mommy ends up falling asleep as well, or gets really tired from lying down with him. I wish I had some advice for you, but I need some myself. Getting him into a toddle bed was good since he's scared of the crib now. It will probably take some time to get used to it and then hopefully he'll sleep better for you. Good luck!

Re: Please tell me it will get better!

Re: Please tell me it will get better!

My DD still gets up in the middle of the nite here and there and I have to sit with her until she falls back asleep. She doesn't do this every nite I would say maybe once a week or once every two weeks. Well lately its everynite cuz MIL is staying with me for afew weeks and she snores so loud that I can hear it through the wall so she wakes up DD with her snoring and scares her so she won't go back to sleep in her room. She sleeps in my bed now. Can't wait till she leaves so my DD can have her room back.