3 weeks ago we started a new bedtime routine….. I guess this is what we have been up to lately and I have been to tired and walking around in a daze to post anything. So Trever and I had gotten into a horrible habit of letting the kids fall asleep on the couch and then we would carry them up to bed once they were asleep. We knew this wasn’t a great thing but it worked (kinda). Ashlyn was pretty good about staying in her room and sleeping up there all night. However, Ryan was to the point he would only stay in his bed for about 1 1/2 hours and he would be down and wanting in our bed. So we let him (and Ashlyn if she came down in the middle of the night) I mean we were tired and it was the quickest way to get them back to sleep.
A lot of people call this “Co-Sleeping” I personally hate that term. I think it is a term that was made and people use so they don’t feel bad about having their kids sleep with them. I know for a fact that the reason the kids slept with us was because WE were lazy and it was easier. So we “Co-slept” (blah).
After weeks of getting kicked and pushed to the side of the bed and feeling like we were not getting any sleep at all we were done. 3 Saturday’s ago we put a stop to it and “Started a new bedtime routine”. I had read a bunch of stuff about how to do this and I was/am determined to not give in. I knew it was going to be hard and a long week but I really wasn’t prepared for a long 3+ weeks.
So the new routine…. Go upstairs, brush teeth, go potty, read a story, say a prayer, turn on bedtime music, turn out lights, they both lay down (they are sleeping together, which I am fine with… If they want to sleep with someone then they can sleep together) I rub their backs for a few minutes and then sit on the floor and scoot my way out of the room… Well we have this part down pretty good. (NOW) If they come down at night they go right back up to bed…. Sounds easy enough….. I was not fooling myself that we were going to be like an episode of SuperNanny and after one bad night this would all be fixed. So the first night we had to sit in the room with them for a long time they just would not go to sleep. Ryan comes down right after I fall asleep of coarse, I get up take him back up and he throws an all out temper tantrum with full on face on the floor legs kicking and all for about 45 min. (somehow Trever slept through all of this) . About 3 nights later Ashlyn had a complete meltdown going to bed and she missed out on story time. She cried so hard she was hyperventilating. I don’t think she has ever done this before and it freaked her out. She has since been awesome about GOING to bed. The first week I spent many night sleeping for a few hours a time on the floor in the room with them. But this is not really helping them at this point because I am unable to gradually move my way out. They wake up and see I am not there and come down.
Now 3 weeks later our issue is they will not stay asleep and in bed. They come down 3-4 times a night almost every night. It is like having a newborn all over again. I have been so tired and the kids have also which makes for long days for all of us because then we are all crabby. I guess last night was my limit because I fell asleep about 9:00 and I didn’t hear the kids at all. Trever got up with them 3 times and I didn’t have a clue until they came down at 5:00am. They went back to sleep though.
So I am not giving in to it and I am determined to get them in their beds all night. Now I just need to advice on how to keep them in there.
Not only that but Thursday the kids and I leave for MI for the weekend so we will see how that goes and then we get back Monday and we are going Camping for Labor Day Weekend. So 2 weekends in a row of them sleeping other places. Maybe it will help??? HA!
Things we have tired to get them to stay in their beds all night.
1. Sticker Charts
2. I will take you to Chick Fil A if you sleep in your bed all night (we cannot go until they do and they LOVE going there)
3. I will come back and check on you
4. Leaving the closet light on and door cracked
5. Music Playing all night
I am at a loss! Besides keep taking them up. But I am getting way to old to only sleep about 5 hours a night and it not be straight sleep! :)
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1 comment:
It sounds like you are doing a great job with sticking to the bedtime routine. It's not easy, I know! At least you have the determination and are taking the steps to get them out of your room! After battling my kids with the same exact thing, we finally gave up and haven't been trying as hard lately. It is SO tiring and exhausting for everyone. It's much easier to let them fall asleep in our bed and then carry them to their room asleep. But like you, they wake up in the middle of the night and make their way back to our bedroom.
Stick with it! It sounds like you are doing great! I'm glad to know we aren't the only ones struggling with the same thing. :)
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