Two Year Old Sleep Routines
Dear Susan:
My 22 month old is happy most of the time, usually a good sleeper from 7-7:30 on. Sometimes we put her to bed, she falls asleep or just lays in bed until she’s ready, other times she goes into bed and 10 minutes later starts crying. We used to let her cry when she was younger then the next day she would stop. But as she is getting older and understanding when we tell her no crying, we love her and to sleep good until morning, so when she sporadically still cries, we go in to sooth her then put her down 5 minutes later after we leave, she starts crying again. Also she has been waking up earlier crying like at 5:15 a.m. We have tried putting her to bed later and she still wakes up early.
She is a good child, hardly any crying and is happy all day that we can’t understand why she still cries at night! Can it have anything to do with her fixation on Spongebob Squarepants and other characters. Help.
Caryn
Dear Caryn:
Why not think of transitioning your 20 month old to a bed by taking her with you to the store and looking at beds with side rails and are low to the ground, just look!
Then, when she is nearly two, purchase a mattress and box spring set and just use the mattress and box spring on the floor in a safe corner, but keep the bed rails and headboard for later. Tell her about “big beds”’ continue all your good habits of reading to her in bed and listening to music and having her animals (as security blankets) and dolls around her to keep her company when she rests, plays and sleeps. Put artwork on her walls and do other things to make her room her private sanctuary.
Stretch her bedtime to 7:15 to 7:30 p.m. and tell her you will expect her to stay in her room if she doesn’t comply at first, just take her back and repeatedly take her back without paying attention to her or criticizing her. Just act very business like and don’t get theatrical, angry, or noisy.
It takes time, but by summer she will adjusted and ready to tackle toilet training. Summer is the best time because she can wear fewer clothes and underpants with liners.
Thank you for writing me again!
Susan H. Turben, Ph.D.
