Can anyone help me? Every night it takes Benjamin between 1 and 2 hours to go to sleep. He goes upstairs ok, we have a story but once in bed he just wants to be up and we have a variety of crying or playing and eventually, sometimes as long as 2 hours he finally goes to sleep exhausted.

He has blackout curtains but I'm thinking of getting a fitted one to the window so it's completely black, not sure if that will help.

He has a bottle of milk downstairs before he goes up but he has it cold, maybe warm might help?

It's getting ridiculous, it doesnt matter what time we take him up or how tired he is, it still takes over an hour for him to go to sleep.

Tonight for example, he went up at 6.45 and was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open, I even gave him his milk in bed as he was so tired but he is still awake. We don't tend to go in once he in bed unless he is really upset. I just can't think of anything else we can do apart from a blackout screen and warm milk. Anybody got any ideas?

Thanks

Ann
Xx

We've had this with Imogen the last couple of weeks. She was sleeping fine before then suddenly changed. We think it's becuase of the light outside and thought about a better, more fitted blackout blinds but decided to try a kind of controlled crying method with her first (before spending money) and it seems to have worked as she's been going down a lot better the last few nights.

Is he actually getting out of bed as thats the problem with Imogen, she gets out and then plays or cries on the floor. This is what we did...Stand by her door and once she gets out of bed, we open the door and tell her 'bed' and if she doesn't get back in to bed, we don't say anything else to her but put her back in the bed. It can go on for a hour but as long as we stay firm she gets the point. It took a couple of days of this with the time it took decreasing and now she seems to be going straight to sleep (touch wood!)

good luck. I do really feel for you as it really wore me down the nights she just would not go to sleep x

Caitlin has been going through the same thing. I ended up stopping her naps last week and on those days she settled within 15 min or so instead of an hr or 2. Does he still nap?
Caitlin took a nap today and im not even gona attempt to put her to bed until 930/10pm for that reason (she usually wakes at 830/9 mind so not that late really).

Caitlin still in cot, im changing to bed at weekend and getting cold feet a bit as cant imagine how much harder it is when they can wreck their rooms/play and not just stand and scream x

Sorry i dont reallly have much advise because alfie hasnt yet hit this stage. he still sleeps through 7-7 for now but i know itll prob change one day. Does he sleep much during the day? If so maybe cut down on his day nap or even cut it out all together. Warm milk does help alfie - he hates it cold and it might unsettle his tummy. x

Well amazingly we took the side off his cot and after him playing for a bit I went in and told him what a big boy he was and how he had to get lots of rest for nursery tomorrow when he can tell them he is a big boy and left him and 5 minutes later he is asleep - whoo hoo!!!!

Thanks for the responses - he does still nap during the day - usually between an hour and an hour and a half at nursery but sometimes up to three hours at weekends, think he is catching up! He is tired when he goes to bed but just refuses to go to sleep, he doesn't always cry, sometimes he sings or plays with his teddy, etc but I just want him to sleep as he is tired and there isn't anything to stay awake for! He has had a nightlight on previously as well so wondered whether thats been contributing to him being awake so that's off tonight as well (although we will leave the landing light on in case he goes wondering in the night! Just need to decide now whether to either put a stairgate on his door or find locks for the other doors as he can open the handles .......

That actually gives me hope for the weekend! Glad he settled. We are fitting a stairgate to the bedroom door to stop her wandering out in the night x

Glad that helps hun, i also give noah his bottle in bed. I wait 15 mins then go remove the bottle.
I find when he has a bottle he becomes sleep, but that split second movement from A-B would wake him up completely

Char

Im having the same problem and im finding if callum doesnt nap he goes down within 10mins and sleeping longer at night xx