Toddler sleep

My 26 month old son will not go to sleep at night or naptime without a struggle. He gets up around 3 or 4 times before he goes to sleep at naptime and sometimes as much as 10 times before going to sleep at night. My husband and I are at our wits end! Plus, we are having another baby in 3 months and this has to stop!

any advise is appreciated! Thanks!

Sleeping

Hi
I found a miracle for my daughter, a portable DVD player! I would put her fave program on very quiet and with the DVD running on batteries so it would run out on its own, she loved having her own tv so much she even started asking to go to bed! She doesnt use it now and she knows bedtime is when the simpsons finish, because at 8pm the policeman does his rounds with his special camera checking that all the children are in bed!
I wish things were as easy with my 15 month old, she is waking up more and more in the night, I have tried to let her cry to sleep, but then she throws up everywhere which isnt very productive and since her MMR she has been waking nearly every half hour, so she is in bed with me, not a good idea I know.

Bedtime

I AM PRETTY LUCKY WITH MY 20 MONTH OLD! HE HAS BEEN SLEEPING ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE NIGHT SINCE HE WAS A YEAR OLD. WHAT I DID WAS AT A YOUNG AGE I LET HIM FALL ASLEEP ON HIS OWN. I WOULD LAY HIM DOWN WITH A BOTTLE AND THEN WHEN HE FELL ASLEEP I WOULD TAKE THE BOTTLE AWAY. AS HE GOT OLDER I PUT LESS AND LESS MILK IN IT AND NOW HE DOESNT EVEN NEED ANYTHING TO DRINK. I ALSO PUT HIM TO BED WITH A BLANKY SO HE HAD SOMEHTING TO HOLD ONTO OR SUCK ON. AND THAT REALLY HELPED. ALSO I STILL HAVE HIM IN A CRIB, SO IF HE IS BEING STUBBERN AND STAYING AWAKE. HE CANT GET OUT AND RUN AROUND. I THINK THAT REALLY HELPS. A LOT OF MY FRIENDS WITH CHILDREN THE SAME AGE ALLREADY HAVE THEIR KIDS IN TWIN BEDS AND THEY HAVE A HARD TIME SLEEPING, SO I THINK THE CRIB IS VERY USEFULL. MY OTHER SON WHO IS 8 MONTHS OLD HAS BEEN SLEEPING THROUGH MOST OF THE NIGHT SINCE HE WAS 3 MONTHS OLD. HE ONLY GETS UP ONCE FOR A BOTTLE. I THINK JUST BEING STERN AND GIVING IN TO THE BABIES WHEN THEY WANT TO GET OUT OF BED WILL REALY HELP.

Cruel to be kind

Forget nap time...keep him awake and he'll sleep better. Ok let him have quiet time with Tv or an activity but not sleep. He needs to learn to play quietly..for when the baby comes , and for that he will get lots of praise.
At bedtime (bribe)Reward him for not making a fuss, but just repeat 'its bed time now' and don't get into any converations or arguments...supernanny on the TV is ace at this.You need to do this for 1 week, no eye contact..no wavering. As soon as he is out of the room put him back in with barely a look. If it gets like a silly game, explain that the door wil be closed, until he rests quietly in his bed.
In the night...you might hate this...but they wake up and get bored so they pop into you..?
If an explanation of other techniques he can use doesn't work (play a song on a toy-wind up, read a picture book, count sheep, count the pictures on some new busy wallpaper/border for BIG BOYS)Get your husband to leap out of bed shouting and being very angry...it put our daughter off coming in again!
sorted.
Good luck
H

I know how you feel

MY DAUGHTER IS 2 AND A HALF BUT SHE HAS NEVER BEEN BIG ON SLEEP , SHE STILL DOSENT SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT , THOUGH SHE GOES TO BED OK , SHE STILL WAKES UP FOR MILK TO WHICH IS A PAIN SHE HAS NEVER SLEPT DURING THE DAY EITHER WHICH I FIND UNUSUAL FOR A TODDLER , .
I SUPPOSE ITS A CASE OF PERSEVERENCE , IT PAYS IN THE END I KNOW ITS NOT MUCH COMFORT THOUGH .

Me too

My daughter is nearly 3 and we still have so much trouble getting her to bed. She gets up 4-5 times while we are trying to get her to bed. We have tried all the Super Nanny things. The wakes anywhere from 2-5 times a night. She still has a bottle of milk with her. What can you do?

Bottles

Hi, I have just read your message and feel so over the moon that someone is in the same position as me. I felt that i was probably the only one. My son is 3 in March and still has a bottle at night. He also wakes during the night when his bottle is empty. It is such hard work. Has anyone offered you any useful advice?

Look foward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards Sandra