Persuading two year old to go to sleep...

**Bluebabe75** · 06-06-2012, 09:47pm

Emma has mostly been a good sleeper and been able to settle herself to sleep.

Now, however, she just doesn't want to go to sleep. First she demands lots of stories (I read her a maximum of three), then she screams at being put n the cot. We tend to leave her to scream and she settles down within five minutes or so. Then she will start shouting for me at regular intervals - asking for a cuddle / more milk / pink medicine (she doesn't get this

) / to see out the window to see if the moon has come up :rolleyes : / to retrieve one of the myriad of cot toys that she has in there - and often will cry again for a couple of minutes when I leave.

If she doesn't nap she is grumpy (and falls asleep in the buggy on the school run anyway),

How do I get her to go to bed without making a fuss again. We are trying bribery in the form of a promised 'big girl bed' if she stops the screaming at bedtime, but it is not working. Tonight she was still chattering at 9.15

**lisnic** · 06-06-2012, 10:02pm

Ignore her requests unless she is poorly/in a total state?

**Mrs B** · 06-06-2012, 10:06pm

We're just starting this with C, but she's in a bed! Just keep putting her back, but when they were in cots and did this we went back once and then left them to it. They learn quick enough - and most of the time it's about attention seeking so the more you go back in, the more she'll do it. Sorry hun, just stay out!

**Bluebabe75** · 06-06-2012, 10:07pm

Originally Posted by lisnic

Ignore her requests unless she is poorly/in a total state?

Possibly

She will sometimes get in a total state but often is just shouting for the sake of it.

Am hoping it is a phase - last tooth is virtually through so maybe she will settle again

**Rosa** · 06-06-2012, 10:15pm

Mine is like this too

I ignore him unless it sounds like he has hurt himself, he is in a bed.

**claireh** · 06-06-2012, 10:16pm

Do you ever go to Bluewater? If so, pop in to the Mystical Fairy shop and make a big thing of buying the fairy dust and powder puff pot. Tell a big story about this being magical fairy dust that helps you go to sleep. Worked like a charm on my little girl.

Watching tinkerbell movies helps with buying in to the story.

**creamcracker** · 06-06-2012, 10:22pm

We're having exactly the same at the moment. Luckily most days we manage without a sleep although the evenings are hard when she's grumpy. If she doesn't nap then bedtimes are easy but if she nods off in the car or pushchair then we're done for!
We tend to ignore as much as possible unless she gets herself totally worked up. She's very inventive with her requests and has us in stitches listening on the monitor to her talking to her toys!

**popinjay1** · 07-06-2012, 06:45am

When mine were in cots I would never go back in unless they were obviously I'll/very distressed. And once they were out of cots would just do the rapid return thing. Daniel can still be a bigger at bedtime :-/

**Lilacgirl** · 07-06-2012, 07:23am

E goes through stages of this - I don't go back in if I know she is ok and it passes in a day or two.

**jamsplat** · 07-06-2012, 07:38am

so long as he's in his bed I leave him to it, the number of books in his bed would suggest that he does nip out and collect some more but so long as he's going back to bed I turn a blind eye.

He isn't really that demanding yet, just wanting more songs and demanding to get up. I just tell him to sing to himself and that its bed time