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My very active 20 month old son figured out how fun it is to climb out of his crib a couple of months ago. My husband and I went ahead and bought a toddler bed, thinking it was time to make the switch, then thought better of it. We thought he wouldn't get any rest, and neither would we. So I searched around and discovered sleep sacks. For about a month, it was the perfect solution. Then he figured out that he has the upper body strength to pull himself up just enough to get over the rail with the sleep sack on. So, I pulled out needle and thread to make the bag smaller. Didn't work. I purchased another sleep sack that was one size smaller, still didn't work. Now he's fighting me on naptime, which in turn interrupts his night time sleep. We're all out of sorts here. Aside from a crib tent, does anyone have any suggestions? We have another little guy on the way in September, and we have got to get this sleep situation figured out. I know that if I can get his naptime back to normal, everything else will follow.
TIA!
Last edited by mrsengle; 06-10-2010 at 01:27 PM..
Reason: misspelling
Does he have a nap/bed time routine? Is he waking up too early from his nap and/or getting up in the middle of the night?
I just edited my post to clarify - he's getting out of his crib.
We had a great schedule before he started climbing out of his crib. Because I can't keep him contained, he's fighting me on naps. Which means he falls asleep in his highchair at snack time, around 4pm. Then wakes up at 6pm - which has turned his usual 7:30 bedtime into 10:30 because we're fighting him on this.
Making him be still (i.e. the high chair, car seat, and previously sleep sack) seems to help him settle down to sleep. The sense of containment seems to help.
He's just at the age where you may need to bite the bullet and move him to a regular or toddler bed and go through the sleep training stage for toddlers. The crib tent may work for now, but even that is a temporary solution.
My daughter started escaping around 18 months and we then transitioned to a toddler bed. We also moved and had some sleep issues do to that, but now she is sleeping in her own bed all night without issues. In hindsight I would have taken her straight to a regular bed, more mileage and probably more comfortable, although her Disney Princess Canopy Bed is pretty cute.
If I were you I would tackle this now and get him into a toddler bed and sleep trained there before the new arrival.
PS You also need to invest in a good gate for his room if going this route so he doesn't get up in the middle of the night and wander while you sleep.
He's just at the age where you may need to bite the bullet and move him to a regular or toddler bed and go through the sleep training stage for toddlers. The crib tent may work for now, but even that is a temporary solution.
My daughter started escaping around 18 months and we then transitioned to a toddler bed. We also moved and had some sleep issues do to that, but now she is sleeping in her own bed all night without issues. In hindsight I would have taken her straight to a regular bed, more mileage and probably more comfortable, although her Disney Princess Canopy Bed is pretty cute.
If I were you I would tackle this now and get him into a toddler bed and sleep trained there before the new arrival.
PS You also need to invest in a good gate for his room if going this route so he doesn't get up in the middle of the night and wander while you sleep.
My husband and I discussed doing just that - we bought him a Thomas the Train bed (very cute) and a baby gate for his room. We child-proofed his room to get ready for this transition, but I chickened out when I discovered the sleep sack. I think that, wheather we like it or not, the time has come to get this over with. Just thought I'd check and see if there was some other brilliant solution I hadn't considered.
Both my boys decided to leap out right around 20 months. We bought cribs that converted to full beds for both. Converted to big boy beds immediately. I kind of saw it coming both times so put $$ aside for the mattresses.
We made a big deal of it & took them shopping to pick out sheets & a comforter. Then make a big deal of it that 1st night.
Knock on wood, but never any major issues.
We've also childproofed the room & have a baby gate on one side of the bed so he doesn't fall out.
Things like this you just cut to the chase. So much easier.
I'd put him in the toddler bed-or even the crib mattress right on the floor, if you're worried about him falling out. I'd also babyproof the room (if it's not already, and that should include anchoring heavy furniture to the wall) and get a good babygate for the doorway. I think a regular twin bed is fine too, if you have floorspace (I didn't when my kids were toddlers).
Then for naptime, put him in his bed, put up the gate, and he stays in there for however long naptime is. He might not sleep at first, but he might just play around a bit and then lie down.
One of my kids was never a big napper, but he needed 'quiet resty time' as we called naptime-he had to stay in the room but he often looked quietly at picture books or used Duplos. He'd often play for awhile, then lie down and sleep.
we used a crib tent, but around 2 years is the time most move to a bed anyway. We didn't bother with a toddler bed. We put the crib mattress on the floor for a while, then went to a twin bed with a rail. This is a difficult stage, but you have to get through it. You can't restrain him in bed forever. Eventually you will have to address the issue.
I agree with the PPs.... it is just time to move him into a big boy bed.
That being said, it may also be time to modify his sleep schedule to accommodate a later (not as late as 4pm) naptime. His body may be ready for a new sleep schedule.
Why not try napping him at noontime or 1pm, instead of so late?
Then he will go to bed closer to 8pm. 10:30pm is way too late IMO.
He sounds ready for a big kid bed. When he gets out just place him back and keep doing it over and over, eventually he will get the hang of it and realize he needs to stay in bed.
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