How To Keep Your Toddler in Bed ALL Night: Sleep Training Method

How To Keep Your Toddler in Bed ALL Night: Sleep Training Method

You're ready to get more sleep at night, but your toddler just won't stay in their own bed. Maybe your toddler won't fall asleep on their own, or they come into your room in the middle of the night.

If you're ready to start a gentle sleep training method for your toddler, check out this video!

Let's get your toddler sleeping in their own bed all night and for naps too!

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TRANSCRIPTION:

In this video, I’m answering a question sent in by a tired mom on our Facebook Live Q&A Call. I hope you enjoy it.

I would say that unless your toddler is climbing out of the crib every day and it’s a safety risk, then don’t take him out of the crib.

If your child isn't a climber, leave them in the crib as long as possible. Until at least age 3! You will save yourself and your toddler so many struggles!

Step 1: Communicate your expectations
The first thing I recommend when you have a toddler is to communicate your expectations every day. Keep it short, upbeat and happy.

Say, ‘You’re such a big girl! I’m so proud of you! Tonight, you’re going to sleep in your bed. When you wake up in the night, Mommy’s going to come and give you a kiss, and then you’re going to go back to sleep cuddling your favourite teddy.”

Step 2: Choose your preferred sleep training method, suitable for your child.
Then you’re going to have to choose a method that’s going to help her fall asleep at bedtime relatively quickly, without getting out of bed and running all around.

There are so many different ways you could do this. You could do a super quick method. You could do a long, drawn-out method. It really depends on a lot of different factors.

Here's an example of one you can do that works relatively quickly. It’s nice because you get to stay in the room with your little one.

I would just say to her, “I’m going to stay in the bedroom with you tonight until you fall asleep. I’m going to be right here with you.”

I would get a chair and put it right up next to the bed and sit next to it while she falls asleep. Do your normal bedtime routine. Then turn off the lights, give her a kiss and sit next to the bed super quietly. Just say, “I’m going to sit here until you fall asleep”.

If she hops out of bed and starts running around the room, or starts sitting on your lap, say, “Mom’s going to have to go for a few minutes unless you can get into your bed”.

You’re going to encourage her to get back into her bed and then you’re going to go quiet again. You’re going to have her stay in her bed until she falls asleep. Then you can leave her room. I would sit next to her bedside for about 2 nights.

On Night 3, I would move my chair a few feet away. I would sit there and I would explain to her, “I’m just moving a little bit away, but I’m still going to stay here until you fall asleep.”
I would do that for 2 more nights.

On Night 5, I’d put my chair right inside the doorway.

Night 7: Move chair to the hallway for 2 nights.

Night 9: Pop in and out of the room. When you say you’re going to be 2 minutes, always go back. Always keep your word. Pop your head round the door and if your child’s awake, just say “I love you. I’m just going to go talk to Daddy”, and blow him a kiss.

After a few times of this, your child will probably be asleep. You can continue to do this for several days until your child gets more and more comfortable falling asleep on their own.
Night Wakings
You’re going to do the same thing when they wake up in the night. Just walk her right back to her bedroom. Sit in the chair until she falls asleep.

You can put a baby gate at her bedroom door. That will limit your child’s ability to roam around the house. You’ll hear her in the night, you just go to her and put her back in her bed.

Come up with a phrase that you use over and over and over again to remind her that it’s time to sleep. You could say, “It’s time to sleep”, or “Goodnight”.
Naps
I would just do the same thing at nap time. I would say, “I’m going to sit in this chair until you fall asleep”.

The more consistent you are, the quicker she will comply.

[jlethal]

Good video.. I too am at the transition stage. My little man is going to turn 2 next month but he has already mastered the art of the crib climb out so I built his toddler bed and we are on night 2. I already adapted the calm/soothing/brief technique from crib routine to toddler bed routine but Added the quick sit n back scratch method til he falls asleep then I walk out quietly. Hasn’t failed me yet. The reassuring phrase of “I love you buddy, it’s time to go to sleep” is the go to for him to know it’s all good.

[soulfultruths]

This is helpful I’m dealing with my four year old son ... He is so determined to get back in my bed

[samanthahector]

My toddler is just over 2 and I had to take one of the rails out because she was climbing out off later she’s constantly waking up, sometimes is awake for 2 hrs at a time, she starts telling me about her day and I would see her tossing and turning

[pmthedonutgirl]

Ive done this one ive also done the patpat method if they have a full size bed i always reccomend the baby gate its a must imo

[pinkcow]

I have been watching the "toddler" playlist and haven't found anything that caters to my daughter, she just turned 2 and a 6 weeks ago she was falling asleep on her own perfectly. 4 weeks ago we left our home due to a wildfire and lost everything. From going hotel hoping and my parents only place she could sleep was in the bed with myself laying next to her. We moved into a new house 1 week ago and still needing to sleep with her, once shes asleep I can sneak out but within a hour she is back up screaming. Ive tried everything...

[thedaudakids]

If I stay with my 20 month old toddler in his room he won't even try sleeping hes just want to play. So I sit on the chair and and a few minutes I leave the room. He cries for 30 seconds and he's out. I think it's because I keep to our routine so by the time he needs to sleep he's already tired.

[edithtorrico]

I really love your tips, but what do I do if my 2 years old cries when I'm even setting next to her? Should I pick her up? Should I let her cry? She won't stop until Im in the bed with her or pick her up😢

[charleena]

My toddler is about to turn 3 and we have a routine of her falling asleep next to me while I nurse my 5 month old and then I will put them in their own bed. I think she knows she is being transferred to her own bed but she will be fine and continue to sleep.... until some random time of the night she'll wake up and call my name (we do sleep in the same room) and I have made a bad habit of just getting her and putting her in bed with us because she just falls right asleep. What surprises me though, is that she does not choose to climb out to come in bed with us she just calls my name. I want her to stay in her own bed all night, can you please help!

[hellondioo]

Alright, I m going to try this tonight. Wish me a luck.

[RubyHodson]

New follow here! Finding your videos very helpful.

My son turns 2 next week but he is struggling with his cot. Most nights he wakes up from hitting his head on the side or getting his feet stuck in the gaps (very stuck, it takes me twisting and turning to get him out) and I can only get him back to sleep with a bottle. I have tried putting bumpers up but he just pulls them off. Would you still recommend leaving him in the cot until 3 years? If so, how can I stop him from hurting himself? Thank you!

[belfernandes]

Some people put a safe lock on the kid’s door so they don’t come out from their bedroom. Do you recommend that? I guess he is trying to come to my bed or get my attention, maybe if he knows he can’t reach me, eventuality he won’t try again. What do you think?

[whitneyhaberer]

Just moved my 2.5 year old son to big bed due to climbing. He is a STUBBORN strong willed boy. What do you do if they just keep coming to your room? Right now I am just sitting in a chair til he falls asleep. If he wakes me up at night I do the same, but he reaches a point where he's up getting me every 30 minutes 🥱.

[shbor]

My 2.5 year old jumps out of the crib for 1-2 hours every night. She will not sleep in the toddler bed though. When she jumps out she knocks on her door and opens it. I then go to her and firmly yet still caring tells her that it is bedtime. I put her in bed, tugs her in and say good night and leaves. This little routine continues as mentioned for 1-2 hours. I cannot do what you suggest as I have a 5 month old that needs me at the same time for nursing and helping him fall asleep. I am a single mom so I do not have the help of a partner. What would your advice be for me?

[sarabell]

Hi ! Thank you for the video ! My son is 2 and we still assist him in falling asleep... he wakes up an hour after we put him in his bed then he wakes up 30 to an hour later freaking out that were not there. Do you think the vhair method would address both falling asleep independently and encouraging him to fall back asleep on his own when he wakes an hour after using the chair method or should I hang about for an hour so he still sees me when he wakes again? Advice is sooo appreciated!!!

[jasminemoore]

My son is 19 months and I just got him potty trained. During the night he will take his diaper off when he goes potty and potty all in his crib. Do you still recommend keeping him in a crib or start working on a toddler bed so he can potty at night?

[kayleemason]

So our toddler doesn’t have his own room due to remodeling purposes. Would this work if his bed is in our room?

[mamads]

So my 2.5 year old daughter will lay in her bed for 4 hours before falling asleep just staring at me!!! I sat in that chair for 4 hours. No talking nothing! Whats going on? She wakes up at 9 am or sometimes 8:30 and doesn’t nap anymore. We start bedtime routine at around 8:30 and it takes 2-4 hours every night of just looking at me for her to eventually drift off. Help

[bella-vnev]

im an older sister who takes care of my younger siblings. I start High School next week and im trying to get my 18 months old sister on a sleep schedule but its hard since she only has a toddler bed. Any tips?

[lorest]

My 3 1/2 year old was sleeping on her own since 4 months. For the last month she needed to be cuddled before bed. She wakes up around 12am and i have to pat her back until she falls asleep. Then, she wakes up around 2-4am and will not go to sleep on her own. I’ve spent up to 1.5 hours trying to get her to go back to sleep in her bed but she’ll only stop crying if she sleeps with mommy/daddy. Help!!! I don’t know what to do anymore.

[fatguyalwayseats]

My 3 year old goes to sleep just fine around 6pm but almost always wake up around 11-1 and sneaks into our room and we don't know he has come into the room till we wake up in the morning exhausted from being kicked all night and he wakes up around 530-6. Do you have a recommendation for dealing with this?