How do you get a 3-year old to stay in bed
and go to sleep at night?
Answers:
I JUST discovered the answer to this like 3 nights ago! With my 4.5 y/o daughter and my 3 y/o son!
Put them in bed, sing a song, have some nice time together, talking...but make it no longer than 10 minutes and keep it calm and soothing. Then, give kisses and hugs and tell her in no uncertain terms that she MUST stay in bed, not play, not talk, not get up. If she does she will get a spanking (or your choice of disapline). I also tell my kids that I don't WANT to spank them, I want them to be good cause I don't like to spank them. But I WILL if I have to.
Then DO THAT! If she gets up, disapline her, and put her back in bed...telling her it again.
Be consistant! Everytime she gets up, disapline her and put her back in bed. You might have to stand outside her door (quietly) so that you can catch her out of bed and playing.
Take turns-mom and dad-with this. One goes one time, the next time it's the other...this way neither of you gets overly angry with the child. :)
It's worked WONDERS for me! It's been 3 nights now with kids staying in their beds and going to sleep!
Other Answers:
Spank her!!
Source(s):
Experience
I also have a 3 1/2 year old who went through this. Is she still taking a nap, or sleeping late in the morning? These could both be problems. I hate to admit it but I bribed my son, I let him feed the fish in the morning if he went to bed good. I hope this helps you think of something. Be creative!
Get her up earlier in the morning.
No daytime nap.
Warm bath right before bed.
The hard answer is go to bed your self, but that’s no fun, so maybe you can make blanket up for her with her stuffed animals in the living room, turn off the lights, and maybe she will fall asleep; then take her to her bedroom.
I have 3 boys 19...13...9. I went thru this with all of them.. we would take turns liying down with them and pretending like we fall asleep till they fell asleep.... It takes a few days for them to get used to it but once they do the time u have to be in there with them gets shorter and shorter.
See, they think they are going to miss something if u are still awake and they are in bed...but if they think everyone is in bed...then they don't mind going to sleep too...or at least that is the way mine were...and then after they fell asleep we'd sneak back up...........lol
Duck tape her to the bed. It works for me!!
How do you get a 3-year old to stay in bed at night,i think you should try lots of activity an hour before going to bed. For a 3 year old she will get tired quitly or you could try giving her some warm milk. Her brain just trying to tell you daddy im growing little bit older, every year will be different. Good luck
When you find out, please let me know. My 3yr old son does some of the same things. Good luck!!!!
I work at a daycare, babysit, and have young siblings and relatives. The thing that always works best for me it too lie with the kid, rub her back or belly, and dont respond to her if she whines or fusses. Don't pretend to be asleep, but dont get up and move around, either. The constant soothing motion will help her relax, and after a few nights of this, she should start to fall asleep within 15 minutes of being put down. Eventually, she will learn to relax herself, and you will not need to stay with her as long. Good luck!
Do try to keep her awake all day, and also make sure she eats all her supper. (Sorry these are obvious suggestions, but just from past experience the problem can sometimes be that by suppertime a child is too tired to eat, and by bedtime she's too hungry to sleep).
A cool way to help keep your child in bed once she's there, and also to keep the light off, is to get some glow-in-the-dark stickers for her bedroom ceiling.
If the child is over-tired that may actually make it harder for her to go to sleep. Find a routine that works. Bath, book and bed depending on your child and do not deviate from it. I have my daughter who is 3 1/2 rub her dolly's back to help her dolly fall asleep. I tell her she needs to be quiet and help her baby go to sleep because she is really tired. This gives her something to focus on. It keeps her quiet and in bed which helps her fall asleep:) With young children it is about consistency so once you find something that motivates her to stay in bed stick with it.
Source(s):
Mother of two, former early childhood educator
My daughter has recently just got out of this. What it was that she was taking to long of naps at day care and was not tired when I tried to put her to bed. I told them to not give her such a long nap at day care and she wakes up about 7 or 8 every morning.
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