Two Year Old Wont Sleep in Her Bed

I have to agree with the people who have advised not to make a big deal out of it. My kids sleep in their bed, on the floor, in a tent in the playroom, I don't care as long as they sleep. And, incidentally, my girls are 8 and almost 6 and still sleep in the same bed... not just the same room, but the very same bed. They have their own beds, but this is their choice. As long as they get their rest and no one is bothered, I don't think it's worth battling over.

Give her time... it's just a phase and with patience, she'll simply grow out of it. If you haven't already done so... you might ask her "why" she is choosing to sleep elsewhere.

L. - your little Brooklin needs a bedtime routine that is all her own... one that makes her room and her bed a special place. Here is how to make this happen:

Pick out CHAPTER books that are calm but interesting: Charlotte's Web, Winnie the Pooh, Francis, Little Bear. Tuck her in and sit by her bed, or IN it with her, and read aloud, slowly and softly.

Show her the pictures if you want to but don't let her touch the book - this is story time and she will create the pictures in her head.

She will fall asleep before you are done reading for the night, of course. So pay attention to her while you read so that you remember where you left off. Since she will start out in her bed, over time she will just remain there through the night.

Then, make a trip every week to the library to seek out new and better bedtime stories, giving you something to do for fun when she is awake and giving her MORE attachment to her room and her bed, since these bedtime stories are just for her.

If she doesn't fall asleep before the story is over (or after one chapter), you can keep reading or sing her a sweet bedtime song. Mom's bedtime songs are the best! If you feel you can't sing, bring a tape/cd player into the room and put on quiet word-free music. She'll love falling asleep with the music and the images of her new book friends in her head.

Also, get her into the habit of choosing one of her favorite stuffed animals or dolls to listen to the story with her in her bed so that she has a story buddy. She may change animals/dolls with every story, or may choose the same one for an eternity. This will be the last thing she will do before climbing into bed... knowing that her friend is missing the story, and possibly sleeping alone on the cold, hard, living room floor will give her a feeling of importance and reverence.

Now you have put HER in charge of someone else who NEEDS her in order to have their own good bedtime experience.

Just to be clear, in the end, you may have to stay with her until she is fully asleep, regardless of how long it takes, to ensure that she feels safe and stays in her bed.

LOVE, not punishment, works with two year olds. Reading and singing a child to sleep is the loving way to ensure that she feels safe.

I am going to recommend the book "The no cry sleep solution for preschoolers" by Elizabeth Pantley, it's amazing for all sorts of sleep issues. I think child proofing her room (preventing her from leaving) may cause even more tears....and that may cause even more problems later on. My SIL tried locking her son in his room and now he won't sleep EVER in his room. (he associates it with punishment) All of my friends w/older toddlers (and all girls) have gone through sleep issues at one time or another and really patience & understanding seems to be what wins out in the end. You could set up a mattress on the floor of her room and tell her that if she wakes up at night and wants some where else to sleep, she can lay there, but only if she falls asleep in her own room first. THat gives her choices, but also the responsibility to fall asleep in her room. Does she have a cd player in her room for lullabies? Maybe putting her in charge of turning it on for herself might help too. Good luck!

I would say as long as she is in her room, who cares if she actually sleeps in her bed. To get her to stay in her room give her two options; 1.Stay in room, door stays open 2.Gets out of room, door is closed. Then buy one of those door knob covers for the inside door knob of her door so she can not open her door.
Good luck.

sounds like she likes to sleep on the floor...
my 2 yr old son won't sleep in his bed either, but he sleeps on a small, covered, foam, fold-out sofa (from Wal-mart). He'll sleep on that if I sleep on the sofa next to him. Or he'll sleep on this big round cushion on the floor in his room.

as long as she's sleeping, don't knock it! my son was awful about sleeping until just recently. Whatever works, stick with it. Yeah, it's annoying that they aren't sleeping in their own beds but at least they are sleeping!!!

Taking down the crib may have signaled to your child that she is in control now, not you. If she refuses to sleep in a crib, what makes you think she will agree to sleep in a bed? It's not about where she sleeps, but about you being in charge of her wellbeing, telling her where her place is to sleep, and her accepting your word as the parent. Read What the Bible Says About Child Training by Fugate, ASAP. You have a rebellion issue that you must conquer before she gets too old to physically handle.

SAHM of seven

There's no right way or place to sleep. Let her sleep on the floor. My daughter went through a phase where she only wanted to sleep on the floor. We let her, and it didn't last long. OR let her sleep with you. Sleeping together is a precious, warm thing, and also won't last long. She'll be grown up in a flash and you'll miss it.

My 2yr old son went thru something similar when he transitioned out of his crib. We put his big boy mattress on the floor in his room to get him used to it, but he still slept on the floor a few times. I didn't care as long as he went to sleep and stayed in his room. That is what I'd advise for you - set down rules that your daughter needs to sleep in her room (or mayber her sisters room). Mommy and Daddy's bed is off limits, as is the hallway (not safe). I think after a while she'll learn that her bed is more comfortable than the floor. You could also let her fall asleep on the floor and then move her to her bed. Make sure she really likes her bed and that it feels safe to her (bed rails). Even though she hated the crib, 2 yr olds still don't always feel safe without the security of something on the sides of their beds. Good luck!

She wants closeness. This is easy to provide to a 2 year-old: let them be close to you. If you have to cosleep for a while, why not? It sounds like she's got some closeness to catch up on if she's been sleeping in a crib in her own room most of her life. She is just having a hard time transitioning into a totally different type of bed. I say take the gentlest approach and let her cosleep with you for a while. They only let you cuddle them this way for so long. When you wake up in the middle of the night and she's got her feet jammed up against your ribs, then you know it's time to carry her into her room and put her into her bed. Don't forget to use the baby monitor. She isn't a baby anymore but she still needs to be heard.

Hi,
I have 4 kids between the ages of 7 and 2 now. We never have made a big issue of them not sleeping in their bed. They have slept in the hallway on the floor in different rooms in each others bed. As long as they go to sleep when they're supposed to we don't have a problem with where they are sleeping.One of my boys will pile all his blankets and pillows wherever he is going to sleep and goes to sleep there. They all have their own bed and have to have all their pillows and blankets on it in the morning. Anyway bedtime isn't a struggle because we don't make them stay in their bed. The oldest two are starting to sleep in their bed more often now. So maybe some day they will all sleep in their own bed at night.

Just do what you think is best. If sleeping in her bed every night is important to you than make sure she does. If you let her sleep whereever maybe she will decide she wants to sleep in her bed.

I'm not sure this is very helpful...
Hope it all works out soon for you.

L., wow she is only two, lots of little fears at that age, its ok to let her sleep in others room, maybe she is not getting enough parent time during the day, its nice they want to spend time with yah, my kids too had a hard time sleeping in their own rooms, guess what , they eventually will go in there, maybe you need to be in there with her, until she falls asleep, or if she is in others room, put a little mattress under the bed, all made up, so if she is in ohters rooms she can just pull it out and sleep on that, its ok she will in time enjoy her little room, D. s

I am the lone dissenting voice, but I think you should put her back in her crib. I think she has separation anxiety, thus her jumping up and down and screaming in her crib-she wants to be with you. My son is 2 and is currently doing the same thing and he is still in his crib. He's definitely not ready for a toddler bed, and I hope to keep him in his crib until he's 3. In no way would I EVER deem it appropriate to lock my child in their room. What if she really needs you? What if there's a fire? Here's a link about 2 year old separation anxiety- http://parentcenter.babycenter.com/0_developmental-milest...
Please, for her security and safety, consider putting her back in her crib. And maybe make her feel extra safe with some extra attention and snuggles. Co-sleeping isn't a bad idea, but my son refuses to sleep in our bed. So, it doesn't work for every kid. Good luck.

I second the child proof door knob handle...we used this for my 2 yr old when she was transitioning into a new bed...Give her choices you can live with...she can sleep on her bed with all the nice blankets, or put an old sleeping bag on the floor, but these are the only two spots she can sleep. Also, say good night and let her cry a little...she will get the hint that she needs to sleep in her own room.

My son went through this too, except that he had to sleep on the couch. He was so afraid to miss out on anything that he had to be right there in the thick of things. Friends told me to make him sleep in his room, but I didn't listen because he was doing what he needed to do for him and it really didn't bother me. He slept so much better on the couch and when I went to bed, I'd put him in his bed and he'd sleep fine. This only lasted for a few months and he soon outgrew the need to sleep outside of his room.

Kids will find the most interesting places to sleep too. My son once sent me into a full panic because I couldn't find him in the morning only to eventually find him....tucked into the bottom shelf of our entertainment center. I've got a picture of it too! :)

My daughter went through a stage in which she slept on the floor. Eventually found out it was because she was constantly falling out of bed so she figured it was easier to start there than to end up there (she didn't like the bed rails at all, tried that!). Both my kids now sleep in their own beds just fine and the phase they went through of sleeping anywhere but in bed is a past history of fond though head shaking memories.

Childproofing the door or putting up gate sounds like a great idea. But I had a thought. What happens if there is an emergency (like a fire). An adult is unable to get to her and she's locked in her room unable to let herself out. If she can let herself out at least she'd stand a fighting chance. I'd hate to think what could happen if she was locked in.

I agree with childproofing the door so she can't open it. Is there a reason she can't sleep on the floor? My son did that a few times when he moved from the crib to a twin bed a couple of times and I didn't see a problem with it. She won't do it forever.

When we transitioned my son to a toddler bed, we reversed the lock on his door so he couldn't get out. He is right outside my husband's office space,ndwe didn't want him getting in there at night. He cried for a few nights, but got used to it fairly quickly. Now he knows he can't get out until we come and get him. As far as the bed goes, sometimes we find him on the floor, but most nights he makes his way back to the bed. It may not go really smoothly, but if you give it some time, it should work for you...

Hey L.-that's a tough one. I'll tell you what worked for me, my oldest would come in our room everynight. So everynight I walked her back to bed (yes I was very exhausted!) but eventually she just stopped. Or...just go with your gut, she probably won't be 14 and still sleeping on the floor someday :)

You could put a gate up in her bedroom so she can't get out, but can see out if she doesn't like the door closed. My daughter went through a phase where she slept on the floor in her room for a few months. I didn't understand why she wanted to, but I figured as long as she was sleeping in her own room it didn't really matter.

My daughter (who is 2) is still in a crib... but I am afraid of the similar happening. My daughter has thrown tantrums many times about sleeping in the crib but I just let her cry it out... I hate doing it but she finally will fall asleep, and within a week she just plays in her crib till she falls asleep.

At the moment I have only 2 suggestions. How about getting those childproof door handle locks (they look like a plastic ball) and put it on the handle in your daughters room. At least you could then keep your daughter in her room.

Have you asked her why she does not want to sleep in her room? Maybe she has come across something that is scary to her in her room. I would not ask the question inserting anything specific (like to dark or monster) because that might put in her mind that is something to be scared of.

Hope the issue is solved soon!