# Need some support... 2 year old screaming/crying uncontrolably at bedtime



## heathermarie73 (Mar 13, 2006)

My ds always needed to be parented down to bed (usually mommy). Now he is throwing fits when I try to get him to sleep. My husband is no support because he says to close the door and let him cry







:
Should I expect a 2 year 4 month old to go to sleep on his own crying??? What is going on here? What am I doing wrong?


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## heathermarie73 (Mar 13, 2006)

I should add he is very strong willed and taken to crying, whining, hitting, and yelling during the day to try to get what he wants. Oh the stress... This is a new one around. DD is 4 months old. Is it jealousy?


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## kelluna (Sep 10, 2007)

Could be jealousy, though I just have one (and she's 15 mo.), so I don't know. Someone in my LLL had a problem with DD nighttime meltdowns and solved the problem by moving up bedtime by 15 min. increments so it was hours earlier.

Sounds very hard, and sounds like you're doing everything you can!


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## GooeyRN (Apr 24, 2006)

We had a VERY difficult time with dd at that age. We would lie there with her until she stopped crying and fell asleep. She did not cry alone. She just did not want to go to bed, no matter how tired. There wasn't much else we could do, I did not want to CIO.


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

Do you have a routine that is enjoyable for your LO? I just recently had to start a very strict routine with DS and it seems to be helping with the night time battles a little. We read a story or two downstairs, head upstairs, brush teeth, change diaper, get jammies on, nurse, sing lullabies, and he snuggles onto his sheepskin and holds his baby (doll) while I finish up with the lullabies and rub his back and face.

I know it doesn't sound as involved as some routines I have read about on here, but he knows what it all is leading up to, and he seems to enjoy most parts of it, so he looks forward to bedtime.

Maybe you could change your routine if you have one too? I know that DS sometimes needs to have things shaken up in order to stay on track occasionally.

Not sure if this helps, but it definitely sounds frustrating.


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## heathermarie73 (Mar 13, 2006)

Well tonight I chased ds around the house. Then he said "want to dance?" (so cute) So I turned on the radio and we danced and danced until ds sat down on the couch seemingly exhausted. So I started the bed time routine and he fell asleep so much easier. Hopefully this is the problem (that he needs to burn off some extra energy). Here hoping. Thanks for the help.


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## Surfacing (Jul 19, 2005)

Ahh! Sounds like you found some solution to your problem!

I will add that in our case, dd1 is afraid of the dark and sleeps better with some light on.







: I wonder if that affects him.


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