How can we keep our 2-year-old in bed at night?

Hi. Never done this before, but my husband and I don’t know what else we can do to keep our two-year-old in her bed. Lately, she’s been getting up, turning her light on and playing. Sometimes we even find her in the living room watching her movies after we’ve gone to bed. The only solution we’ve come up with is to unplug her lamp and the entertainment center once we’re all in bed. I think she is afraid of the dark, so she has a problem falling asleep alone in her room. She has a night light, but it obviously isn’t cutting it. Also, most nights, she ends up in our bed. I’m currently pregnant with baby #2 so her climbing into bed with us makes getting comfortable that much harder. I know the transition from only child to big sister is going to be hard for her, so I don’t want to do too much too fast, but I’m at a loss of what else to try. TIA!

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You could put a baby gate at her door and get a grow clock? I’ve heard that they’re programmed to show night and day. So she’ll know if its time to get up and play versus when its not.

Also you could get one of those room projector night lights for her, my niece uses one that my sister can control using her smartphone.

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Baby gate on her doorway , maybe even 2. And get a chain lock for outside doors put up high so if she figures out the door she cant get out.
Cut naps down during the day and try to wear her out more before bed and then she should sleep more solid

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Enjoy him in your bed while it lasts one day he’s not going to want you anywhere near

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My almost 3 year old would get out of bed and come crying to us. He sleeps with a lamp on and we just take him back up to bed no matter how many times it takes, we usually let him take a toy as well to bed, he picks a hot wheels or a paw patrol or pj mask toy. Once we showed him he wasn’t going to sleep with us or that he wasn’t allowed to be out of bed he finally learned to sleep in his bed.

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I’m probably going to have an unpopular opinion here. But. My two year old did this around 2.5, and for a month would get out of bed, come into our room, be in her sisters room waking her up, etc. we locked her door from the outside. Once she realized she couldn’t get out, she stopped. Now we don’t lock her room anymore. Also, my daughter is terrified of the dark. We got her a frozen projector nightlight and she LOVES it. Helped her go to sleep knowing Anna and Elsa were helping keep her room safe.

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We have a childs door cover over our 2 year old sons doorknob, and we have no toys in his room. Luckily he doesnt mess with his light, but he has a night light so he can see and sometimes you will hear him up playing in his bed but he usually doesnt get out

Try to put those glow in the dark stars on her ceiling or a mobile (they make them for older kids) and cut naps as well so she is more tired when its bed time.

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My two year old is still in a crib and can’t get out, is she in a crib? Or a big bed? Maybe that’s why she can have free range at night

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My son is 2 as well I went through a stage like this not with him turning on the lights but he was constantly up and down from when I put him to bed. When he did finally fall asleep half way through the night he would end up in my bed. I told him one night that I will put him in his buggy if he keeps getting up and down until he falls asleep then put him back in bed once asleep. I done that once with him he never got up once put to bed again. As for him waking up and getting into my bed I gave him a Teddy as comfort and when he use to wake up and come in my room I use to put him back into bed and say mummy’s only across the hall and to cuddle teddy and use to give him a kiss and he would go back to sleep its been a month now and he no longer wakes up during the night and come into my room it’s hard but you will get there.

What I dowith my daughter is I put big plus toys( unicorns)next to her bed and let her choose to sleep on her bed or the floor if she picks the floor I cover her up and after she falls asleep I pick her up and put her in her bed.and I don’t leave the room until she is fully asleep.

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Baby gate on the door, and lock her toys in her closet at night so she cant play with them. Also whoop that ass,now is the time to start teaching her wrong from right and if you can start now before the baby get her,it will be easier for when you start teaching the new baby wrong from right cause the older sibling already knows and she can help her/him understand.

A baby gate on the door works wonders

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My daughter was afraid of the dark so we did a “room check” and used monster spray to make sure there was nothing in her room that could get her before bed. Night lights are always good to have weather it be a basic one or the clock that shows day and night. Cut down naps during the day so that she’s tired enough to just continue sleeping through the night, if she’s potty training locking the door or the baby gates are not a good idea it will just cause set back and accidents. If toys are the issue get them all picked up at night and fully put away, maybe a lock for the toy box?

I tried the knob covers He took it apart baby gate he climbed it. I finally took his door knob off and turned it around so I could lock him in. This was after I caught mine leaving the house at 4am one morning. I also unscrewed the light bulb when I put him to bed. I have 4 and my youngest is part Houdini part mountain goat. He climbs everything

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Baby gate on the door and a door alarm so you know when she tries to open it

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I didn’t take my daughter out of her crib til she was 3. She wouldn’t climb out of it because she knew she would get in trouble. I still have a baby monitor in her room so she knows she can talk to me through it if she needs something. I also keep the house pitch black and the only nightlight is in her room, so she won’t leave. She’s scared… probably because I told her if she leaves her room at night, she’ll get lost in the dark :grimacing::woman_shrugging:

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Omg i couldnt imagine locking a baby in room just so i could sleep. My son did this for years to find he has anxiety & sleep apnea…:scream:

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I used to have their toddler bed in my room. Saved me some sleep.

Get the Smithsonian planetarium.
Mesmerizing and auto turn off after 15 minutes!
We family bed share, but our little is obsessed. Puts him out quickly

Put her bed in your room

Following, my sons is about to be 5 & will not stay asleep in his bed

i wouldn’t unplug things. if she is smart enough to know how ro start a movie, it won’t take her long to figure out how to plug things in. that could be bad.

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No more naps. At the set bedtime put her in there. Tell her sleep time

I would be too worried about an emergency to lock them in their room. But maybe try doing a bedroom check for monsters before bed, I dunno that is a hard one though. Cause I know I’m up and down at night a lot, I’m a horrible sleeper

We started playing classical music softly in my son’s room. Helps him fall asleep and stay asleep and he doesn’t get up at night nearly as much

Stack those baby gates mama.

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Tire her out more during the day. Outside play running around. A bedtime bath routine. Lights on window curtains open during the day and dark/soft lights at light. Bedtime snack(non-sugary of course) if it helps her sleep longer. If nothing works? Get a bigger bed. :grin:🤷

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I put baby gates up in front of there door for all of them with a baby monitor. My 2 year old daughter is waking up every night right anywhere between 2-4am. I have a video monitor so I go and lay down in her bed with her till she goes back to sleep again. The boys never got up always slept threw the night but I always had baby gates on there rooms and monitors.

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Maybe some music soft kid friendly kind so she can focus on that if she wakes up . My son never got into to stuff so I left books and puzzles near his bed and he would do those .

She’s two… why not let her fall asleep in your room or you lay with her until she falls asleep.

She’s still a baby… needs nurturing… especially with another baby in the way…

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Stay in her room till shes out

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Baby gate at door so she can’t get out. Put a baby monitor in your room so you can hear her get up and just keep putting her back to bed without speaking.

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Baby gate at the door. I had to sit with my son for a good few months until he felt comfortable to fall asleep on his own.

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Maybe the crib would be safer ? She shouldn’t be wondering around on her own at night. My son is 19 months and he sleeps in his own room but in the crib so he won’t climb out and I always leave a night light on.

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That’s life with a 2 year old. My 2 almost 3 year old starts off in her bed and wakes up everynight around 1am. The only way I can get sleep is put her in the bed with me.

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She is still a baby herself. I agree to cut the naps, and a nightly bedtime routine that strictly followed. The planetary program or something similar sounds like a great idea. Also if you have been using terms like big sister or big girl, she is still little herself and may be worrisome to her.

We have one of the child proof door knob on the inside of grandsons door… He does sometimes get up and grab a toy to lay with but for the most part he just lays in bed… If he wakes up before we do he plays quietly in his room… If he needs something he just yells mama im awake lol …he just turned 3

Shut the door or put a baby gate in her door way…

put a baby gate in the doorway. she can have the open-ness but won’t be able to leave the room.

The amount of people saying lock her door from the outside or put a lock up high and lock it makes me sick to my stomach. What happens in the event there’s a fire or emergency. U have locked ur child into their room with no way to escape. Wtf. Why does anyone give this advice?!

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My 1 1/2 year old I lay him on my bed and cuddle with him till he falls asleep then when he’s in a deep sleep I walk him to his bed. He usually sleeps 4-5 hours then comes by my bed and I put him
Back to sleep and put him back on his bed. And he stays. But try putting her bed close to your room or next to yours. I did that at first with both my kids now they sleep in there own room. Got them used to their own bed. Worth a try

I’ve always slept in the same room as my toddlers.

Lavender bath at night and lavender oil sprinkled in the room (also acts as a monster spray :blush:) no TV 1 hr b4 bed read a book or 3 to her while she is laying down for bed. I did that with both kids and it worked.

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Baby gate on her room?

Keep them in a crib as long as possible.

Make it so she cant get out of her bedroom. Put a baby gate up.

My daughter sleeps in her toddler bed with a movie on at bedtime she’s afraid of the dark to so I just put on something she’s seen a million times and she passes out

My oldest did that for a while. Wouldn’t leave his room but would get up turn the light on and play. I ended up having to lay with him til he fell asleep, I’d usually end up falling asleep there with him and waking up with a backache :weary: I would definitely unplug the lamp and TV, put in a night light but not bright enough that she will want to play.

I agree with unplugging the big lights and the tv. I wouldn’t leave her with no light. So still give her the night light in her room and one in the hall way.
Then when she ends up in your bed, take her back to her bed. Even when you are tired and dont want to get up. Take her back to her bed. Even if you have to lay with her In her bed until she falls back to sleep. Do it.

Baby gate. My two year old refuses most days to “lay down” and he just plays until he gets tired. He’s number 3 for me- they all did it. :woman_shrugging:t2: baby gate does wonders.

Baby gate in her door and unplug the tv at nught. Or if her room is in a hallway just put a baby gate in the hallway so she can’t get to the livingroom. And when you see her up, turn the tv off the lights off and put her back to bed. Be consistent with putting her back to bed. Start with saying “it’s bedtime” the first time. 2nd time just “goodnight” and the next time don’t say anything and just put her to bed. She will get the hang of it. If she cries, that’s fine, just put her back to bed everytime she comes out her room and/or plays.

She probably wants her mumma… Enjoy it while it lasts… i let my son sleep in my bed all the time… and maybe leave a bathroom light on if she is in her own bed… might be better than a night light! Poor baby is probably scared of the dark.

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How about you put her to bed…sit with her till she falls asleep then leave her room. It’s not even safe for her to walk around like that as she can open a door. A window,turn on the gas,etc

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Oh behave. Who’s the adult here. She’s a tiny child. Set a routine and stick to it. She’s running this household. Disgraceful

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I had to resort to putting safety knobs on the interior of my daughter’s doors.
It was not to gwt sleep, it was for their safety. They would literally get up in the middle of the night or early and go through everything, they would get in the fridge, in the bathroom, pour things out everywear, going unsupervised was dangerous.
They could climb gates and get into most child safety locks by the time they were 2 &3.
It’s no more a fire hazard than an infant in a crib or baby gate.
I would have to get the child out.
Also alot of young children will run and hide in an emergency situation so its safer for them to be contained untill an adult can reach them.
As my father-in-law is a 25 year retired firefighter it is safer to have all bedroom and interior doors closed so fire does not spread.
If you do decide to do this the room needs to be completly child safe, Furniture bolted to the walls, no blinds with string pulls, and o hazards.
We also used monitors for extra safety.

not as hard as you think. Once my older daughter turned 2, out popped little sister. Big sis loves her baby sister, and would help get diapers, bottles. or her blanky. I would let her lay next to my tummy before I gave birth. I always co-slept with my older daughter. When I was able to get her in her own bed, was placing it next to ours (hubby and i) in my side.

A sturdy baby gate across her doorway to keep her in her room at night. When she figures out that she can’t get out, she’ll lose interest.

Child proof the inside door knob…don’t lock her in there

I would say its really important to be consistent. Trying everything doesn’t work when she knows she will be rewarded for not listening, she gets to be in bed with you. I would also do it before the new baby comes so she doesn’t think its happening because of the baby

We have a really cool globe light that we got from amazon for our 3yo… it lights up the room enough and shines different designs on the ceiling and walls but it isn’t too bright to keep him awake. That’s helped my son stay in bed!

Maybe get her one of those lights that shines stars all over the room. It will give her something to watch and make her room not so dark. Most of them have timers so you could set it when she goes to bed to cut off after an hour or so. Mine came from Amazon!

Try a weighted blanket or a projector night light. Honestly though, enjoy the snuggles, they don’t last long.

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You just keep walking her back to bed lol. Over and over and over. Stay constant

Put up a pressure baby gate in her door so she can’t run around the house. 2 year olds unattended is never safe. Or you could put safety knobs on the inside of her door so that she can’t get out. I’ve had to do both for the same reason.

We just switched our 21 month old to her toddler bed. 1st few nights were rough but she stays in it now. She has a little nightlight that turns off after 30 Mins n we keep her door closed.

We have a safety knob on our daughters door. She can’t let herself out. Run rampade in a baby proof room all night if you want too. She lost interest and just sleeps now.

Does she still have a nap in the afternoon or anything like that , my lassie would be up or get up if she slept after a certain time in the afternoon and she still does now and again

My boyfriends autistic son was constantly sneaking out of his room and raiding the kitchen. He’d climb counters. He once found him on top of the fridge eating pie. He got one of those magnetic alarms. When he’d leave his room, the alarm would go off. Not only would it alert my boyfriend that his son was up, he didn’t like the noise. No fire hazard, no child neglect for locking him in a room by himself. Those alarms are cheap and battery operated.

Lock on the door. Shut the door and baby proof room. It’s not that hard

I would say put your child back in a crib

I changed the light fixture and put in one that has a pull string on it so if they got up to turn the light on it wouldn’t come on. Had a night light of a blue color in the room also so there was just a small amount of light.