I no joke about to lose my mind. My 2 year old will not go to sleep at night. He barely takes nap. He will be up from 9am until 3am at night. I’ve tried keeping him up all night and then keeping him up all day, I’ve tried baths right before with comfy clothes, hell I’ve just let him sleep in my bed, but he thinks it fun and wants to jump. He is speech delayed so I can’t get him to tell me what he needs or wants. I gave a snack and a drink, he was changed again. We tried nightlights which he’ll just turn off, and then white noise. I’m so sleep deprived. I just don’t know what to do. I won’t do melatonin or anything like that as I know it’s bad for him.
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Omg!!! I’ve lived this! My son did that too when he was around that age, lasted a few month, but it eventually got better
I’d wake early (like 7) no nap and try for bedtime around 9. Melatonin used for short bursts is not harmful
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I didn’t discover melatonin until my pediatrician told me about it when my son was 3. He is 9 now and takes one gummy. He also has never slept enough and is in soccer and karate year round. Melatonin is a life saver!
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We use sleepy spray on our pillows it works good for my kids
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Add 1-2c of Epsom salt to bath, massage magnesium oil onto feet before bed. Give tart cherry juice hours before bed. Diffuse lavender oil. Create a better night routine… Bedtime stories then sleep songs/frequencies &/or meditation music… Set the mood then KO.
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I second sleep study. Maybe diluted try tart cherry juice and hr before bed. Maybe find a class or something to exhaust his energy like tumbling or swim lessons. Get a camera for his room and if he’s feed, bathed, dry, no fall hazards he just has to be in his crib or toddler bed from 10pm- 7am.
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I never give snack to my kids after 8pm, no veggies or sugary drinks. After 8 just water. Why do people fill sugar their kids and then wonder why they’re so hipper?
In the short term pay someone to watch your kid so you can sleep and not go insane. Then sleep study, + other suggestions here.
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Talk to his pediatrician, maybe they can help
Check and make sure he doesn’t get any red dyes . Don’t know why but they affected my son in a negative way. Also , some kids just don’t require a ton of sleep. Do you do bath time and lay down to read to him ? I did that . Even when he doesn’t get a nap he should have a “ rest time “ . He can lay down and quietly read books. No toys or tv . This should help settle him . At bedtime , explain each step that is about to happen . Lastly , when lights go out , it’s time for sleep . If all else fails , lay down with him until he goes to sleep .
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That’s how my son was when he was 2-3. I was exhausted and so was he, his pediatrician actually recommended melatonin. I got the zarbees chewables which are only 1mg and I started him on just a half of one. It worked WONDERS!! I only gave it to him on work/school nights and we used it for a few months then just stopped and he was better adjusted after he was 3.
My now 4 1/2 year old takes 1 on school nights now.
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Has he been test for autism? My grandson is nonverbal autistic n is the same way
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I would get him a sleep study… Definitely talk to his doctor
He needs his gut health fixed. Find a reputable company and get some good kids probiotics. I can suggest a few if you private message. All diseases start in the gut and sleep is vital to our overall well being. Melatonin is a temp fix. Gut health is long term. Just please do research on good quality probiotics. Don’t think for a second that stores like Walmart and target sell good quality ones. Also be wary of any dr or health professionals who tell you it’s all hype.
My sister was going through this exact thing with her 3 year old. Her Dr. told her to give her magnesium 30 minutes before bed and within a week she was sleeping through the night.
Welcome to the 6th stage of sleep regression. It happens at the age of two.
Been there done that. Find a good occupational therapist and start working on his sensory needs. In the meantime, make a bed in his room, make the room child proof and lock it. Stay with him and get some sleep.
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Co sleep when he wakes up, that way you both sleep 
. But keep a nightly routine.
Might also want to try caffeine. Should have the opposite effect.
My son was the saaame way when he was 2, for months he was up from 9pm-9am I tried everything to fix it but nothing worked. Finally broke down and started giving him a melatonin at 9pm and he usually sleeps until 7-8 am which I can handle much better than being up all night. If he’s not asleep by 10 I turn his cartoons off and make the room dark and he goes to sleep instantly, some nights he cries a bit and gets mad but it doesn’t last long.
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Wake up at 6am no naps what so ever. 7-730pm bath time with some calming lavender and a melatonin then try bed by 830pm. Worked for my son with ADHD. Doctor recommended melatonin.
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Definitely get him assessed for therapy for his delays speech occupational and physical therapy. Sorry you’re enduring this:cry:
talk with his Dr. my son had went through whats called sleep regression and could wake at crazy time at night. and not sleep. of course he had times it caught up to him, but it’s random. one time he had just a few hrs of sleep each night, stayed up until the next night do it over again - for almost 6 days!
the Dr said to us if it’s not disrupting his life, then leave it be for now and he should grow out of it. he did. he’s 5 now but when it went on it was from 2- early 4.
We went through this with my bonus boy! We went to the pediatrician and she prescribed melatonin. It was temporary and he wasn’t on it long. It helped a great deal. His mood improved during the day and (so did ours 
)! We were very anti meds as well but just got to the point where for his sake and ours needed some relief because the lack of sleep got to be way too much on both fronts.
Definitely use magnesium spray or something like that. Put it on his feet like 30 minutes or an hour before bed. I don’t suggest melatonin until after you try the magnesium
Definitely recommend a good magnesium spray, Epsom bath, and calm nighttime routine. Stay away from melatonin at such a young age. My oldest was put on it at a young age and he can’t fall asleep and stay asleep now over a decade later. But our youngest who’s autistic, sometimes a little magnesium and the calm atmosphere is all he needs! Wish I had known that years ago with the oldest boy!
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Why is melatonin bad for him? Isn’t it natural? I have never had a need to give my kids this but have heard healthy benefits to it? Also, at 2 have you had him tested for autism? Is he on the spectrum? Speech delayed is an indicator as well as sensitivity to stimulation like lights that there could very well be another solution. Not a bad thing just something to think about. Possibly getting him the correct help would help you also. And he’s not just two any two years old may fight naps but this sounds a bit more than two year olds average behavior. Even at one children know their body’s cues and can acknowledge they are tired, usually acting out by becoming whiney and asking for blankets or soothing cues that allow them to get comfortable. He’s lacking something we just have to figure out what that is and that something will help you. Whether he is special needs or he’s hyperactive there’s got to be something to help both of u. Good luck mama your trying all the right things.
I am currently going through the same thing with my 18 month old. He has been waking up at 2am every day and staying up til around 11 am. He has sensory processing disorder and has therapy 3 days a week, occupational, speech, and physical. He also cannot tell me what he wants yet. He also has been co-sleeping with me since birth. I tried everything. I got desperate tried melatonin, tylenol, benadryl, motrin, nothing would put him to sleep. We broke down and purchased a sleep training program 3 days ago called Little Z’s. It has been rough but he is staying in his crib for atleast 11 hours a night with only 3 wakings so far and he is taking his naps in crib with no problems. I was extremely skeptical about it but my husband wanted to do anything to help. I would 100000% recommend!
I would honestly consider sleep school or taking him to a paediatrician. Sleep is very important for you both
Mine takes meletonin falls asleep at 8 wakes up at 11pm up till 4am so I don’t know
Go to a Dr, I went through this and I should have went to a doctor sooner because it turns out my kid had to sleep disorder and required medication which fixed the issue.
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Does he snore, drool or sleep with mouth open? If so ask for a sleep study to assess for sleep apnea. My child didn’t sleep fully thru the night until after having adenoids/tonsils removed.
Wow I feel for you parents. What kind of foods are you feeding them? Prepackaged? Try cooking from scratch then you know what’s in their food. Before I get jumped again ,when our boys were small we both were in the military so I know about long days. I still cooked from scratch every night.
I had a friend who went through this and they had to do a sleep study. Good luck!! Definitely don’t stop looking for answers
We use olly brand sleep gummies. They are non habit forming and my kids say they taste great. We use them during school time so they get sleep.
Go to your doctor. Melatonin used short term is not harmful
Frist I would seek out A Doctor who know about blood disorders , vitamin disorders , and a herbalist who can help you out more naturally which is better then drugs. Yes you need a Dr to test everything .
Stick with a crib and close the door. Routine is key and he will eventually get it. You are not doing anything wrong as every child is different and develops at their own rate. All you can do is not let him get his way. You tell him it’s time for bed now. Make sure all his needs are met and provide some soothing sounds and keep it dark. Be sure to make a wind down time away from loud noises and screens as part of bedtime routine maybe that’s with some books or puzzles or some manipulatives and don’t offer sugar before bedtime. He’ll get it 
Have you had him evaluated for autism
My 2yr old just became unbearable with sleep about a month ago. He dropped his naps unless I hold him, he won’t sleep unless my husband lays on his floor. It’s been exhausting. He’s my 6th child and I never had this issue before. The other kids would cry and then put themselves back to sleep. Not this one.
I was told to take your kid outside and let play for a little bit and then bath reading and bed it works for my kids plus I cut out all red dye out of my sons diet
Make night time BORING. no TV, no snacks, no toys nothing. Avoid screens during the day and focus on energy zapping activities like swimming and running and jumping.
Stick to a routine every day. Even if he thinks hes staying up turn the house off anyway. Once there’s no appeal to being up he’ll go to sleep.
Melatonin is not bad. It is something that is naturally made in our bodies. The doctor had me try it out for my kids and it did wonders. Just make sure you use the correct dosage. They have ones made for children.
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Magnesium oil rub on feet before bed. Put Epsom salt in his bath, also chamomile in his bath, I’d stay away from Melatonin (our body is supposed to produce all the Melatonin we need, giving children more to help sleep is wrong and is gives Melatonin unbalance, of course doctors use it because they are not trying to find the root cause just a band aide)and lavender ( lavender lowers testosterone levels alot interrupting hormones). Also sleep with him or by him. Spoonful of organic natural peanut butter before bed has tryptophan in it and lowers cortisol levels. There are a lot of all natural herbs and minerals along with plants that help sleep. I wouldn’t ever jump to medicine or thinking something is wrong usually when our natural human processes are disturbed it’s because we’re lacking something we need like minerals, vitamins, food etc.
Nothing wrong with kids melatonin, just consult the doctor first to be sure
Mine is 15 and still doesn’t
DM me and i will give you a great sleep therapist for little ones
Melatonin isn’t bad, it’s natural and it’s well worth trying.
Magnesium worked for us. always check with your Dr first