HELP!! This is a question for all the moms and dads out there!

I would tell you to be consistant, set her up a routine so she nows its time for bed, keep to the best of your abilitys.place her in bed shut the door and wait for her reaction if its screaming in her room thats something you can ignore. If she comes out of her room place her back on her bed immediatly. It could take a couple of days or weeks but she will understand. Letting her sleep in your bed is a bad Idea from experiance if you ever marry or move someone in she will resent them for taking her spot. And bribery let my daughter know if she acted up really bad she'd get something she really wants. I hope this helps.

I had the same problem, my doctor told me a few ways to help. Don't allow any sugary food or drinks 3 hours before bed, don't allow them to put their pajamas on until time to go to bed, so they don;t run around in them half the night, and know that pj's mean bed time. Foloow a routine right befire bed, such as bathing brushng teeth, putting on pj's, bedtime story, prayer, then lights out, and don;t vary from the routine. When they cry as you leave the room tell them if they stop crying you will come back in a few minutes and check on them, wair a while and if they stay in bed return and say how proud you are and that you love them. When they stay on bed praise them and pay attention, when they get our of bed use stern words and ignore them. I hpe this ideas help.

Here is something I learned from watching Super Nanny on TV. Every night put her to bed at the same time. When she gets up dont say a word to her, just pick her up and put her to bed once she is in her bed tell her in a firm voice "it is time for bed" Please understand she is not going to like this because it is diffrent and she is going to everything she can to get on your nerves. Keep as calm as you possibly can. Keep putting her to bed every time she comes out, without saying a word. Eventually she will get sleepy from all the extra moving arround, and she will get tired of you putting her in her bed everytime she comes out of her room. I am not going to lie it is going to be very tiring for you the first couple nights but in the end I promise she will eventually go to bed and not give you any problems because she is not going to want mommy telling her over and over that it is time for bed. She knows it is time for bed. Also she needs to learn to sleep in her own bed and stop sleeping in mommys bed. Mommy needs some alone time too. I really hope this helps you both get some well needed sleep.

I started a really good discussion about bedtime routines a few weeks ago. The key to taking the control back from your children is to establish an effective bedtime routine, be consistent, patient, calm, and realize that fixing this will not happen overnight. I definitely suggest you read through my discussion thread for some helpful tips as well as go to the link I provided there to an article I've written about bedtime routines. You will definitely see from that discussion that you have to establish a clear set routine and pattern to cue your kids that it is bedtime. Once you have the routine in place continue it, they will resist for awhile, but if they see you are calm and you are not straying from the routine and pacifying their tantrums then they will realize who is in control and learn that when you engage in the activities and routine for bedtime, that it truly is bedtime. here is the link to my discussion: http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/434273.aspx

When this child stays up till 11 or 12 when does she wake in the morning? I would try a few things.... 1. Wake her up earlier no matter what time she went to sleep the night before. 2 Keep her busy busy busy during the day. Have her help you whenever possible, a play group or preschool... 4 Outside play is important. My kids get outside everyday for some playtime unless its dangorously cold then we head to the garage...FRESH air is good! 3 Keep her room cool 4. Start bed time 1 hour before you actually want her to sleep with a calming bath and some quiet wind down time, then a calming story with the lights dim. 5. Have a bed time and stick to it! No matter what...its' bed time at a certain time! As for television...I shut mine off like 2 hours before bed. Watching the television actually stimulates the brain and can make them more active. These things work for me and both my children ~ they both sleep like logs for at least 10-11 hours a night! Sleep is important especially for a young growing child... Good luck!

It may take a few nights, but consistency and a lot of patience is the key. All of the above things about snacks, and routine are very neccessary. When you put her in the bed tell her good night and you will come back only if she is quiet. If she gets up say nothing, just put her back and walk away. If she screams bloody murder from her room let her be, she will be fine. As someone said once, it is killing you more than her. She needs this stability to be able to go to bed by herself every night. You laying with her, or petting her is only reinforcing her tantrums. Just keep taking her back to the room tuck her in and walk away.

My son is the same way. He will not go to bed. I have to constantly take him back to bed. He lays in bed for hours awake. I can lay him down at 10pm and he will not go to sleep until 2am. He doesn't take naps anymore but still will not go to sleep. I am constantly sleep deprived because my baby wakes up at 7am faithfully. I am going to use some of the responses from your discussion....hope you don't mind. Thank you for making a very useful topic.

Singlemom, Absolutely, you are normal to feel like you should go to your children when they cry. But, as you said, you'll have to learn to be a little more stern in that regard. Your child knows that if she cries, you will come. Cutting out the daytime nap I'm sure will help, however, you also have to make sure your 4 year old is expending enough energy throughout the day. Try adding going for a walk or playing at a playground or something before eating supper. It may help release some of the last bit of energy she has before the night time routine kicks into gear. Other than that, I have a 4 yr old too. Sometimes he gives me a hard time about going to bed. I just tell him that if he doesn't get sleep, then we can't have more fun tomorrow. Rest is important to be able to play at the park, ride your bike, etc. It usually works well. Good luck and post back here to let us know what works out for you!

hai catlyn087 - well thanks for the topic for discussions and of course the topic seems to be more personal. any how as a father of two kids , i too faced such a situation and i am suggesting u the same solution which i did. well this problem occurs due to the generation gap. and we cannot solve this situation alone . wht i did is just called my parents for some time and they stayed with us and by the accumulation of more people /relations the kids actions got diversifed and they turned their way with every one they like and slow by slow they turned to be like normal child and completely changed. So , joint family or living with the other family members like parents/inlaws/etc., is the right solution to this point . because to care abt your kid every one will be available. and the kids also finds better partners. thanks and bye

is your kida are healthy or they are ill..because this is indiacation of a unhealthy kid. it is better that you should complete their dinner at least 3 hours before they sleep..this is helpful for digestion system of your kids and they feel cool while sleeping.. try to wake up them early in the morning....because if they get up early and do some excerise; they will go into bed early at night... best of luck...and happy new year!!

wow!it sounds like you have tried everything my two year old use to do that what i did was cut her off from sugar especially juice during the day and then i put in her movie and she would go to sleep.as for your daughter i would try and cut out her sugar maybe that is her problem or she might be scared try a nightlight.maybe you should try and rock her you may think she is to old but it might work.anything is worth trying i know how this can believe i went threw it with my daughter also.

My youngest had the same problem and even sleep talked and walked and it did drive me nuts. I cut out all sugars and drinks of any kind other than water, at night and still let her take a 30 min nap if not the middle of the evening was awful and keep to a routine, very important, in making it work. I wish you the best.

my three and four year old boys are troublesome at bedtime also... but all i have to do is sit by there beds for like five minutes and tell them to be quit... Dont cut out naptime... I notice my boys would not go to sleep if they didnt take there naps like they were just too restless and irritable... Try to find out whats wrong, is something in her room scaring her, is she afriad of the dark, Is her room cut off from the rest of the house like is it the back room...To much sweets before bed? but it really sounds like you need to be a lil tuffer, instead of bribery try ultimatum like, if you dont go to sleep no desert for a week or no visiting friends, I have a seven year old daughter and the reverse Psy seems to work really good with her...

It's time for discipline. People seem afraid to discipline their kids nowadays. It's time for a spanking and to have some toys taken away if she gets up. I've had to do it, and it's not fun, but then it's not about me. it's about setting rules and doing what it takes to get the rules obeyed.

I have the same problem with my soon to be three year old and my eighteen month old, they won't sleep, My three yr old doesn't even nap and he won't go to bed, I put them in bed around between eight and nine and I'm still putting them back in at ten to eleven, about eleven they will finally pass out, so much for having a quiet evening, I think it's just difficult for some kids, and you have to stick to the routine every night, I've started threating my oldest so he stays in bed sometimes because he doesn't want to go in timeout. You can try taking away fun things and maybe she'll get that she has to go to bed.

Hi, I don't have that problem but I watch Nanny 911 each week and get lots of tips from that show. Don't know if you are familiar with it. One show she was on, this family had same problem with all the kids, all young ones. Try putting all the kids to bed and for that one, put the child to bed, and do not say a word, then sit on the floor. Each the child gets up, put the child back to bed, still not saying a word and sit again...do that for as long as you can until the child gets the message and goes to sleep. Repeat the next night. After a while it will work and the child will go to bed no problem. It will take patience but do nto give up. It will work. Good luck.

Do as Armywifey said and give her some warm chicken or turkey and a warm glass of milk or peanut butter. Keep your routine, turn OFF the t.v it won't hurt you to miss a few minutes of program. Read her a story in her room with her in bed, tell her goodnight and shut the light off. Tell her if she get's up she is going to have to be punished, take away a privilage, desert or special toy. She can only have it restored if she starts going to bed and staying there. Put on some soothing music relaxing type, lullibies or soothing.

this does happen mostly to all moms and dads.one has to be patient and try to go on making efforts to see that the kid sleeps early in night.try to give the kid some more physical exercise and perhaps it may improve.or else, tell the stories of good children always sleep early,or finally try to bribe the kid by telling that if he sleeps early for the whole week,he will get us some toy and then, give him that toy if he is found doing what was asked from him.such ways may work.

try reading him a bedtime stories. it could make him relax and sleep well. also, do a little prayer with him before going to bed.

but i am not a dad.lolz