How can we re-establish sleep routines after a long holiday?

Question

Before we went away, my little girl was in a brilliant bed and nap routine. At night I'd get her into her pyjamas after dinner, she'd say 'goodnight', I'd read her a couple of stories and she'd lie down in her cot and go to sleep. At nap time, it was just one book and straight down.

However, while we were on holiday, we were rarely in the same place for more than a couple of days and it was hard to keep up any kind of routine. We also had no cot, so she got used to sleeping with me while my partner camped out on the floor or a nearby sofa!

So now we're home and she just wants to sleep in the 'big bed' with me. Or even without me. She also discovered how to get out of her cot, so we took it down and have put a single bed in her room, which she loves, but will not sleep in!

Any suggestions as to how I can re-establish the previously good sleep routines now??

Answer 1

Keep her awake for as long as you can, a bit more everyday!

Answer 2

Im afraid you have to think about going right back to the begining and start again as you did when she was a baby but adapting it for a toddler. Do all the things you were doing before bath,pjs ,book, bed. My children have music in their rooms and this helps them sleep It won't take long but you might have a few bad nights just try to think of long term!!!!!

Answer 3

My best suggestion would be persistance. Explain to her that your home now, so she has to be a big girl and sleep like she used to. Stick to the bath/book/bed routine - does she have milk? Warm milk before bed should help her get sleepy and just be consistent. When she gets out: First time, just take her back, and explain that it's bedtime so she needs to sleep - in HER bed.

Second time, tell her it's bedtime and take her back.

Third time, just take her, no talking. Keep going, it might take a week or so but you'll soon be back to normal :)

Answer 4

Holidays are great for ruining routines.  Did other routines get unhatched too?  Like meals times, bathroom times, down times?  I would make sure that all the regular routines were back in place first.

Reassure her that you will be taking her on vacation again.  And then she may be able to sleep like she had during your holiday.  But, be firm and gentle, remind her this is her room, that is your room.  Stick to your end of the routines, and she will eventually find her self in her nice new bed.

Answer 5

keep her awake one night (yes-all night!) and then try putting her to be the next night in her own bed, reading to her again. She will probably be so tired she won't care where she is sleeping and get to sleep easily, plus it will give her a chance to go to sleep in her own bed willingly and she will get used to it again, after that first initial night. Trust me though, the whole staying up all night thing really works!

Answer 6

Use guilt!

We had this problem with our daughter after a holiday. We made the bed sort of 'human' and said it was missing her terribly. Every-time she sat on the bed we would say ' aah look she's smiling' and so on....

But then I'm the type of mum who used invisible kittens to get them dressed. I think the stupidity stuns them into compliance, they both stood there stroking invisible kittens whilst I dressed them in 2.2 nanoseconds :-)

Answer 7

just get back to normal