How do i get my 5 year old to sleep all nite by himself?

Question

he slept by himself from the time he was born to 2 years but for some reason shortly after that in the middle of the night he started coming in our room to sleep. we have tried everytt hing, we have changed his room from diego to planets and solar system, to tanks and humvees, animals everything, we put a nite lite in with him, he watches cartoons just so he will fall asleep without us in there. please help

Answer 1

we had the same problem. you have to be firm with them and tell them they have to sleep in their own bed. if anything, tell them you will sleep on their floor in their room for a half an hour but dont give in beyond that.

they get the picture after awhile.

Answer 2

First of all, turn off the TV and take it out of his room.  TV only serves to stimulate the brain, and no child that young needs a TV in their room.  Use books to lull your child to sleep, not television.

Establish a nighttime routine and stick to it.  Bath, teethbrushing, using the toilet, getting into pajamas, and then tucked in for some stories.  We read our son 2-3 stories each night (depending on the length) if he has been cooperative and hasn't dawdled over bedtime.  If he dawdles, he only gets one story.

If your son comes into your room in the middle of the night, gently walk or carry him back to his own room, tuck him in, kiss him good night, and tell him to stay in his own bed.

Has he mentioned being frightened of something in the middle of the night?

Answer 3

Get grouchy! When he comes in the room, hog the bed, complain that there's no room, and kick him out.  My sons tried that only once after getting their new room, and it worked for me!

Answer 4

I had this problem with my son who is now 7 and we delt with it by rewarding him for each night he slept by him self. For instance on the first night we went to micky d's and then on the next night we went to the park and so on. It help out alot for my husband and I to have some alone time.

Answer 5

Stop letting him run the bedtime show.  He does this because he knows that you allow it.  Offer him incentives for staying in his room all night and if he gets up in the middle of the night, remind him that he will lose the incentive.  This is also common in children who has parents that smother them throughout the day.  He may have anxiety about sleeping in his room all night because you are not there minute by minute.  I would think about those two possibilities and see which works.  I have also heard that making a floor bed and slowly phasing that out can work too.