Toddler sleep training advice needed!

[Aalli79]

Hi all! I’ll try to be brief- I have a 2.5 year old. She cosleeps with my husband and I. We have entered what feels like an inescapable pattern of very late to sleep, very late to rise, and need some advice on how to change this.
She goes to sleep around 12 am!!! Eeeeek and wakes up at 10:30 am. Super embarrassed but yes, this is what happens. Of course, she wants to take late naps and we’ve tried keeping those brief. To no avail. Other really terrible habit is that she watches videoes before bed. This started to get her to brush her teeth and now it’s taken on a life of its own. (I know, it’s crazy).
So, some gentle empathic advice needed on how to , a: decrease screen time before sleep- it’s a big change so I am not sure how to go about it and b: get her wildly out of wack circadian rhythm back to what a toddlers should be- early to bed and early to rise.
Thanks in advance!!!!

 

[Moonstone]

I'm going to start sleep training my soon to be 4 month old so she won't have the same habits your older kiddo will have but I hope some of the advice I've been reading will help you too. Most of all, consistency, patience, and time are going to be the highest contributing factors from what I've read. My manager at work was in the same boat with his oldest son and, while screens weren't a thing when his boy was your daughter's age, the things he remember most about getting his then 3 year old son to sleep alone was a lot of patience and being consistent with the schedule and need to sleep apart.

I think to start is to wake her up when you'd ideally have her wake up. Maybe do it gradually - wake her at 9:30 for a couple days, then 8:30, then 7:30 until your desired time for her to wake up.

I think the same in reverse for night time. Do you have a bed time routine other than screens? Maybe a bath, a snack, and being read a book will be a good substitute for the screen.

Sorry I can't be more help but I hope someone with first hand experience can give you some more ideas!

 

[Jerseyknox]

I do wish I could be free of it though, and of the symptoms it treats so well. I would prefer to use medicines that cure and be done with them, than to be shackled to some drug company's income stream buy modafinil.

Since writing this answer, I read the side effect profile more closely. I was experiencing some eczema on my legs, a periodic annoyance. It turns out that modafinil can do that. I often vary the dose I take from 200 mg to 150 mg.

 

[Alldaydaddy]

I agree with Moonstone. I would start by waking her up early (at least by 7:30). Doing gradually is good too, it's just I'd be to impatient and would rather start right away. By wake her up early, that will only help with her falling asleep sooner in the evening. I think in a short period of time her sleep schedule will be good. I go through a shift every year since my wife is a teacher. The kids get off their schedule once summer comes and once she goes back to school we have to shift their sleep schedule. It usually takes a week for them to get back on track (of course they might have some additional tantrums during that week). Hang in there though you'll get through it.

Alldayparenting.com

 

[mirtya]

Hello everybody! I am new here, and thank you for having me. I have 2 kids, and the hardest thing I had to deal with was to get them sleep. Finaly I fined the solution, I'm sure it's worth to give it a try. That's what helped me a lot: https://bit.ly/2U0FPru