Reclaiming our bed!

I’ve been battling with E to get him to sleep, ever since he was so poorly a couple of weeks ago, he has got into the habit of climbing into our bed in the early hours of the morning, which then got earlier and earlier until the point where he wouldn’t get in his bed at all. To be honest, we were so tired we put up little resistance, preferring some sleep to no sleep, and while I don’t believe we made a mistake in having him co-sleep while he was ill, I realised rapidly this was becoming a bad habit..

We began to try tactics to encourage him into his own bed and more to the point to keep him them, it has been incredibly frustrating and I have found myself making matters so much worse by raising my voice to say the N-O word. Last night however, we had a small breakthrough, after battling for an hour, I decided that it was time to get him to settle himself, there was nothing wrong and he just needed to get used to comforting himself to sleep. I let him cry, I found myself crying quietly to, as I hate hearing him upset, but within 10minutes he was asleep. The downside, he was asleep on the floor..as soon as I picked him up he woke up again…another ten minutes and he was sound asleep..on the floor but this time he had taken his pillow and blanket?! After wondering whether we should move him, we decided to wait until he cried and then we’d move him back into his bed. 

At 3.30am big brother Boo woke up and shouted I need a drink which woke E up, Mr G settled them both back into their beds, E started shrieking..I sighed and wondered what would happen next. After a few minutes shrieking, E started to talk asking “Daddy, I want to come in with you now” we ignored the request and it continued “Daddy, Cat, come here cat..” silence, shrieking “DADDDDDDDDDY!! CAT!! Come here” then silence. We looked at each other as suddenly we heard the familiar pitter patter of E’s feet running across the bedroom, but this time they were heading into his room and towards his bed..  At 7.30am I peered in as he woke up happily in his own bed, and I smiled as we’ve taken the first step towards getting him back into his own bed and reclaiming our bed as our own! I’m expecting another battle tonight, but they always say the first night is the hardest and we’ve done that..wish me luck!