WHat time is your DS going to bed? It may be that he is cold or has an empty tummy. My DD goes to bed at 7-7:30 pm every night so when she wakes up at 5 or 6 we cover her up and give her a drink of milk. Could that be the reason?

He could need a drink like the last poster suggested. We have always kept our son's sippy cup in his bed with him so that during the night, if he needs a drink, it's there. Water is good enough to quench his thrist and he goes back to sleep.

What time does your husband get up? Some times our son got in a habit of waking up when it was time for his Dad to get up to go to work. I used to fight him to go back to bed and it didn't help. So sometimes I lay in bed while he watches cartoons or a show he likes on the TV in our room and other times we just get up. It messes his day up but it's no problem since we're home all day together.

The other reason could just be that it's becoming a habit or he's hoping to make it one. If that's the case all you can do is keep putting him back in his bed no matter what. After a few days, he'll get the point.

I APPRECIATE THE INFO. I DOUBT HE WILL DRINK FROM THE CUP IF I PUT IT IN THERE. HIS PASSY IS IN THERE BUT AFTER A FEW MINS. I GO COVER HIM BACK UP AND PUT THE PASSY IN HIS MOUTH. YOU WOULD THINK HE WOULD STOP SPITTING IT OUT. I AM DOING THE 5 MIN WAIT THING, THEN I DO 10 MINS. IT IS TIRING BUT AFTER A FEW MINS HIS CRYING TURNS TO WHINNING. HE IS IN BED BY 8PM. HAVE YOU ALL HAD LUCK WITH NIGHT LIGHTS/???

Do you have a night light? We've always had one because it was easier first off to go in this room and check on him when he was a baby and for feedings if you didn't have to turn on lights and cause all that comotion. Shane's now got to this point where he says he's scared of the dark. So we had to move the light closer to him. He's 2 1/2 and he told us some wild story about a big baby bear in his bedroom at night! LOL

Maybe he isn't interested in the pacifier anymore and it's not comforting. Does he have a blanket or stuffed animal or something he loves and clings to? Shane had his blankies at about 1 when he chose these two as his favorite. He sleeps with them every night now and has since then.

Is he in a crib or a bed? If he's in a bed, when did you switch? Sometimes they really try you with the bed and it comes in spurts it seems. If that's the case, you just have to continue to be consistant and tell him it's bed time and you're going to bed and he's staying in his.

Could he be going to bed too early? Maybe he's getting too much sleep during the day? Or his body clock is just not working with the 8pm bed time. Shane has always been a night owl and his bed time is 11pm. He then sleeps until about 9am and takes a 2 hour nap in the afternoon around 2pm. That's just the schedule he fell into and it's been working. I stay home with him so we have no reason that he has to be up in the morning and the later bedtime works with us. We usually go to bed around the same time.

Hope you figure something out! Good luck.

~Leslie~

First of all lose the damn pacifier. HE still has it as a result of you being lazy. All they do is screw up their jaws and teeth. They are really not necessary after the first 4-6 months. Soon he will be 3-4 wearing that rediculous clothing that has a connector for he pacifier. IT jsut drives me banana's to see kids older than 1 with those things. ANyhow, do not let him get in the habit of coming into your bed. YOU WILL BE SORRY.. My son tried that for about 2 weeks straight when he was about 18 mos. We ended up putting a baby gate at his door. He would get pissed and cry and scream but the entire episode was over and done with within a weeks time. HE quickly learned that he was not coming in no matter what he did. Sounds cold but its extremely effective!!!! Good luck

I never had patience with trying to let ds cry it out. I have to get up to go to work in the morning so I didn't ever feel flexible enough to go through with it. This was just a fluke I'm sure, but what happened to us was our bed was getting too small for the family. I got rid of my queen size bed when dh and I married 3 years ago so dh, ds, the cat, and me and my pregnant belly were all sleeping in a double bed. DH and I finally decided that if we were all going to sleep in the same bed, we better upgrade to a queen. We put our double in ds's room for guests. DS was immediately excited about the bed. He loves it. He has decided that he has the good bed and doesn't want anything to do with my husband and I in our new bed. We did this back in October when ds was 18 months. So far no complaints. His bed is so special that he shows it to guests. It's off limits to mama unless it's bed time and then he and I cuddle until he falls asleep.

I'm not suggesting that you get him a new bed, but you might see if there is something of yours that he likes and can only have in his bed. We left our old sheets and comforter with the old bed. We would have bought ds new ones, but he thinks his are great. I'm not going to change a good thing. I've heard some kids like mama's soft nightgown, shirts, etc. You might try letting him sleep with something of yours.

Oh, that made me think~maybe you could buy him new sheets, a pillow, blanket, comforter or something in his favortie color or with a character on it he likes for the bed. It may get him all excited about sleeping in his bed because he helped pick it or got something he really likes.

~Leslie~

Joe`s got it RIGHT! Joe...you should write a book on raising children..you`re better than Dr. Spock..Giving in to bad behavior gets you MORE bad behavior!!

jennifer, we have the same problem with our son at that same age. It really started about 13 months however at 15 months we tried the Ferber method and after 2 1/2 weeks of doing this it paid off. We put him down at 8:30pm and he will sleep until 6am - 7:30am without problems. Granted there have been days were he will wake up with night terrors and such, however nothing like before.

I really which we would have done it befre 15 months.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dr. Ferber Method