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avatarJenni
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How do I get my child to sleep in new home?

We just moved into a new place and my son wont sleep in his bed. He stays up all hours of night and cries thinking I will give in and let him sleep in my room. I need some help

Question applies to ages: 8

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avatarJenny.eduguide
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Top 5 in: Discipline, Families and Relationships, Family Activities, Financial Aid for College, Growth and Development, Health and Wellness, Parenting Support, Parents and Schools, School Policy and Education Issues, Study Skills and Academics, Transitions and Readiness, Study Skills and Academic StrategiesTop 5 in 12 Topics		 I think the trick is to make him feel as "at home" as possible. The sooner things are put away and he realizes you are getting settled in and here to stay, the easier it should be for him to encourage himself to do the same. Make his room as lived-in looking as possible and let him help. The more time he wants to spend in there, the easier it will be for him to sleep in it at night.

And finally, and most importantly, do not give in. If you continue to gently encourage him to stay in his bed, he eventually will...but every time you allow him to crawl into bed with you, it tells him that if he cries long enough you'll let him do the same again the next night. Just stay strong, do the best you can to make him feel comfortable, and know that sooner or later he'll accept that his bed is where he sleeps.
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avatarJudy
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Bullying and Violence # of Thumbs Up Received (2)		 Just how much different is his new room? Maybe he needs some familiar items from the old room.

You don't say how old your son is, but it is developmentally appropriate for young children to have difficulty with change.

My youngest child was an excellent sleeper - from the time he was tiny. When he was about 2.5 we decided to move him out of his crib, but we already knew he didn't deal well with change in his sleep routine. We moved his crib to the opposite side of the room so we could place a toddler bed where he was used to sleeping.

Not only did he refuse to sleep in the toddler bed, but he refused to lie down in his crib. He screamed for quite some time before his older brother insisted that he wanted us to move the crib back to its original position. So we did. He lay down immediately and went to sleep.

This may not be a power struggle so much as a crisis in development. Your son may literally be unable to center himself in his new space. He will learn to do so, but the more familiar you can make it, the sooner he is likely to adjust. If you've completely redecorated as is common with a move to a new house, see if you can find some familiar sheets, pillows, etc to make it more like his old room. Once he adjusts to that, you can complete the switch.

I do agree with the previous post that letting him sleep in your room will not solve this. You need to get him into a bedtime routine in his new room. I would try to make it as similar to his old routine as is possible in the new accommodations.

References:
Mother of 3
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