Sleeping Arrangements with a 2.5 year old

[zuzu310]

We are staying at POP with our 2.5 year old son this year. Last year, we shoved the pack n play into the vanity area and pulled the curtain which worked well. I actually snuck out one night to DTD while my DH stayed behind with him in the room and he didn't notice. Well this year, he is too big for a pack n play and sleeps in a twin bed at home. Any parents out there who can calm my worries that my DH and I won't have to sack out early at 8pm every night when he goes to sleep? I am not even sure I can go to sleep that early. What does everyone else do?

 

[corneredbycorn]

I actually snuck out one night to DTD...

I have been on the Babycenter forums for far, far too long.

We are going with our 20 month old in a couple of weeks and we haven't been able to use the Pack-n-Play in ages. I'm still trying to figure this one out.

 

[Chabby]

I have been on the Babycenter forums for far, far too long.

LOL

OP
You can request bedrails and have him sleep in the other bed. He will probably be really tired. You and your DH should be able to watch TV at a low volume.

 

[Woodmnky]

I have been on the Babycenter forums for far, far too long.

We are going with our 20 month old in a couple of weeks and we haven't been able to use the Pack-n-Play in ages. I'm still trying to figure this one out.

 

[GagesMama]

:rofl2: I'm glad mine isn't the only brain that went that direction... lol

I think he should be fine with bedrails. Does he sleep with a sound machine or anything at home? I would definitely use that, if so, next to his bed. Maybe wait until he drifts off before turning the TV on? I know my son (20 Mon) won't fall asleep if there's a TV on in the room.

 

[MSSANDRA]

When ours were really little, they would be so worn out that they would pass out in bed and we could pretty much do whatever and they would not move. With the little one, we take turns going back out at night sometimes after he is asleep and he does not even have a clue!!!!!

 

[msmama]

I tend to pass out when my son does!! He exhausts me!

Other than that, I can use my ipad or read on my kindle.

 

[set1208]

Sharing one hotel room with my kids was always tough. They'd never fall asleep unless we shut the lights out and turned off the tv. Every kids different though. Maybe shut everything off til he falls asleep then turn the tv back on once he's sound asleep.

 

[maxiesmom]

I like the idea of a noise machine. But I would get one now, and give it a few tries before depending on it at WDW. Turn it on, and then make a bit of noise. See how it goes.

Or could you bring along a baby monitor? You and your hubby could go right outside your room and hang out while your little one falls asleep. Then hopefully you could go back in and watch a little tv if you want.

Otherwise, I don't think there is much you can do. Short of trying to get your son to handle a little noise while he sleeps. Start now to do a few things while he is sleeping, get him conditioned to sleeping thru some racket.

 

[Honeybee83]

You can get a travel noisemaker, or if driving bring a small fan to block out some noise. Also, if you are needing to travel light and you have a smartphone there are several Apps that you can find that will turn your phone into a noisemaker. Just make sure it's plugged in to charge while it's in use. If he sleeps in a twin at home then the full size bed at DW will be great, just get the arm rails. You could also request a few extra pillows be brought to your room to help block him in on the bed.

Have a great time!!

 

[wiigirl]

I tend to pass out when my son does!! He exhausts me!

Other than that, I can use my ipad or read on my kindle.

 

[maplevale]

Every family works differently.... we are going in February with our ODD6 and YDD (then 2.5 year old). We went away in May just before she was 2 and have traveled several times since ODD was born.

We don't go back to the room for bedtime unless we REALLY need to. If we want to stay in the parks or the pool or DTD we do. The kids will fall asleep in the stroller or just play (say at the pool). When we are ready for bed, usually all of us are ready! We put the kids in their bed and sometimes one of us lays there and the other watches TV.

Once we have a sleeping little (the big one will just lay there till she is asleep no matter what we are doing) - I usually empty and repack the park bags, hang bathing suits to dry etc.

Worst case scenario we pull a few chairs outside of our room and hang out (POR) and chat.

Seriously though after a day going hard at the parks chasing my 2.5 year old (who doesn't nap anymore) I imagine I will LOVE to go to bed at 8pm!

 

[pikaboo27]

When we stay on property at Disneyland, I just turn on the Disney music channel since DS usually goes to sleep with music on in his room and then once he's asleep, I just lower the volume and change the channel.

 

[corneredbycorn]

We don't go back to the room for bedtime unless we REALLY need to. If we want to stay in the parks or the pool or DTD we do. The kids will fall asleep in the stroller or just play (say at the pool). When we are ready for bed, usually all of us are ready! We put the kids in their bed and sometimes one of us lays there and the other watches TV.

I think this is sort of what our plan is. Stay in the parks or head over to DTD until DD conks out in the carrier, then make our way back to our room. I'm definitely going to use the pajama suggestion I've seen elsewhere to dress her in them at the park, so she will already be in her jammies and I won't wake her up just to change her. We can do a bath in the morning. I put it in a request for bed rails yesterday and I have a white noise app on my iPad ready to go.

 

[proud_canadian]

You may want to consider offsite. You could likely get s 2 bedroom condo for less than staying at pop! And you will likely get a king bed to boot and 2 bathrooms to get ready plus your own laundry and kitchen!

Couldn't imagine a week with the kids in a tiny hotel room with kids!

 

[christygobar]

My mom and I just took DD and stayed in a regular room at POFQ in April - she was about 2.5 at that point. Since it was my mom, we each wanted our own bed and I brought DD's toddler blow-up bed and placed it next to mine.

Honestly, when she went to bed each night, we did too. Probably around 9:30 or so. There were a couple of times we could sneak out to get a drink from the food court to bring back, but that was when she got sick (she got the stomach flu).

Mostly, I read from my Kindle while my mom watched Amazon Prime on her Fire. It was relaxing time for both of us.

 

[WantToGoNow]

I never went back early to put the kids to bed at their regular time - one or the other was 6 mos, turning 1, almost 3, 3.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 on our trips. We stayed out for fireworks, parades, parties, etc. and when they were little, they slept in the stroller. Now at 9 and 12 they can outlast me. Pretty much once we hit the hotel at night we might go for a short swim and then we would all go to sleep.

 

[Ladcassidy]

We follow a strict bedtime schedule. DD5 still naps every day at home. At least until all-day kindergarten starts in two weeks. We prefer to stay in "suite" hotels when we travel or get adjoining rooms. Otherwise, we all end up sitting in total darkness at 8:00 pm. The routine is much the same at Disney -- we choose a 1br villa -- and relax bedtime a little, especially on the night we watch wishes.

 

[zuzu310]

Lots of good suggestions on here. He no longer naps but instead has quiet time for an hour each day which we will do in Disney also. He follows a strict bedtime at home since he doesn't nap. He listens to music every night which we will bring of course. We live in a small house and we have never closed the door on his room at bedtime, so he is used to some light and TV noise because I watch TV at night down the hall. I would keep him out later but he NEVER sleeps in a stroller even the City Mini we have. He never did not even as a baby. He is one of those "don't want to miss a thing" kids.

I do have a Kindle so maybe I will just bring that and read. I am not sure I would trust him in the room by himself if I were to sit outside (maybe next year I could). He can be sneaky. Last year, he was so tired he conked out pretty easily and once he is asleep, he luckily is a pretty heavy sleeper.

 

[disneypolybride2008]

on our travel day with DD 21 months, she barely napped on the plane and managed to stay up until midnight, our flight landed at 9pm and it was that late until we got settled into our hotel room (had to wait awhile for the pack n play to be delivered and set up). She was great and didn't fuss at all. She was also one of those "dont want to miss a thing," kids. She went to bed pretty easily and woke once during the night, but DH said a pat from him and she laid back down (amazed to hear that!). For that trip on a cruise, she did nap for an hour during the day and we were in bed about 8:30pm every night and I was out just after she was. We had to get up early for excursions so I wanted to keep her on an early bedtime if i expected her to happily get up early. For her next trip we didnt need to get up super early, but we did stick to her normal schedule since she stopped napping. She won't nap unless she falls asleep nursing, so she goes without a nap. One day she did sleep on my shoulder at a restaurant. So if she's tired enough, which only happened once during the week, she napped. For Disney, i'm planning on having a late morning if we want to be out late, like for MVMCP. If she doesn't nap then we will head back early. My DH would be online and that doesn't bother her, but i think a tv would. Don't forget that the air conditioners make plenty of noise. I bet since the buses are so quiet and dark going back to the resort from the parks, and a long ride from MK, that she'll fall asleep there... and hopefully not turn into a monster when it is time to get off the bus!

You can rent a toddler bed from A Baby's Best Friend for the week.

Good luck! Have a great time! Our DD will be going in 3 months, and she'll be almost 2 years 4 months.