UGH...Forced to Co-Sleep!

Usually, I'm writing to share advice or I'm reflecting on things that happen in the world, my community or in my family. Today, I'm screaming for help! I'm being forced to co-sleep and don't know what to do.


Our so-to-be three year old never had a problem sleeping. He has always been a willing nap-taker and went to bed around the same time every night with a story and a gentle tuck in. Within the last six months things have changed.


He tries to 'hang with the big boys' fighting bedtime until we are at the point of forcing him into his room. He wakes up anywhere between midnight and 3 a.m. (hence the reason I'm up at 4:18 a.m. blogging) banging on his door, kicking and screaming and yelling for mommy and daddy. In the past, I've tried the ‘stare-down’ method of coaxing him back to sleep. This is when I stand in the doorway with arms crossed and I stare at him. He will usually play peak-a-boo with the covers, leading me to laugh at his cute antics after which time I compose myself and resume my angry stare. Eventually, he'll get tired of playing and trying to out-stare me and fall off to sleep.                                  

My husband has tried the 'angry walk down the hall' method, in which he storms down the hallway yelling to the top of his lungs "Josh...Go to bed, you don't want me to come in there!". Most of the time this works and Josh will cry himself back to sleep.


Here lately, for the sake of others sleeping in the house, we've resolved to leave his door cracked so that when he does wake up in the middle of the night he can come into our room and climb in the bed with us.  However, this is definitely a problem. Last night he 'cover-bullied' his 6'7 father and demanded that he move over and stop snatching the covers. He also spends about 10 minutes getting comfortable, going back and forth between my husband’s arms and mine, playing with our ears and whispering. 


I am tired of waking up with feet in my face, drool on my pillow and the vapors from his hot little body sucking up the cool air in our room. Tonight, I tried a different tactic (which isn't going to last either) co-sleeping with him. After a few bouts of screaming he made his way down the hall and got into our bed. I laid there and watched as he fell back to sleep, at which time I picked him up and returned him to his own bed. As soon as his little head touched the pillow he began to scream "No mommy no!" I went back to my room and got a blanket and pillow and return to Josh's room to sleep on the floor.


I want to break his disruptive sleep habits during the summer so that we can have smooth sailing when our house shuts down at 9:00 p.m. during the school years.


If you've got some answers in box me! In the meantime, I'm off to Wal-Mart to buy ear plugs and a new lock for my bedroom door!