Three-year-old suddenly waking at midnight and staying awake for hours?? Please help!

[T0ddl3rSl33p]

Ds is 3 and a few months. Generally is a brilliant wee sleeper, active during the day and lots of fresh air etc.

This week nothing has changed with his routine but his sleep is suddenly up the left. He usually goes to bed at around 7/7.30pm (earliest I can get him to bed with work) and wakes at around 7.30/8 usually by himself.. he's not napped since he was 1.5.

Now he's going to bed really well as normal but then suddenly waking up at midnight every night and having a really hard time going back to sleep. He's been awake tonight for almost an hour and a half. He's clearly tired but can't wind down, in great form, doesn't want cuddles etc but just unable to sleep. I have a dose so I tried giving calpol just incase he's under the weather too but its made no difference. Room is dark, cosy and quiet. Routine has been the same as always and he was quite happy dozing over.

I'm totally exhausted and not sleeping well with this cold as it is so I'm struggling, have had to use my wfh lunch break for naps I'm so tired. What is happening and how can I make him sleep through the night again??

How tough for you both. You especially, working whilst sleep deprived is rubbish.

Split nights are sometimes caused by to much sleep. It's night be that he's lower sleep needs as he dropped his nap quite quick. Have you tried moving bedtime?

He could be hanging for something and it'll show up in the next couple of days.....

It doesn't seem to really make a difference, he went to bed at 8.15 one of the nights and the same thing happened at the same time, he was awake from 6.30 one morning as well and it was the same like clockwork. He's clearly very tired, lots of yawning, dark under his eyes and very grumpy in the mornings and cranky coming out of nursery so he definitely needs more sleep than what he's getting. He's falling asleep almost immediately when he is first put down. I know I've got this dose from a play date we were on so I feel like that would have shown up for him by now if it was going to as he was definitely more exposed to the other child who had a sniffle than I was. He's happy to lay in bed and I can hear him moving around on the monitor then every now and then I'll get asked a question. Now 2 hours into our midnight wake tonight.

So this is just the last few nights?

It's been the last week.