2yo waking 3-4 times in night

[HenriettaTurkey]

Just that really. Our DS turned 2 a couple of months ago. He used to sleep through 4 or 5 nights a week, and wake once every now and then.

For the last month he has been waking up to 4-5 times a night and we don't know why! Strangely, this seems to happen less when we sleep at other people's houses, but I don't know if that's a coincidence.

He still needs to hold one of our hands to go to sleep, and lately has been VERY focussed on DH, and can work himself up into a real state if I try to put him to bed.

Also, I am 7 weeks PG, and have horrible morning sickness, that I am trying to prevent from turning into HG like last time, so DH does all the night time waking duties.

He doesn't nap, unless we go out in the car, when he will fall asleep, and he tends to fall asleep 8.30-9.00 and will get up at 8am.

Any advice? We are knackered...

What is his room like? Eg is there a black out blind? Is he in a bed or a cot? Does he have a duvet or a sleeping bag? Is there a night light?

What does he do when he wakes? Whimper or scream?

Does he say anything?

Gosh, that reads like a cross examination! Sorry!

Just think a bit more info is needed to try and help.

He sleeps in a cot, with a sleeping bag, no night light, black out blinds.

He sobs when he wakes and calls for daddy.

Bedtime routine is: bath, story and milk, teeth, cot, hand, sleep.

We used to have relaxing music during the story but it seemed to distract him.

We are trying to introduce a comfort blanket but he's not that bothered, has never had an attachment to a cuddly toy - they're in his cot but he throws them out when annoyed.

Although he'd take his cars and trains in if he could!!

Two things occur to me from my experiences:

a/ this is about the age fear manifested in my DD including a mild fear of the dark. I bought the Gro Clock when she was coming up to two to help with early waking but it is also a nice, soft night light.

My DN took a child's torch to bed at a similar age and that helped her sleep more soundly.

b/ is your DH/P around much? My DH has fairly significant work commitments abroad and sadly this results in night wakings with specific requests for 'Daddy'. Friends with similarly absent partners tend to find the same.... Anxiety about a parent who is forced to spend significant time away surfaces in the night.

Repeated chats about when Daddy will be back and why he has gone help with this.

Presumably you've checked he isn't getting too hot as summer approaches?

Thanks, Pasta. You might be on to something with the light - it is very dark. Maybe we should invest in a nightlight/glo clock or similar.

Re: daddy - this is because DH is sahd and does most of the night time duties. He's a massive daddy's boy - even more so lately.

Will talk to DH about light and see what he thinks.

Thinking about it, the times he slept through at others houses they didn't have blackout blinds. He struggled to nod off, but then slept through.

Tonight I'll raise them when he's asleep and just leave the normal curtains closed.

Personally I'd stick with the blinds but try a light. I think you are in danger of early waking without the blind in the summer. Night lights are a special sort of light that want reset his body clock to think it is morning.

I would put him in a bed. More room and if he needs you he can get out and come to you instead, have a cuddle and get put back when asleep again.

DD is similar in age. She was waking at around 10 then 1 then 2 then 5. Properly awake and not happy. I agree with the poster who mentioned fear- we fixed the situation by putting her in a bed with the bedroom door opened and she slept through from the first night with maybe one wake up. I think she felt trapped and lonely in her cot.
Not suggesting you need to do that but it did help us. Only draw back is that she can wander through to our room and last week managed to climb into our bed without waking me up. No idea when she got in but was sleeping on DH's pillow when I woke up!

Hmm, yes. It is a cotbed so wouldn't be too tricky to transfer - just need to get a duvet/pillow set.

Good suggestion, thank you!

Plus once he is used to a duvet and a pillow he can learn to control his own temperature which I think helps toddlers sleep.

You can always start him in a bed with his gro bag. That's what I did with DD. I made the bed up with a duvet and pillow and just waited until she said she wanted to use them rather than her bag.

Dd is 22 months and had never slept through. Still wanted boob 5+ times a night.

Until I put her in a bed. She now sleeps through pretty muchl most nights

...I'm spotting a theme here

...unless you have a son like mine! Slept through from about ten months until he went into a bed at 2.2. Since then wakes between 1-4 times a night, never gets out of bed but either cries until we go in, or shouts for someone to tuck him in, find his dummy, pull his pyjama legs down, etc!

Also have a ten week old baby now who I'm EBF so DH deals with the older one and I the baby... Unless he works away and I have the pleasure of them both!!