Advice on toddler waking please - struggling!

[Mamacita191]

Morning all

So for 3 weeks my 21 month old has been waking up in the night for 2-4 hours. Sometimes he cries for us, sometimes he chats to himself. The times he cried and wouldn’t settle I suspected teething so gave calpol before bed once and he slept through. So I suspect teething (he has no other illness symptoms). I gave one dose before bed for 7 nights and he slept through every single night. I then stopped and he went back to waking for hours. So I spoke to the pharmacist and said I suspect teething and how often can I give calpol. He said as it’s just one dose before bed I can give it as long as needed there’s no limit as it’s such a small dose. So I’ve started again for a few days and he’s slept through. Last night I didn’t, he woke up for 2 hours in the night. So I gave him some calpol in the night and he fell straight to sleep within 20 mins.

Something is clearly bothering him. I do suspect teeth but I’ve not seen any emerge within these 3 weeks?

I’m struggling loads as I feel bad for keep giving calpol to him, but I’m struggling on the days I don’t and get hardly any sleep. I had to take emergency annual leave from work one night as I got no sleep whatsoever.

Does anyone have any advice at all for a tired concerned mum?

Thank you

Anyone??

Nothing except sympathy! I mean, if he's got some kind of pain or discomfort (teething or something else) and one dose of calpol is helping him sleep through the night, I'd figure it's relieving the discomfort. If you're worried, maybe speak to another pharmacist to get a second opinion, and watch for whatever it is (teeth or something else!) to appear?

Honestly I don’t think giving him calpol every night is the end of the world. Lose the guilt. I think it’s preferable to having a tired grumpy underslept toddler and feeling awful yourself and therefore unable to perform well as a mum.

Our toddler is same age and just went through this stage. We concluded he was having bad dreams, but also we were giving him too much milk in the day time. Long story but he had covid, didn't want to eat...

The milk was filling his tummy in the day time but he was waking up hungry. We cut it down, he started eating well again and now the dreams don't wake him.

Thanks all for your comments

@JennyForeigner I don’t think it’s hunger or anything as he eats well in the day. He actually went off his bedtime bottle of milk the night he started this night waking and has since refused it every night

I personally wouldn’t continue with Calpol every night. Pain wouldn’t just be at night if it was teething. Could be bad dreams etc