Toddler frequent wake ups

[oustedbymymate]

Please help me I'm at my wits end. My nearly 3 year old is waking constantly throughout the night. He used to sleep very well. We took the side of the cot off due to climbing out and it all went to shit.

He now wakes anywhere between 1-4 times a night. Each time we have to get up settle him and then try and get back to sleep and the broken sleep is killing me. I also have another DC.

We have a night light. He is out of nappies since Jan but still has accidents. He wakes often in the night for a wee. He will go straight back to sleep after. He still has a dummy but I'm intending it to go next week.

Please. What else can I try? I can't just ignore him as he comes into my room and stands at my bed and screams and will wake other DC up.

I just want 6 hours unbroken sleep. That's all I need!!

Does he have a potty in his room and some water in a non-spill cup? I found these two things helped massively.

Do you think putting him into a bed with a bed guard might help too?

Potty is in the room. He can get up and go on it but insists on us standing and watching do rather than just going he comes into our room screams at us until we stand there and he has a wee.

We have bed guard on too.

We also have water in spill proof cup

Also to add we are trying to cut the nap. I have asked nursery to allow no more than 45 mins. At home we try and not have it at all but he gets to about 4.30/5pm and is unbearable

It sounds as though you’re going a lot of positive things then. The No Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers & Preschoolers should help.

Is he eating enough in the day? My DF had a DD who was a similar age and the HV suggested that instead of giving 3 meals plus snacks she give 5 to 6 small meals so breakfast was things like cheese on toast with some cut up cherry tomatoes, mid morning snack was a sandwich.

This is a useful guide to check whether they’re getting enough goid and it’s covering the nutrients they need.

Do Pre-school have any concerns about him at all? Is he playing with the other DC, staying dry and following instructions there?

And I think them being foul from later afternoon is just a given when you drop the nap unfortunately, it does take a while for them to adjust

Nursery have no concerns. He's very happy sociable and does as he is asked there!

I think it might be the nap, you need to battle through that bad couple of hours and do a 6pm bedtime. It will only be bad for a week or so and then you might get your whole nights sleep back.

We’ve cut the nap and removed the dummy and it’s worse than ever. Can you die from sleep deprivation?

Can you got back to using nappies at night? Feels really young to be dry at night. Maybe it's just a step too far for him.

My 3.5 year old still had nappies at night, he's usually dry until the morning but I don't want to be waking in the night or at 5am for him to wee. He's not got the maturity to do that reliably on his own.

If he can't go without you watching then maybe it is just causing him too much anxiety.

He point blank refused to have a nappy on. We have tried this. We have tried pull ups too. He just screams and pulls it off

Well, this isn't much help really but it probably is just a phase/sleep regression - lots of big changes for him, no cot, potty training, dummy going.

Try the kids night time rescue remedy, or you can mix a little chamomile tea in to his milk if he has any before bed. It's like the cycle just needs to be broken.

Also, obviously have no idea what you're doing already or if your other child is older or younger, but I do find that suddenly at this age they start needing to expend A LOT more energy, especially boys. Try having a mad hour before bed if possible?