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Parenting

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Original poster

2 Year old waking at night - HELP!!!!!!!!!

19 replies

sausagebear · 19/02/2010 08:48

Hi.

My son was 2 in December and has always slept really well. For the past few weeks, he has been waking a lot each night. He starts screaming and I go in and settle him down, without talking much and leave the room, but this doesn't seem to be working. He doesn't want to be picked up - if I pick him up he points back to his cot. When I go in he's lying down - not trying to get out or anything. Sometimes he will settle, but had a bad night last night. He woke at 10.30, 11.30 and 12.30, each time settling quickly. He then woke at 1.30 and didn't settle until 3.45, then woke again at 5 and again at 6!

I think I have a good bedtime routine and he goes to bed ok - I just have to go to him once when he's been put to bed. When he wakes in the morning, he used to babble to himself and be happy to stay in his cot until I came into him to get him up. But now he just screams and wants to get up!

Please help if you have any ideas, hints or tips - I'm sooo tired!!!!

Thanks
xxx

OP posts:

dingledangle · 19/02/2010 08:56

Hi sausagebear. My son behaves in a very similar way to yours. He goes to bed ok both for his nap and at night time, However, he wakes two sometimes three times per night and needs some reassurance to then go back to sleep. I have posted on here several times and have had a few suggestions but nothing that seems to work.

My son will be 2 in March and started this back in Sept. I know this does not answer your question but at least you know it may be a developmental phase and that there are others out there who experience the same!

My only advice would be stick with your approach, say as little as possible when you go in to see him. If he gets out of bed put him back in.

It is exhausting but I am sure it will pass in time. Good luck!

Loopymumsy · 19/02/2010 08:58

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Original poster

sausagebear · 19/02/2010 09:01

Thanks - Its good to know I'm not alone!! I have thought about turning his cot bed into a bed - but worry he will then be up during the night when he wakes. If i go in and take him out of his cot in the morning, he will happily play until its time for me to get up.

Should I put himin a bed now?????

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meep · 19/02/2010 09:07

My dd1 did this - but it did coincide with me being pregnant.

However, she stopped once I got her a duvet instead of a grobag. Not sure if she was just naturally coming out of the phase or whether it was the duvet that did the trick?

Oh and dd1 is 2.8yo and still in her cot....

Loopymumsy · 19/02/2010 09:17

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Original poster

sausagebear · 19/02/2010 15:29

He has had a duvet since Christmas and usually loves snuggling down into it.

Have bought a night light today, so hoping that might help!! May try taking sides off cot if things don't improve.

OP posts:

dingledangle · 20/02/2010 10:27

Good luck. As you can see from all the posts each child is quite different!!!

Our little boy is in his bed with a duvet but does not get out at all. I find this amazing as he is soooo active the rest of the time. Our first child did get out.

As long as you are sure he is warm and comfortable it makes no difference if in bed or cot. We moved our children in to beds earlier than usual because they are both tall and started to climb out!

milkandcookies · 20/02/2010 22:42

my DD2 does exactly the same thing, but when she wakes up she wants to eat ot drink, when i make it she doesnt want it, she will be awake between 1-3 hours in the middle of the night. the sleepless nights are wearing me down, she will go bk to sleep at 4 then still wake up 7-8am.

LooL00 · 22/02/2010 09:52

teeth? dd woke every night until she had all 20 teeth and now we don't hear from her fromm 7 til 7. she got the teeth by the time she was 3.

Original poster

sausagebear · 22/02/2010 19:31

Thanks - had another bad night last night! I'm thinking it could be back teeth, as he was always restless when teething before. I also think it could be hunger, but he's eaten really well today, so we'll see if tonight is any better!!

milkandcookies - I know how you feel - it's so hard being deprived of sleep, and then having to get up and go to work makes it even harder - at least when they're waking up when they're babies, you don't have to work!!!!

Thanks again - it really helps. xx

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Loopymumsy · 23/02/2010 05:46

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hairymelons · 23/02/2010 06:41

20mo DS has been waking loads at night recently. I've been blaming it on the fact I work long hours but you lot have made me think maybe it's just a developmental phase.
Our tactic has been to resettle him in his cot when we could bear it, and bring him in with us when too tired to face it. Perhaps not the best solution but it's all we can manage.
Last night, however, he went to bed at 7.30pm and hasn't yet stirred! I was awake at 5am of course, not being accustomed to uninterrupted sleep. Have had a lovely breakfast ALL BY MYSELF and am enjoying the opportunity to mumsnet a bit!
An extra supper just before bed and baby paracetamol for the teething might help. Otherwise, no good advice from me, sorry. Lots of sympathy though.

hairymelons · 23/02/2010 06:42

kidsdontsleep · 23/02/2010 07:54

Well I give my DD porridge before bed, she still wakes up saying shes hungry, or just crying, I have to get up and sit on the sofa with her.

I get her back to sleep then she wakes up again within the hour, for her breakfast just she had a bowl of porridge and a bowl of weetos

Is there anything more filling to eat at night?

hairymelons · 23/02/2010 08:36

Apparently protein takes longer to digest than carbohydrates so plenty of protein at dinner then maybe a porridge/ weetabix/ toast type snack just before bed?

Original poster

sausagebear · 23/02/2010 18:38

Had a better night last night, so maybe hunger is the cause!!! He still woke at 5.00 but I just left him to cry to see if that stops him. I did check on him every so often but he was just cross not to be getting up!!

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suzc · 02/02/2011 14:33

Thank goodness am not alone. My son is also 2 in March and has not been sleeping since xmas. Thought it was the holidays visiting people and friends, sleeping in same room etc. finally got him out of the waking for 3 nights for him to get a cold, and then he got used to me going into him. Have changed him from grow bag, which he didn't want, into toddler duvet. The gro bag company do a great one for the cot bed and I have moved the bar down to the lowest level so it just stops him from falling out- he hasn't attempted to get out on his own . Last Friday and sat he slept through. We were away and my mum was babysitting. I thought we had cracked it.
We came back Sunday and he's now waking again! ARRRGHGHH. Yes no sleep and getting up for work is hell. Where are the days of the beautiful gurgling when he woke up ? Am going to try more weetabix before bed or put some in his bedtime milk.

You are not alone.

suzc · 03/02/2011 09:21

last night he slept through! 20.15-7.30 I fed him later. Dinner at 7.15/7.30 bed at 20.15. Am going to keep a diary too to see if there are any trends.

pookamoo · 03/02/2011 09:52

Just had a thought- could he be too hot?

We changed my DD to a duvet in November when she was 2, and she started waking a lot in the night. Then I realised she was too hot, and I stopped putting a vest under her PJs which made it much better. She also has a drink in her cot in the night (leak proof beaker) which has helped a lot.

(Although saying that she was up in the night last night a couple of times)

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