DS 18months, waking around 3 am wanting to play

[smk84]

My lovely little boy decides around once each week that he wants to wake in the night and play. We are very grateful that it's only about once a week (he is normally a very good sleeper) ! When he wakes we leave him to settle, but he just builds up to crying more and more. When we go in to try to settle him, he is wide awake ! We have also tried going to settle him as soon as we hear him, but he still wakes up fully. He will stay awake for around 2.5 - 3 hours. I've been reading about this being a developmental phase (cos he's got so much going on in his brain!) but just wondering if anyone has any tips for getting him back to sleep sooner ??!!

My DS did the same at around 20 months, he would sing songs mainly .

If he just ends up hollering whatever you do (my DD sometimes does the same, screams the house down until I appear then looks like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth) then maybe just try and make the re-settling really boring and he might go off the idea soon.

I just posted elsewhere about this. Take a read of this: 18 Month sleep regression