How should you deal with toddler being awake for 2 hours in the middle of the night?!

[HariboFrenzy]

Have a 15 month old and this seems to be his latest non sleeping trick. I've tried keeping him in the bedroom and repeatedly lieing him down. I've tried calpol and a feed plus a bottle of warm milk. None of these really seem to work. He just goes back to sleep when he's ready, usually 2-2.5 hours later. On top of this he then wakes for the day really early. So last night he went to bed at 7.30. woke at 11.10. I gave him a quick feed (breastfeed) and he went straight back off. He then woke at 2.20 until 4.15. He is up for the day at 6.20.

I don't know what to do!

He has been ill last week, just finished antibiotics. His top canines have just broken through. He is due a review of the dosage of his omeprazole that he is on for reflux, but need to see the GP for this.

Help!

I know that's not helpful but I feel your pain.

We bring them into our bed, sit them in the middle with some random stuff to mess with off our bedside tables and doze. It's probably not the best way to deal with it but dc is quiet and I'm horizontal so I figure that's the best anyone can hope for!

DD1 did it quite a lot, dd2 tends to do the waking every hour rather than the solid block but she's done it a few times. My favourite time being the night I got in at 1am, she then woke up until 3.30

Is he settled or crying!? I'd try to just sssshhhhhhh him back to sleep from my bed if he wakes and makes a few gurgle noises but it doesn't help much if he's crying.
Best to try not to pick them
Up too much if possible. Just s thought but could he be cold or hot!?

We just got into bed with him. Every night for 8 long months until he stopped doing it.

All I can say is the my DD went through a phase of this, as did several of my friends babies at roughly the same age and they all stopped by around 18months. Nothing worked for us- couldn't leave her in cot as we are in a tiny mid terrace with thin walls. We would bring her into bed and generally she would thrash around. So in the end we gave her books etc to look at and took turns distracting her.

My DS did this for a little while; he was happy in his cot, not complaining or calling for me, so I just left him to it! Stopped doing it after a few weeks. I think it's just a developmental thing.

Alternatively, could be time to reduce naps.

We had this with our DD, and we found it was normally linked to a development phase - so she would do this for a couple of weeks then stop. Tiring her out completely, really properly exhausting her (and us) during the day seemed to reduce it a bit. DH and I used to deal with it on alternate nights - we always kept her in her bed, we would lie on the floor tried to shush, minimise chat/engaging with her etc

We hired a sleep consultant and they said key is to keep reiterating that it's bedtime, so no playtime, don't take them downstairs, keep laying them back down (in your bed or cot), use part of your nighttime routine (eg a bottle/story/song), and hope that eventually they get so bored they go back to sleep.

It did help, but the biggest change actually came when we started relaxing at home more - I think before I'd been over stimulating him with lots of classes and activities. We had to cut back anyway (because I got pregnant and was exhausted!) so spent a lot more time playing quietly, reading, and just chilling out at home and he started sleeping much better. Might be worth thinking about his daily schedule and whether it's too busy?

We had the same at that age! We put a camping mattress on the floor of the room, plus pillows and blanket. DC1 point blank refused to sleep in our bed, but would lie quietly if we were in the room. We just snuggled in and ignored any shenanigans, except to say "time to sleep, bedtime. Shhh". At least with a makeshift bed, we were warm and comfortable and sometimes dozed off in there, so we were managing to get at least some sleep!

Based on issues friends and family have had since, I would try to avoid bringing them into your bed if you possibly can, though I can definitely understand the temptation!

Thanks for replies.

He only has one nap, so can't be that. His days are not particularly crazy so don't think it's that either. Trying to wear him out more could be an option, it's just hard when you're already exhausted!

Pottering really, really hope that this doesn't go on for 8 months . Don't know how anyone goes on to have dc2...

Its unfortunately normal. We had it for....gosh...6 months at least. It's a blur. But it started at an earlier age - about 11 months. We were unlucky! Had pretty much stopped by 18/19 months.

Always awake for 2 hrs. Not distressed, just awake. But demanded we were in the room. We tried to be hardcore and just go in and shush and go out, but found we were getting more tired doing that dozens of times. It was easier to just stay in the room as at least then he was chilled out and quiet.

We out a comfy chair in there with a warm blanket and waited it out in the dark. Made sure we got some sleep before 2am.

He outgrew it in time but it was a grim period. It's just developmental so there's little you can do, tbh.

Same here, but it's been going on for nearly a year now so watching with interest!

We've done what previous posters suggest - leave her while she's happy and quietish, playing with toys but go into camp bed in her room when she's not. Not ideal but everyone gets some sleep that way.