20 month wakes and won't go back to sleep!

[ganda1]

Hi all, our 20 months old has started waking in the middle of the night and won't go back to sleep! A few nights it's been 4:30/5am but last night it was 2:30 and he wouldn't go back to sleep at all- even with us in with him, he would lie in his cot but not sleep, and if we left him he would constantly cry and not give in. He's wide awake and asking to go downstairs. What do I do? Thanks :)

When you add in with him, what are you doing?

If you had a bed or mattress in there, you could sleep in there if needed, but without 'fussing'. Your attention might be stopping baby relax into sleep, but baby still wants you there rather than being alone.

If you are able to sleep in there, you could just hold hands or just ignore him, and go to sleep yourself.

We just lie next to him, my poor husband was on the floor with his pillow. He did a bit of gentle shushing to try and calm him but didn't work.

We both work full time and I'm pregnant with our second, so we're tired already, without this adding to it, we will be zombies soon!!

Could you buy a single mattress and some proper bedding for your DH on the floor? So that he can get some proper sleep.

Bear in mind that in time you will need a single mattress any way. Your DS will go into a single bed in the future. So buying a good quality single mattress for your DH to sleep on is not a waste, it will be used long term.

Have you tried rubbing bonjela on his gums when he wakes. My dd (also 20 months) was doing this and I thought I'd give it a go and it worked so assume she's getting mild teething pain, not enough to scream about but enough to wake her and send her into silly mode