Two year old waking in the night or very rarly

[fruityb]

My son has always slept well at night but I honestly think he’s trying to destroy me this week. He’s waking up at half five to six when he normally goes 7-7 and has done for a long time. He’s also woken at half midnight-1am (he woke up ten minutes ago) and i don’t know what to do. He woke up shouting mummy and crying and when I went in to him to tell him to lie down, which usually works, he’s screaming louder and he clamps himself to me and won’t let go.

I just tried to go in and cuddle him over the cot but not get him out and reassure him that he’s ok and to go back to sleep. He wouldn’t stop screaming but I was trying my best as I don’t want a habit forming. Of course my husband walked in and just lifted him out and took him downstairs over me (which I am not happy about at all) so they’re currently downstairs.

I don’t know why this is happening or what to do. I just know I need it not to as I am a zombie at work at the moment. He just will not resettle and it’s like he’s in a really pissed off mood that he’s awake!! He’s shouting of one of us and then he absolutely won’t lay back down in his cot when we go in. He normally settles really well and he goes to bed at night beautifully without a problem. I just need the night waking to stop as he’s too big to rock to sleep and he’s not going to give in till he’s out of the cot at the moment.

I will be having a word with dh about just undermining me then - if he wants to make a habit of getting him out of bed then he can deal with that one from now on. It’s just breaking me and I don’t know what to do about this. He simply will not go back to sleep and he has NEVER been like this. Sure he’s been a pain at actual bedtime but night waking is not a thing he’s done for a long time - and certainly not as prolonged as this week has been.

if he wants to make a habit of getting him out of bed

Its really unlikely this will form a ‘habit’, your child obviously needs you this week. Could he be poorly or teething? Is it time to think about dropping the nap? There could be various reasons behind it.

I also have a good sleeper who usually can settle herself down again even if she does wake up. Because of that, if she wakes up in the night and cries or shouts for me then I know that she needs something, whether it be a feed, water, nappy change or just comforting for some reason or another. Maybe they've had a nightmare or they're under the weather.

I have worried on numerous occasions that by DD waking up at 4:30 one morning and starting her day that that would be it for ever. It never has been; it's just a short-lived phase.

If your DS wakes up and needs you for some reason and doesn't get the comfort he needs, he's bound to cry.

I think those of us spoiled with good sleepers are always taken by surprise if they have a bad night. We're out of practice in dealing with it (and I include myself in this).

I was very emotional typing that out lol - early starts and night wakings are a shock to my system and I know I should count my blessings but it’s so hard when all you can think is you have a day of work to get through afterwards!!

I know he needs me and I’ve been through - I guess I just felt a bit undermined this morning when dh did that. Turns out he went straight back to sleep downstairs but he didn’t bring him back up so as not to disturb him. Which is fair enough. Ds was in a fab mood this morning and even chased me to give me a kiss when I was leaving his childminder so he made it all better lol.

This too shall pass!