Help! Pregnant with toddler sleep issues up 5+ times a night

[dontknowtheanswer]

Hey everyone

I'm really hoping someone has dealt with this before my toddler is 2.5 he goes to sleep no problem and self soothes he stays in his bed no problem but the last 3 weeks he has been sitting up in bed and crying for me to lie him down. He knows how to lie back down himself he occasionally does it, but if I ignore him he gets himself into a real state in floods of tears. I'm pregnant and really need my sleep but right now I'm getting up so many times to just lay him back down again I don't understand why he's waking up / sitting up? Does anyone have any tips to help with this? Hes in a toddler bed and part of me thought maybe it's too small? Hes tall for his age. Any advice welcome thanks x

Sounds like he needs reassurance. The cot sides offer a toddler a feeling of security and safety and he could well be missing that. If he's new to a bed, you could consider allowing him back into a cot, it's less scary and 'exposed' for a young toddler.

As for lying him back down - firstly know that you're not really there to lie him back down. You're thete because he's scared on his own. So with regards to lying him back down, don't do it. Instead use reassuring words and have him resettle himself. "It's ok, Mummys here. Snuggle back down for me and mummy will give you a kiss". Give a kiss, say Nan night and leave. Then he doesn't feel the need to create and "excuse" for needing your reassurance.

Next tackle the insecurity itself. A cot may help. Or maybe a bed-tent (same idea of enclosed security for a toddler). He may have developed a fear of the dark (So leave a light on) or a fear of being alone (So leave his door open with a promise you are closeby). He may be scared of monsters in which case not being alone in the dark will help. He may benefit from having a special toy to cuddle.

Thank you @FATEdestiny I had a think about what you posted and I think I know what I'm doing wrong, when I lay him down I do so with my arm under his head and when I didn't do that last night like you suggested, to ask him to lie down without lying him down he said " cuddle mummys arm" and got really upset he couldn't have my arm, so he's obviously using my arm as a comforter. I'm going to try to ask him to cuddle his toy instead and not use my arm anymore. He likes the room dark and he also loves monsters he's not scared easily so I think it must be me with my arm and that's what he's wanting whenever he sits up
Thanks for the advice

Honestly, your job right now at night is to be pregnant and grow your baby, as you need your rest. Your parents job is to deal with your toddler in the night. At the very least you should be sharing it, but as your burden is greater than his, he should be doing most if not all of it, for it to be even vaguely even.

Your partner's job, not your parents;

Thanks @Weallliveinamonkeysubmarine that would be nice! At the moment I do overnight then he has our toddler in the morning and I get extra sleep then I definitely thought my toddler would be sleeping through by now!