Toddler not sleeping!

[KylieB7]

Hello!

I’m hoping somebody might be able to give a bit of advice. My nearly three year old (in September) has always been a good sleeper but has been waking up in the middle of the night and crying/wanting attention for about a month now. It started when he had a fever so I kept looking after him in the night, but now he isn’t poorly anymore but it’s like he has discovered that he can get attention in the night since then. We also have a six month old and I’m wondering if that might be adding to it aswell as the baby is getting bigger and more able so needs more attention and it could be a jealousy thing. Any advice would be massively appreciated! Between him getting up (often from 11pm - 3am) and the baby needing feeds through the night, I’m lucky to get two hours sleep a night at the minute and it’s like torture!

Thank you xxx

At around this age you start to make the change from "baby who needs pitch black and no light to sleep well" to "toddler who can get scared in the dark and wants some light to sleep well"

It could be that when he has a shuffle round in bed in the night, that he realises that it's dark and he is alone and that bothers him. So he calls for you. Making it not dark is an easy fix, either a night light or add a dimmer switch to the overhead light, or a lamp. The other thing is to help him feel safe and protected when he's a bit scared. A special teddy or comforter may help with this, the idea that he cuddles it when he needs that extra bit of comfort.

@FATEdestiny

At around this age you start to make the change from "baby who needs pitch black and no light to sleep well" to "toddler who can get scared in the dark and wants some light to sleep well"

It could be that when he has a shuffle round in bed in the night, that he realises that it's dark and he is alone and that bothers him. So he calls for you. Making it not dark is an easy fix, either a night light or add a dimmer switch to the overhead light, or a lamp. The other thing is to help him feel safe and protected when he's a bit scared. A special teddy or comforter may help with this, the idea that he cuddles it when he needs that extra bit of comfort.

I second this. My 2yr old was the same a couple of weeks ago. I put some glow in the dark stickers on her ceiling which helped, if she woke up in the night, they're a source of comfort for her and I woke up to her singing twinkle twinkle little star instead of screaming from being scared!