21 month old has started waking up in the night!

[SH27]

Hello,

My 21 month old has started waking up 2 or 3 times in the night. It started about 6 weeks ago.

He goes down really well and is happy to go to bed. But then wakes up around 11 or 12 in a right state. We settle him back down and then he is really restless for the rest of the night, waking around 3am and then wants to get up around 5.30am!

We finally let him come in with us around 5.30 - 6 and he dozes with us for an hour.

He has a dummy, so this may be the problem with it coming out. But he wakes up really crying, so wondered if he is having nightmares or if he too young for them?

Any thoughts or advise or similar experiences would be gratefully received, as we are exhausted!

Many thanks.

SH27

Did you ever get any advice on your question? I am currently going through the same thing with my daughter right now...She still has her paci at night as well, but even when she has it with her she still cries and screams when she wakes up between 11 and 12.

Is it the cold?

I've put DS into much warmer PJs and he sleeps much better.

Unfortunately its not due to being cold or hot...we are still having 90-100 degree weather here, and I make sure to keep it comfortable in the house at all times. I'm just hoping its a phase, since she is only 21 months but I'm just not sure and wanted to see if anyone else was having the same issue. We have also been dealing with lots of angry tantrums as of late as well...she always wakes up angry even when she does sleep through the night and from naps, its frustrating since she does not like to be comforted but also screams when I leave her alone. Please tell me it will get better.

I would say try and wean them off dummies and what is happening is another developmental stage - them having nightmares or night terrors. Way to deal with - cuddle/reassurance and putting them back to sleep or controlled crying to break that cycle, but only if it persists for many nights in a row. If it only happens now and again, then it is just bad dreams and not a habit.
Best

Thanks for your replies...We have tried weening her from her paci but she got sooo angry that she started banging her head (one of the lovely things she does when tantruming) so hard it left a huge bruise and I am not willing to have her harm herself like that, so I am waiting a little longer for her to give it up. She knows that she cannot have it unless she is going to bed and when she wants out of her room she willingly gives it to me, so I'm not too concerned with that issue. As far as sleep we have been able to get her to go to bed with little protest now but she is still getting up between 3 and 3:30 every morning crying for me. I also discovered she had contracted Strep for the 4th time, explains some of the headbanging and sleep disruption. But until I know she is better I will keep soothing her back to sleep when she wakes at 3. Oh, one more thing she refuses to sleep in a crib now and just wants in her toddler bed so to keep her in her room we put a gate up and leave her door open...seems to be helping her not feel so alone when going to bed.

Ours started doing exactly the same thing at 15mo, and its still happened now at 17mo. I'm losing it a bit now as am 6 months pregnant and need some sleep, which is hard enough to get with a bump and no toddler!

I thought it was teeth at first, then hunger, then nightmares. Now am beginning to think it may be the cot so am considering proper bed for her. Am going to try being a bit more strict first, rather than going straight to co-sleeping when she wakes up. If that doesn't work, will try changing from grobag to duvet and then a big bed.

I think its asserting their independence really, but no advice until I've cracked it, I'm afraid!

My 20 month old has just started tantrums. She wakes in the middle of the night having one and do not know what is causing it. the health visitor said it could be her teeth because she is teething but this is happening every night now! She has a tantrum for about 20 mins and she fell asleep having one last night ... then woke again at 1am having another. I tried Calpol etc but isnt doing the trick if it is teething. It really is making me and my husband stressed but think we will just have to put up with it untill it passes . she doesnt like being touched or comforted during these tantrums so have to leave her to cry it out!

We are having a similar problem with and 18month. Doesn't wake up every night though. Tends to wake up after she has spent the day at nursery, but is waking other times too. Can't work out what the problem is and am starting to go cranky.

My dd (27mths) wakes once in the night and a hug will usually get her back off to sleep. Working mum however tends to fall asleep next to her and wonders if she is creating a huge prob???

Think they wake for all sorts of probs-2-3 times must be hard thoughX

My 20-month-old has been doing this off and on for the past 3 months: waking once or twice in the night, screaming her head off (but not 'asleep' as in night terrors she's actually standing in her cotbed and is very aware of when I or her dad come in). She has generally been a pretty reliable sleeper, except when teething, so this feels like such a step back. We have tried all kinds of things, the gamut from laying down with her (but usually she gets so excited that she'll lay awake and fidget and talk for hours) to not going in even once and letting her holler it out. I can't say any of these solutions is perfect, but overall the cry-it-out method seems to work the quickest. Twenty minutes and usually she is back asleep, and moreover in subsequent nights she won't wake-n-holler at all, or if so just for 5 minutes. Still, it's really frightening the way she can scream I can't believe it doesn't just incinerate her vocal cords! It's a difficult stage all right, this stuff at night, frustration and tantrums during the day. I'm eight months pregnant and find myself counting the hours until her nap/bedtime!

Not sure if there is more recent discussion on Toddler Sleep Problems, but hopefully anyone who is searching in vain for some help might come across this post.

Our newborn arrived 5 weeks ago and we already hv a fabulous 2yo, who has slept from 7pm - 7am pretty consistenly since 4mths (thanks to Jo Tantums Baby Secrets Book), until new baby arrived and 2yo decided not to want to go to bed, waking 4/5/6 times a night & not settling unless someone was with her. So luckily my husband & I formed a tag team and followed a Supernanny style of remedial action (I can see why sleep deprivation is a form of torture now!!). But we sat by side of 2yo bed holding hand for 1st 3 or 4 nights then sat next to bed for 3/4 nights, then moved to sitting in corner of room - prob 10 nights, then sitting outside room for a week (doing the same in middle of night aswell) and finally last week, came downstairs after regular routine of milk & story, only having to go back once to put her to bed. And now only waking once if at all during night for a quick cuddle & back to bed. So my advice on knowing what worked for us (but I'm sure not for all), keep calm, carry on routine, stay positive, you will get them back to bed even though it feels like forever, esp in middle of night. (we did try cry it out but bless her she cried for 2hrs and broke my heart by calling names of everyone she knew to go to her, so it was not the right solution for us, she needed reassurance and love to get her back to sleep). Good luck x