Can anyone shed any light on why my 2 year old is suddenly waking in the night asking for food?

[raisingrrrl]

My ds is just 2 and has been waking for the past couple of nights asking for cereal and "nanas". Last night I found him halfway down the stairs at half 2 in the morning and he was extremely upset when I put him back in bed - and would then only sleep cuddled right up to dh.

He has a big tea at nursery at around 4 and then dinner with us at half 6 ish, so it's not that he's not eating enough before bed. I only night weaned him off the breast about 5 months ago, so it's possible that he's missing that. Or it's possible that he's feeling unsettled because his new baby sibling is imminent (I'm 8 months pg) but what the hell do I do? Should I just give him some food when he wakes up asking for it - or would that be rewarding the waking up?

He did eat 2 bowls of cereal and a whole piece of toast when he got up this morning, so he obviously is hungry - but I don't see how I can feed him more before bedtime?

Am seriously at my wits' end - I can't be dealing with this plus a newborn and I need to get this sorted as soon as I can.

COuld you try just giving him a little drink and settling him back down - it shound like he's maybe looking for comfort?

It's tricky as you don't want him to get into a habit with a new baby on the way.

I tried giving him a drink of water but he wasn't having any of it.

It's so frustrating - he was sleeping really well until this started. He's never been a good sleeper - I think he got into the habit of nursing to sleep when he was very young and I never stopped it (until v recently) - he's only been settling himself to sleep for a few months and is still in our room, although in his own bed.

What time does he go to bed? Could you try giving him say a cracker at bedtime and say that it's his supper and now he won't need anything else in the night... Big boys sleep all night long and have a big breakfast....

COuld you / DH be waking him with snoring() or other noises

I think dh's snoring is an issue, tbh, as ds sleeps next to him. But he has been sleeping well for the past couple of months, so I don't know what's all of a sudden changed IYSWIM.

I might try giving him a bowl of porridge just before bed, for those slow-release carbs to keep him filled up all night!

Just realised I didn't actually answer your question - he goes to bed around 7-7:30.

My DS is 4 and always wants a snack at night ie in the half hour or so between being put to bed and going to sleep he frequently says he's hungry and wants food.
I think I shall try the 'last snack before bed' approach as well. DS is tall and skinny and very active, so maybe he just needs more food.

SGB - my ds is very tall, skinny and active too.

Ds does this sometimes. I think it's partly waking up disorientated and thinking it's morning = cereal (or specifically "bix") and partly waking up and wanting something he likes. Last night it was apple juice.

He's usually happy with a drink of water although if he's woken up particularly disorientated or upset he comes into bed with us for a while. I've never felt that he was actually hungry on these occasions.

OK our problem is not the same... DS has tea, then bath, drink etc then goes to bed - but for about the past month or so he has really not been settling for ages and then about half an hour in will start asking for food. I have been trying to refuse, saying he's had enough to eat and it's bed time, but he gets quite distressed and sometimes says 'Just a piece of bread, just a piece of bread' (which makes me feel like Horrid Orphanage Governess) - and when I bring him something it gets devoured in seconds flat, then after another clean of his teeth, he always settles.
How can I get him to eat enough at the proper time without giving him (and me) a miserable night where he's genuinely hungry?

SGB - we had a much better night last night, ds had a couple of biscuits and bananas before dinnertime, when we had a proper dinner (pasta), then I gave him a bowl of porridge after bathtime, which seemed to fill him up until about half 7 this morning when he started asking for his breakfast.

Having said that, I was watching "Too Fat To Toddle" on ITV2 last night (I know, I know!) and I'm getting really worried that ds is going to be heading for childhood obesity! Not that he's remotely fat at the moment, but it wouldn't be motherhood if we didn't worry needlessly, would it?

When I was a kid, I used to NEED feeding every hour or so....not a huge amount, just little and often. I was a constant snacker. I'd have a main meal then be munching on something a half hour later. I'd always have a big bowl of cornflakes before going to bed.

I think some kids just have really fast metabolisms. My parents used to be quite tough and curtail my snacking but I used to just get extremely grumpy. When I got to 8 or 10 years old, they relented and would give me a snack if I complained that I was "starviiiiiing!" Surprise, surprise, they suddenly had a far more cheery son on their hands!

Oh...and I was built like a racing snake for my whole childhood no matter how much I ate.

Sounds like the bowl of porridge or whatever last thing is doing the trick.

We had this and we introduced supper...despite sometimes it only being an hour after tea and pudding, he would eat 2 weetabix and a banana, or banana with custard. Feed him supper...he is obviously needing more.