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Ds waking and wanting cuddles all night

3 replies

helips · 17/12/2009 12:19

Since having dd 6 weeks ago ds (2.3) has started waking at all times in the night wanting to be cuddled back to sleep. He is in a bed so can get up whenever he wants and come into our room demanding cuddles. The thing is, me and dh cuddle him but then once he is asleep and we go to leave his room he wakes up crying for more cuddles.

We have tried bringing him into bed with us but he just kicks and squirms about and we don't get any sleep. I mentioned it to my health visitor and she suggested putting a stairgate on ds door so that he can't get into our room and to just keep putting him back to bed. I have done this for the past 2 nights and it has been horrible. He has woken at 3am both nights and cried and called out to us. I keep putting him back in bed but he gets right back up again, even before I've had time to shut the gate! Both nights he has not gone back to sleep at all and we are both shattered (dd incidently sleeps like a dream!)

So, what do I do? Keep doing what I'm doing or go back to cuddling which means I at least get some sleep when he eventually drops off? I just feel like I need to nip this in the bud but don't know how. Help!

OP posts:
whomovedmychocolate · 17/12/2009 22:33

This will pass. When you have a second child the first one always goes through something like this. Please don't worry, it will pass.

Putting him back to bed without comment - continually - will solve this and if you can give him lots of extra reassurance during the day it will get better

But regression is totally normal at this stage.

helips · 18/12/2009 13:48

Thanks, actually last night was much better. Ds woke at 12.30am and I sent dh in to put him back to bed. He got straight back up but after 10 mins of calling out to us he got back into bed and fell asleep. We've had a lovely morning building snowmen and having snowball fights and lots of cuddles!

OP posts:
PfftTheMagicDragon · 18/12/2009 14:14

I would keep putting him back, reassure him that you are there and that you love him. He is probably feeling unsettled with the arrival of a new baby and wants reassurance.

I would not let him into your bed if he tosses in the night, but I would take the stairgate off. He is not being naughty, he just feels all jumbled up, don't make him feel worse by trapping him. Just gently put him back and put up with it for a few weeks. It will pass.

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