Anyone else's toddler waking up once/twice a night?

mommytobe87 · November 2012

I am really not sure what has happened but in the last several weeks it's like clockwork - DS is up at pretty much exactly 3/4 a.m. every single night. He will cry out/whine and usually you can go in and calm him and even give his paci and he will settle back down. He is in a toddler bed though so there are several instances where he will get out of bed and show up in our room where he will get really upset if we make him get back into his own bed and not ours. I am just at a loss at what is even causing this random waking to begin with....anyone else experienced this? I just feel like at nearly 2 years-old this should pretty much be over by now I would think.

mamainseptember · November 2012

I'm not in the same situation, because DS has never really STTN. He didn't STTN until he was 15 months old and from then until now there is always 2 or 3 nights a week where he wakes up. He is also in a big boy bed so he comes into our room when he wakes up. I now put a gate up in his doorway so he can't come in. For the most part if he wakes up now he tries to get out, realizes he can't, gets his teddy bear and goes back to sleep. Last night he was awake for about 20 minutes and started yelling for me so he came and slept in our bed. We rarely do that though, but we were so tired! I don't know why they don't sleep, my DS is 27 months old.

rlyttle · November 2012

He is probably enjoying you coming into his room to soothe him. I would stop going into his room so he knows that he needs to put himself back to sleep. You don't want to create a bad habit.

MTClaire · November 2012

DD1 slept great until we took her out of her crib around 20 mos (when we started potty training). Once she was in her big girl bed and free to get out, she never stayed in bed. She climbed over the baby gate, so we had to put a lock on her door and lock her in until she fell asleep. Then we'd unlock it. Still (she's 2 1/2), sometimes she gets up around 3 or 4 and wakes us up to go potty. She hated us putting back in her bed, and wanted us to sleep with her. But over time, she finally got used to the idea that we weren't going to sleep with her, and she realized she wouldn't be able to get out of her room if she tried.

hologram87 · November 2012

yes! but for us it's nothing new. DD rarely sleeps through the night. I have tried absolutely everything I can think of and have driven myself crazy about why she won't (too hot, too cold, different pajamas, pillow/no pillow, nightlight/no nightlight, early bedtime/late bedtime, etc.) and then then nights that she does (few and far between) I rack my brain about what we might have done differently that day to see if I can find a trend. I'm dreading going to a toddler/big girl bed as I know that it will be difficult. I do go in when she cries out because it's usually a quick fix. needs her blanket readjusted or can't find her kitty. I would like to think that she will outgrow this soon. This is part of the reason DH and I are debating on having a second baby because our first one is such a bad sleeper. If we have an infant I won't get any sleep! haha

So, I wish I had some advice for you! Hopefully it's just a phase and your son will sleep through the night again soon!

shootingstars00 · November 2012

Yep we have been having problems with the middle of the night. It is because she doesn't nap well sometimes. It is rough!

TiffanyBerry · November 2012

At 2.5, DD has never STTN. My neighbors' five year olds haven't either. They get up at some point most mornings to go sleep with mommy and daddy. I think some of it is dreams, some of it is just really liking to not be away from mommy and daddy for so long.

Are you (the whole family) otherwise well rested?