Toddler wake ups happen for a variety of reasons, but how do you get to the bottom of them and most importantly, how do you tackle them?

WHY IS MY TODDLER WAKING AT NIGHT?
There can be a variety of reasons that toddlers wake at night. Some night wakes are one offs due to illness or a disturbance, others can be more regular and sometimes multiple wakes throughout the night on a regualr basis. Where as one off wakes or wakes due to a period of illness aren't usually a cause for concern, if your toddler is repeatedly waking at night and / or waking multiple times there is usually an underlying reason for this.
FINDING OUT WHY
Firstly getting to the route cause of the wake ups is the biggest step to tackling and overcoming them. So what are the main causes for toddler wake ups?
Naps / Day time sleep
If the balance of day and night sleep isn't quite right, i.e. they're napping for prolonged periods during the day and waking at night or very early in the morning, this could be a sign that their nap needs adjusting, whether that means shortening, moving time or dropping the nap completely.
Check out my blog on naps and when it is time to drop a nap for a more indepth look at naps.
SLEEP ENVIRONMENT
Is their sleep environment conducive to good sleep? Are they sleeping in dark (no night light), quiet or wtih white noise room? Is their room free of clutter and toys? Is their bedroom set up to be a place of rest, not a play room?
BOUNDARIES
Does your toddler have clear boundaries that they understand and you also adhere to? If boundaries aren't set, or if they are constantly moved, toddlers learn that they can push them and that you may not laways follow through consistently.
WHAT TO DO
Address the issues laid out above. Evaluate their day time sleep and whether it could potenitally need adjusting. Remember if naps or shortened or dropped, bed times may need bringing forwards slightly to compensate.
Consider their sleep environment and make changes if necessary. If they're getting out of bed and playing with toys, remove toys from their bedroom or put them out of reach. Remove all screens minimum of one hour before bed time. Screens have a huge impact on sleep, even once they've fallen asleep it can cause frequent wakes
Set clear boundaries so that your toddler understands what you expect from them at bed time or if they wake at night. If the wakes are behavioural, consider using a sticker reward chart to help them visually gain rewards for staying in bed over night. If you set a boundary, i.e. you don't want them to get into bed with you part way through the night, stick to this consistently. As soon as you allow what you've told them they're not to do, they understand this boundary is flimsy and they can ouhs it. It can lead to them becoming confused and to when they're allowed to do something and when they are not. If they are in a bed and continue to get out of bed, simply return them to bed and explain they must stay in bed, if they get back out, simply continue to return them to bed with as little communication as possible. This may take many attempts but persevere.
Consistency is key regardless of whether the problem is their sleep balance, environment or behavioural. It is also important that toddlers may wake for all sorts of reasons, and if they are waking infrequently for things like illness, bad dreams, or something as simple as they've dropped a teddy out of bed, respond as you normally would and put them back to bed. One off and infrequent wakes aren't usually a cause for concern.
NEED HELP?
Working out your baby or child's sleep needs can be daunting and it can also cause worry that you may disrupt them or make their sleep more unbalanced that it currently is.
This is where working with a professional can help you look at your little one's current schedule, the issues you're facing and where they are in their development and whats going on in their home life and help you to build a schedule that works for your individual.
Help!
If you would like more help with your child's sleep I can help create a tailor made plan for your family based on your individual needs. Explore my packages for something that suit you
Comments