2-1/2-Year-old Wakes up in the Middle of the Night

My advice would be pat his back and sing him a few songs. I would also suggest that maybe since the weather has been cooler that he is not as sleepy as he was when it was warm outside, because he may not be as active.Maybe he is sensitive to a chang in his enviornment.

Have you tried having him in bed with you? it's not so bad, really, he surely won't be in there when he's 12! Time passes so quickly, and these nurturing opportunities vanish like smoke. poof. Good luck!

my son was doing the same thing at 2.5 so after a week I thought it just might be a habbit. What I did was changed his bedtime routine, got rid of his night light because I thought maybe it was too bright and that was waking him up all the way. That night when he woke up I didn't even get out of bed I just told him to go back to bed and he did. It was for him just a habbit that came out of all the sympathy I had given him one night when he had a nightmare. Now when he wakes at night he doesn't even get out of bed he'll just yell "Mom" and I'll say "yes I'm here go back to bed" and most of the time he will. After he does that a few nights in a row I end up having to buy new clothes and shoes, so he must be having growing pains or something.

My granddaughter's pediatrician recommended giving her Benedryl, too at around 2, I think. She does have allergies. She's been tested. But I sometimes give her the Benedryl when she sleeps over at my house even tho it's not obvious that the allergies are bothering her. I do this because I have allergies and often wake up in the middle of the night congested. I've read that pollen comes out at night after it's not been so strongly out in the evening. And the benedryl may help her sleep. Sometimes, tho, I think she gets more "hyper"

I also have a 3 yo grandson. My granddaughter is now 6. They both get a sippy cup of water to take to bed with them. I think their mother started this when the granddaughter would wake up thirsty in the middle of the night. This way she can take a drink and go back to sleep. I keep a glass of water by my bed for the same reason. I wake up thirsty sometimes too.

A.,
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I have three kids, 4, 5, and 7. I think all kids go through this, anyway mine all have. I started leaving a few books on the night stand. Sometimes my youngest will wake up, and come in to our room. I'll give her a kiss, and tell her to go lay back down and look at a book. You could tell him that if he wakes up early, to lay in bed and "read" until it's time to get up.

Oh, this is my worst hang up; my weakness. I'm the kind of mom who will give their baby, toddler, child, a little bottle (apx. 1-2 ounces) of water or milk, and then lay down next to them to fall asleep and snuggle while they sip themselves back to sleep again. And then, we just lay there sleeping for a while until my hip starts to hurt because the toddler mattress is too firm. I have even crawled into the crib -with all my children for a little snooze.

I have absolutely no good advice on this subject! I'm just too sleepy to try anymore.

Sometimes, my tricks work... and sometimes they don't. We just don't make any sense these days.

My longest running trick is to give them a sippy cup or bottle of water (1-2 ounces), lay them back down in the bed, say in a quiet and sweet voice, "Lay down and go ni-night," and walk away as they sip and doze off. But, then after a while, things change. Baby will then cry as soon as I walk away or throw the bottle down. She'll only sip it if I'm cuddling her in the crib/bed or rocking her as she sips. I seem to have babies that need to nurse themselves to sleep. Big suckers, but no passifiers.

I cave big time for these silly routines. But, I do think it's pretty common.

They have me wrapped around their finger (or cry). Even 15 minutes into the nap, if they detect that I'm not there - they wake up. I just bounce back and forth between the two all night long. I never know who's bed I'm going to wake up in by morning.

My only advice, if you'll take some from me at this point: the problem may be teething, they might need tylenol through the night, he might even have an ear or sinus infection that you are not aware of.

And here's the scary advice: Benedryl (only 1/2 the recommended dose). Both of my kids have allergies. The doctor recommended Benedryl-D because of the sinus medication in it. I use Clariton most often, but if we are having sleeping problems (like waking up every 2 hours through the night), I have (rarely) switched off of the Clariton to the Benedryl by night just because it has the side effect of drowsiness. My doctor even said, "if they are having sinus problems by all means, go ahead and use the Benedryl and if the sinus problems are interrupting their sleep, you get that benefit as well. It's better to give them a little extra rest than, end up with a sinus/ear infection." Hey, he said it. Then, we talked further about it being a little help as far as getting them out of a bad wake-up habbit after a stint of sickness, where I've been extra compassionate and attentive through the night.

Sorry, about that advice. I admit that I've done it, but, I do feel a little guilty afterward for liking the long naps so much.

And for those of you who might freak out about the Benedryl issue, because of the horror stories about babysitters and parents who overdose their chilren on it, killing them. Well, that's not the kind of use I'm talking about. I only used it on my daughter at night after using it during the day, several times, during really, really, bad allergy seasons. All kids have different reactions to the medicine. It's important to see how the child does on it during the day so you can watch over them (breathing/respitory) for unusual side effects.

Also, my little guy went through cancer treatment from 15 months old to two years old. He was given Benedryl for all kinds of reasons while in treatment. The most common use was to calm him down before hooking him up for a chemo treatment, other meds, blood transfusions, and medical procedures. We became very familiar with the 5ml purple Benedryl IV, or dispenser. They also had me use it at home on him. Both him and I became very comfortable with a very frequent use of the drug. So, I only share my opinion and advice based on such confidence in how it effects my children... and a lot of experience with them.

Maybe, my doctor's advice to me, will shed some light for you as well. And I apologize in advance if I've missed the mark completely.

Baby Whipped,

YM - I need to go take a nap before I get any more loose lipped.

Has there been a recent change where he is getting less time with mom or dad during the day? When my newborn came along my three year old started waking up in early hours when he normally would have slept. He requested everything from food, water, to sleep in our bed and also just to be held. We were able to get this behavior to stop by adding more "him time" to the bed time routine. An extra story before bed and devoting extra time for activities in the day. Once we added extra time during the day I was able to put him back to bed without much protest and he shortly there after stopped waking up in the middle of the night. I hope that helps.

I am one that tends to get up with my kids too... but I don't want to sound harsh at all... if you keep getting up with him he will keep waking up. Have you tried just seeing if he will go back to sleep? When my son would wake up and if it didn't seem like he was going to go back to sleep I would go in and see what he needed... rub his back and tell him that it is still night time. Good luck... sorry if I was harsh but it is worth a shot. Kids get used to waking up if they know that mom or dad will be coming in to see them.

B.

feed him if he is hungrey, sleep with him in his bed or yours til he goes to sleep.

2-1/2 years is still pretty young. We have children to take care of them, not to cast them off as soon as they are out of the womb. If your child says he needs you, there is a reason. If he asks for reassurement, he needs it for some reason even if we don't know exactly why. Our children are only little once in their lives, there is nothing wrong helping our children feel safe and secure, even if it is in the middle of the night. Children also go through phases that last a while.
There may be reasons also like stress or phisical discomfort...etc. Maybe you can figure out if there is a problem to fix. Look up nightwaking possibly on the dr. sears website.

Is he cutting molars? I discovered the molars really messed with my dd's sleep cycle.

When I give motrin before bed, she slept through the whole night.

My daughter went through this phase and I believe that Mommy has a better day if she gets her sleep, so I don't encourage sleeping in my bed (even though they are little, they take up half the bed!). When my daughter would stand at my side of the bed, I would tell her to go get her blanket and pillow and lay on the floor. Pretty soon she just stopped coming in our room.
As we transition from summer to fall and the mornings are cool, sometimes she will come in with cold hands and feet. I do pull her in bed with me because she is cold and I need to warm her up.
I am also a firm believer that once you start saying it is "okay to come in my bed" it will take you tenfold that much more time to break them of that habit. Generally speaking, it will take about 4 days but he is getting sleep and you are getting sleep and he is near you.
I saw some other posts about molars, allergies and changes in family life, these could be factors too. I went through the phase of giving my daughter a sippy cup with milk. But I have to go downstairs, get a sippy, fill it up and take it back. Again, if you don't encourage it, they won't make it a habit. Good luck!
D.

I too am a mom who will go in and give my daugher (22 months) some milk and tell her to go back to sleep. I'll just redo the night time ritual of singing and reading a book. But she has to be screaming really hard for me to go in. If she is just whining I make her cry herself back to sleep. After she has been sick and used to me being with her at night I have to let her cry to teach her that I come in only if she is sick, and it is a special circumstance.

Another idea is having a set bedtime. (Maybe you already do, but just incase.....) Both my kids sleep better when they are on a good routine with naps and bedtime at the same time each day. If they stay up too late they sleep alot worse.

Good luck. Sleep deprivation is miserable!