Tips for Tackling Toddler Wake-ups

Think sleep deprivation is limited to parents of newborn babies only? Think again. Sadly, many sleep issues carry on into toddlerhood and beyond. But don’t despair! While the newborn days are hard work, at least we know that the regular wakings for food will be (relatively) short-lived, which means that any wakings beyond needing food can be easily dealt with. Right? Well, usually, yes. But some children take longer to learn the necessity of sleeping through the night, and for some parents, sleepless nights can go on a little longer. And for other parents, a toddler who used to sleep well can suddenly start to wake too. So why does your toddler wake in the night, and what can you do about it? Here are my tips for tackling toddler wake-ups.

Stay calm and focused

It really helps to take a step back to think about the situation. Not always easy when you’re sleep-deprived, back at work, and trying to maintain a house… but essential if you’re going to make some positive changes here. Ask yourself a series of questions.

• Is your toddler waking up a fairly new occurrence?
• Has there been an illness, teething, or other major change- new bed, new sibling, birthday, etc.?

No matter how small they may seem to you, any of these factors can affect a child’s sleeping habits. Talk to your toddler about why they’re waking up and see if they can shed any light on the situation for you.

Assess your toddler’s bedroom/ sleeping area

Where your child sleeps is so important if you want to instill good sleep habits. A safe sleeping space is vital, but so too is an environment that is conducive to sleep. Ask yourself if there is anything different in your toddler’s bedroom? The following checklist is handy:

• Has the temperature dropped?
• Or is it too stuffy?
• Have you had a move around of the furniture, perhaps?
• Does your toddler need a blackout blind to keep the room dim? Look for changes in the surroundings that may be causing disrupted sleep.

Watch what they eat

No doubt you know the links between high sugar foods at bedtime and lack of sleep, but it doesn’t hurt to keep an eye on your child’s diet throughout the entire day if you’re concerned about night wakings. If your child has been eating new foods recently, it might be an idea to keep a diary for a week or see if anything links in with night wakings.

Other points to consider

It goes without saying that being able to assess sleep issues is SO much easier face to face, and this is how I like to work with families who seek my guidance. With that in mind, there can be any number of reasons why your toddler is waking up, including (and not limited to!):

• Separation anxiety: This can happen, especially if there has been a change to circumstances- starting nursery or so on can affect.
• Is your toddler getting enough sleep during the day? Sometimes, lack of daytime naps can cause toddlers to become overtired, resulting in poor nighttime sleep. Take a look at daytime naps and see if improvements can be made.
• Is your toddler getting too much sleep during the day? Perhaps it’s time to cut the naps a little? Sleeping too much during the day can directly affect nighttime sleep, so you might want to take a look at adjusting this too.

If your toddler has been unwell, then you can expect sleep to be a little disturbed, but this regression shouldn’t last too long and is easily resolved (read more here). Go back to your sleep training methods and stay consistent.

If you think that your toddler is old enough, talk to him about why he’s waking and try to agree about when it’s ok to get up. Make sure your bedtime routine is consistent and timely, and make sure you praise your toddler for going to bed well- and staying in bed! Like most phases, sudden night wakings don’t usually last too long, and you should find your toddler sleeping well again soon.