Top
Exhausted and Confused?   Yes! I need help and more sleep.
Exhausted and Confused?   Yes! I need help and more sleep.
Exhausted and Confused?   Yes! I need help and more sleep.

No products in the cart.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Aliva says

    I am really facing very difficulties with my two little kids as they don’t want to sleep at night. It has become a common phenomena in every night. But now I am feeling so much relieved after reading your article. Hopefully these tips will work for my toddlers as well. Thanks a lot for sharing.

    • Janelle Reid says

      @Aliva, thank you for writing to us. I am sorry you are struggling but I do hope the tips in the article help! If you need anything else, please feel free to contact us directly anytime at [email protected]. Hang in there!

  2. Crystal says

    Any ideas what could be going on with kiddos who wake for literally hours on end at night but aren’t upset? I have twins who have been doing this forever (they’re currently 20 months but this has been going on since their first birthday). This happened when they took two naps and still now that they’re on one. It doesn’t seem to matter what time they go to bed, how much daytime sleep they got, what time they woke up that day, etc. They don’t wake on the same nights or at the same time so I know they aren’t waking each other up. One does it quite infrequently, the other is much more consistently (like 4+ times per week). They don’t cry or complain and I only know they’ve woken because I check the camera footage in the morning and see them sitting and babbling. Restless leg syndrome is mentioned in this article. Could that cause something like this? I’m at such a loss.

    • Danielle says

      Hi Crystal,
      Thank you for your comment! I’m sorry to hear you’re dealing with this night insomnia. Although there are certainly a few babies who need less sleep than the average for their age, and thus are awake more, more often we see a problem with the schedule or the bedroom environment. It would be hard to know without seeing a sleep and feeding log for them. If you suspect any kind of medical issue, it would be worth it to check in with their pediatrician, as you’re right: something like restless leg or a food allergy can cause sleep disturbances as well. I hope this helps – good luck!

      • Crystal says

        We have sound machines and black out curtains in their room. There isn’t much I can do about their nap time as that’s set by daycare (1-2:45pm). They’re in their cribs from 8/8:15pm to 6:45/7am due to when I have to get them up and ready for daycare but they generally don’t falls asleep until 8:30/9:00. We tried an earlier bedtime for 2.5 weeks and that didn’t cut the nighttime wakings, only created a new problem of 4am wake ups on nights they actually slept through the night.

      • Danielle says

        Hi Crystal,
        Thanks for writing back! It sounds like your daycare naptime is pretty late, so I’m not surprised they’re naturally falling asleep late at bedtime 🙁 Without being able to adjust the nap, or moving the morning wake time later to compensate, it doesn’t sound like there’s an easy fix to this issue. They may be dealing with sleep associations on top of the scheduling trouble too, I suppose. Is there anyway to talk to daycare about moving naptime earlier? I can’t believe you’re the only family dealing with a late bedtime because of their late naptime!

  3. Jennifer says

    My 3 1/2 year has all of a sudden stopped taking naps, cold turkey, there has been no transition. She has also stopped sleeping through the night. She wakes up in the early hours of 3AM crying out for mommy and wanting to get in our bed. She used to be a wonderful sleeper but now I’m worried because she may not be getting enough sleep! Her previoud nap would usually last around 2 hours. What is going on??

    • Danielle says

      Hi Jennifer,
      Thanks for visiting The Baby Sleep Site – I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble with your preschooler’s sleep! With any sudden sleep concern, we always recommend checking in with the pediatrician, just in case you’re dealing with an ear infection or other medical issue that is affecting sleep. If your daughter is healthy, it may be she’s just ready to drop the nap – 3 is a very common age to stop napping. You might like to read our article on dropping the nap to see if she’s ready, here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/toddlers/toddler-done-napping-3-signs/
      I hope this helps – good luck!

  4. Arial says

    My 2yr old was great at sleeping! He would fuss a little maybe for 15 min when I first put him down but then once asleep he would sleep for 12 hoours at a time sometimes! Then he got sick. We had to stay in the hospital for 4 days and he got use to me sleeping in the bed with him and nurses running to his aid at 3 in the morning waking him for breathing treatments. Now we are home and he is all better but will wake up 4 or 5 times a night screaming and bashing around for 45 min at a time. He cried and screamed for 2 hours straight the other night! The doctor simply shrugged and said it’s night terrors and sent me out the door but i really get the feeling it’s not because i can tell him to stop and sometimes he will. My mother stayed with us when we got back and would also run in the room at pick him up and rock him the moment she heard him move but he was use to just crying a few minutes and falling back asleep now he screams for hours. Shouuld I try sleep training again? I’d it night terrors? I’m so tired and at a loss it’s exhausting.

    • Janelle Reid says

      @Arial, Thank you for writing to us. I am so sorry that your son had to be hospitalized for a few days. I am glad to hear he is home now and you are all doing better. That can certainly cause reason for disruption in sleep. It doesn’t really sound like night terrors to me if you are able to talk to him, but here is an article series about them so you can read through and determine if this is familiar or not: https://www.babysleepsite.com/night-terrors-nightmares/baby-toddler-night-terrors-nightmares-series/
      Here is another article about toddler night wakings and there are also some other helpful links at the end of the article: https://www.babysleepsite.com/toddlers/toddler-night-waking/
      Additionally, with toddlers it will be about setting limits and being consistent with him. Here is a link to help: https://www.babysleepsite.com/toddlers/limit-setting-toddler/
      I think developing a plan of how to address the sleep issues during the wakings through your choice of sleep training method would be a good idea and to make sure to follow through and be consistent. I hope things resolve for you quickly! If you need more help, let us know! Thank you for using the Baby Sleep Site as a resource.

  5. Emily DeJeu says

    @ Lacy – sounds like this may be part of the sleep regression that happens around 2 years (you can read more about it here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/toddlers/5-things-about-2-year-old-toddler-sleep/) If she’s normally a decent sleeper, then this is likely just a phase. I’d suggest sticking to your normal routines as much as you can. On days when she screams, you might try going in every __ minutes to give her a quick hug and say ‘Time for sleep!’ in a cheery voice, as a way to let her know that you’re not ignoring her, but that you’re not going to give in, either. I did that with my kids when they went through the 2 year regression, and it helped (at least, it did for me!) And absolutely put her down early on days she misses the nap – good call there.

    You might also try giving her a small choice – maybe put a few books and a toy or 2 in her crib and say, “You don’t have to sleep, you can choose to play quietly” and that way, she may feel like she has a bit of control over what’s happening.

    Hope these suggestions help, Lacy! Keep us posted on what happens. 🙂

  6. Lacy says

    What a timely article as our nearly 22 month old has for the past 3 weeks been very hit or miss on naps. On bad days she screams bloody murder the instant I put her in the crib and continues to stand and scream without any break. This is I spite of doing things the same way and at the same time every day. I’ve tried leaving her for a full hour, I’ve tried going back in and telling her it is time to sleep. One time my husband was able to rock her and she slept in his arms for an hour but she won’t do that with me and it’s not sustainable anyway. We put her down early on the days she doesn’t nap and she typically crashes right away so she is catching up a bit but overall I think she is getting less sleep than she needs. She’s always been a poor daytime sleeper but this seems extreme and certainly too early to give up naps. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

  7. Emily DeJeu says

    @ Frannie — yay! Thanks for this update. SO glad to hear that all is well (for now, anyway), and that you’re back to sleep-filled nights. 🙂

  8. Frannie says

    I wanted to check in, my email is above! My little girl had been waking at night and we were all exhausted. I’m not sure exactly what it was, but I really think it was a combination of development, teething, and changes in her life. She’s one who really shows this in her sleep. After two colds AND a bout with the flu, she seems to be back sleeping through the night. She has night wakings of course, but mostly seems to just sort through it herself. We just kept doing what we had been doing and eventually got through it… until the next big developmental leap/sickness/change!! 🙂

  9. Emily DeJeu says

    @ RaeJean T. — So sorry to hear you and your little girl are struggling with sleep right now! No fun 🙁

    While there’s nothing wrong with a toddler waking up sometimes in the middle of the night and needing a drink, waking 1-4 times EVERY night is definitely excessive. No wonder you’re tired!

    In terms of how to handle this: have you checked out our free toddler guide yet? You can find it here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/toddler-sleep-training-secrets-free-ebook/ That’s a good place to start; it’ll offer some basic guidelines on how to get started with sleep training your toddler.

    If you need more help than the free guide offers, you could always check out our toddler e-book: http://www.toddlersleepswell.com. You could also try a personalized sleep consultation package (https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services/), and have a sleep consultant help you develop a sleep training plan for your daughter.

    Let us know how this develops, RaeJean! And thanks for commenting.

  10. Emily DeJeu says

    @ Maraleze — Sorry to hear you’re going through this. You must be so tired right now, what with being sleep deprived AND pregnant.

    It sounds to me like continuing to sleep with your son isn’t a good solution. I say that because, based on your comment, it sounds like co-sleeping isn’t working for you. And that’s fine!

    In terms of how to get your little guy sleeping on his own — have you checked out our free toddler sleep guide? You can access it here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/toddler-sleep-training-secrets-free-ebook/ That’s a good place to start; it’ll offer some basic guidelines on how to get started with sleep training your toddler.

    If you need more help than the free guide offers, you could always check out our toddler e-book: http://www.toddlersleepswell.com. It’s more comprehensive than the free guide. And of course, you could always purchase a consultation package (https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services/), and have a sleep consultant walk you through the process of teaching your son to sleep in his own bed again.

    Let us know what ends up working out for you, Maraleze! And thanks for commenting 🙂