A Guide to Night Waking Problems

Author: Lizzy Osmond

Author: Lizzy Osmond

Babies and toddlers that were previously great sleepers very often develop night waking issues. You may well have been congratulating yourself on how well your little one sleeps when the problems with night waking begin.

If this has happened to you, your first priority is to establish what the causes of this new behaviour are.

It may be that your child is suffering from night terrors. These usually occur in the first hour of sleep and your child may seem to be terrified but unaware of his surroundings. It may be very hard to wake him up and if you succeed he is unlikely to remember anything. Whilst the situation can be very unsettling, you are best off not trying to wake up your child. Keep him safe and wait for the episode to pass. Very often they will occur at the same time every night. If you are able to predict when they are about to occur, it is often enought wake your child 15 minutes before the usual time of an attack.

Nightmares can also cause your child to wake in the night. Nightmares are different in that they are bad dreams that your child will be able to remember. If your little one has a nightmare, be as comforting as possible. If it helps, you can offer to stay with him until he falls asleep.

Another cause of night waking that is quite common in toddlers is separation anxiety. Even if your little one has never displayed any separation anxiety before, it is likely that there will be certain stages when he does. Quite frequently this may happen at times of uncertainty and change. Examples of this include, a parent going back to work or starting toddler school. It is very important at these times to be gentle, supportive and kind. With a little patience you can expect the phase to pass in no time at all. If your child is distressed, please don't ignore him.

Although it is not obvious, studies have demonstrated that overtiredness can also make a real difference. Make sure that your child is napping enough and goes to bed at an early hour. Charging around the living room just before bedtime is a strong indicator that your child is overtired.

There are just a couple more things that I would like to mention. When your child reaches certain developmental milestones, this will often cause him to resist sleep. For example if he has just started to walk, expect a temporary increase in night wakings. The second point that can make a difference is not having a consistent routine at bedtime. A good routine not only reduces wakings but also improves the quality and duration of sleep.

The key is to be remain consistent and at the same time being supportive and loving. Don't make panicked changes to your usual routine and things will soon get better.

About the Author:

If you are having baby or toddler sleep difficulties, I recommend that you check out Sleep Solutions for Babies and Toddlers.

You will find all the answers you need to solve your little one's worst sleep problems. Sarah's methods are gentle, effective and proven to work. Claim your 100% Free Report at Toddler Sleep Solutions

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