A toddler can still wake up at night because he does not yet have a good day and night rhythm and because he is hungry, for example. This can no longer be the case with a toddler. The day and night rhythm should be well developed. And during the day he gets solid food, which he should be able to sleep on all night. But there are plenty of toddlers who don’t sleep through the night and wake up a few times. As a parent you can get very tired of this. Why can a toddler wake up at night and what can you do to help him sleep through the night?
Causes of not sleeping well
On average, a toddler should sleep for about eleven hours straight at night. A toddler is now more developed and should generally no longer wake up to get a feed or because his rhythm is not right. There are other reasons why a toddler does not sleep well. This can cause the following inconveniences:
Your toddler is getting teeth and molars
If your toddler or toddler drools and chews a lot during the day, he or she is probably growing teeth. This can be very painful, causing your toddler to wake up at night. In principle, there is not much you can do about this as a parent. You can buy special ointments or a teething ring, but it will not relieve the pain much . Once the tooth has come through, your toddler will sleep through the night again.
Your toddler is hungry or thirsty
You may have to get out at night because your toddler indicates that he is hungry. Don’t give in to this, your toddler shouldn’t eat at night. Give him at most a sip of water and then let him continue to sleep.
Your toddler has scary dreams
A toddler or toddler gains many new impressions during the day. This can cause him to have scary dreams at night, resulting in your toddler no longer sleeping through the night. If your child wakes up during the night, it is okay to comfort him, but don’t let it take too long. He needs to know he’s supposed to sleep. If your toddler has a period when he wakes up every night, make sure that he goes to bed relaxed.
Fear of staying asleep
When your child gets older, he may suddenly find it scary to go to bed. It’s completely dark and he’s all alone. A night light can help, as can a nice hug. A fixed bed ritual can also ensure that a safer situation is created for the child. Make sure that your child does not sleep hyper or anxiously, as this increases the risk of more anxiety in the future.
Not wanting to sleep and staying awake for no reason
Some toddlers wake up during the night for no real reason. If nothing is wrong, your toddler should actually fall asleep again on their own, but not all toddlers can do this. They want their father or mother or they even want to get out of bed. Never give in to this. Once your toddler realizes that he can get out of bed if he whines long enough, he will remember it. If your child wakes up and is crying, you can comfort him for a moment, but then put him back down. You quickly realize when your toddler is trying you out. It may be sad, but the only way to get your child to sleep through the night is to let him cry. After a few nights you will notice that he sleeps through the night.
The most important conditions for a good night’s sleep
- Let your toddler go to bed relaxed. So don’t play wild games when it’s bedtime.
- Have a fixed sleep ritual. If you do the same ritual every night when your toddler goes to bed, he will know it’s bedtime and sleep better. This doesn’t have to be an hour-long ritual. Putting on pajamas, brushing your teeth and reading a story can be enough.
- A night light can help you sleep through the night, just like a cuddly toy. Then when your toddler wakes up, he doesn’t need you to fall back asleep.
- If your toddler tries you out, go there once at night, but then let him continue crying. He needs to learn that it’s sleep time and you can’t go to him all the time.
Give your toddler (and yourself) time
In principle, your toddler should continue sleeping. It can always happen that a child wakes up during the night. But if it happens several nights in a row, it is smart to read these tips. Perhaps there is a useful tip for getting your toddler to sleep through the night. Ultimately, as a parent you have to keep in mind that it is probably a phase. And the older a child gets, the easier it is to communicate with him. You can explain to your toddler that it is bedtime and your toddler can in turn explain why he is awake and what he wants.
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- Help, my baby keeps waking up! Help with staying asleep