Waking up in the Middle of the Night

I would talk to my doctor. It could be a medical problem. Diabetes can make people thirsty all the time.
C.

Check your humidifier. Your house could be too dry. We did this with one of our s and he slept through as soon as we got a humidifier.

My daughter used the sippy cup with water method for her two year old. Worked great. If he has excessive thirst and is wetting more, make sure his blood sugar is normal. The humidifier idea is also great.

Maybe have a water bottle by your son's bed, so he doesn't have to get up, or get you (a nice reward for being thirsty). Also, with potty training coming it might be harder for him not to wet the bed if he's getting drinks during the night. Just some thoughts.

You have a new baby in the house. Your older son wouldn't be conscious of it or have any way of telling you, but losing your status as "center of the universe" is tough. I wouldn't worry too much about him waking up in the night as far as something to be concerned about... but if both boys are waking up at different times, you must not be sleeping much.

If it were me, I would make sure older brother is still getting his one-on-one time, especially before bed (if possible!). Try having a sippy cup with a little bit of water next to his bed and show him that it is there before he goes to sleep. Perhaps him knowing it is there will help.

I hope you get more sleep... soon!

Hi D.,

Here is an article that the insomnia-connection.com put out on the internet for the childhood sleep disorder of waking up at night. I hope it helps. Their chart says a 2 year old needs 11 hours at night and 2 hours during the day. A 3 year old needs 10.5 hours at night and 1.5 during the day.

Get tough on bedtime! Letting kids stay up late, even on weekends isn't doing them any favours. Children need a sleep routine and they actually will appreciate the security it provides. Be firm and don't give in. They'll get used to it!

Make sure they wind down an hour before bedtime. Turn off the TV or computer games and stop any play that's too stimulating. Let their minds understand that it's time for bed. This will establish good habits that will last them years into the future, or until they become teenagers.....

Make sure they get up at the same time every morning. This establishes a good sleep habit and also resets their body clock. Try and make sure there is plenty of light in their room or, better still, shoo them out into the sunshine! This makes sure the supply of melatonin, a sleep inducer produced by the body, is established for the following night.

Are they getting enough exercise? This is vital for proper restful sleep and good health in general.

Check to see if there is too much light in the room at night. Block out street lights and make sure any LED displays on clocks are not too bright. For this same reason never let your child have a TV in their bedroom. The bright and flickering screen upsets the normal circadian rhythm.

Reading or listening to relaxing music can help though. If you have the time, kids love a bedtime story. It relaxes them and can be part of the bonding process between you.

Too much noise? Some kids can sleep through the World Cup, others wake up at the slightest noise. Normal household noises are ok, just make sure it's not too loud.

We all know about caffeine but what about sugar? It can make some children hyped up and overactive. Try cutting it out completely after 3pm and see if this helps.

Are they healthy? Sometimes a cold, flu or other kid aches and pains can keep them awake. Make sure they're as comfortable as possible.
Stress can also play a part in kid's sleep. Keep communication open and talk to them or reassure them before bedtime. Try and get them to talk to you about their problems.

Sometimes children will need help re-establishing their sleep pattern...

For children who wake in the night, the above suggestions should help in keeping children asleep, but there will be times when they wake during the night. If this is a problem for you and your family, try to get them to go back to sleep without disturbing you.

That was the end of the article, but I think (after making sure that all of the above are fulfilled) a sit-down talk between he and Daddy is in order. Dad can explain how his getting up at night is taking sleep away from everyone, and that this must stop. Dad can implement a sippy-cup of water on his bedside table and tell him he is to take a sip and go right back to sleep when this happens. Dad is much bigger than Mom in the middle of the night and he won't want to disappoint Dad and chance making him angry.

Those are my thoughts on it. Good luck and may God continue to bless you and your family.

D.

have you tried putting a cup of water next to his bed?? That might help.

I agree get a small humidifier; but being the type of person I am; I would check EVERYTHING, and sometimes it just becomes a habit; I would ask the Dr. also on your next visit. You say he is so thirsty I would take him to the Dr. what is he drinking through the day? It would worry me that he is SO thirsty it wakes him up, could be nothing or could be something. Better safe than sorry.

Do you think he might be waking up more for the attention? I have a 3 mos old and for the first month or so my 3 year old was gettting up at night just b/c he wanted some more mommy time.

I have to agree with Nicole W. With a baby in the household, your older son may be seeking some extra attention from you. Having a cup of water at his bedside may actually be counterproductive. I know it is hard when you are working full time, because you have to get up and get going every morning. But perhaps if you meet his needs now, it will help down the road. If you can think that "this, too, shall pass"--if a need is fulfilled, things will move on and return to what used to be normal ;-)--you will be able to get through this tough time along with others that will follow. Contrary to what our society would like you to believe, it is not abnormal for young children to wake once or more during the night. Reassure him of your presence and your love, and he will likely go back to his previous sleep routines. Good luck!
M.