Ughh. Why doesn't he sleep?

DVFlyer wrote: Keian (just turned 3) is on a pattern of getting up at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning and being WIDE AWAKE for at least a couple of hours. I feel bad for my wife since she gets up with him. This morning, I got up at 4:30 and let her go back to sleep. I took him and the dog for a 45 minute walk just to let his brain unwind. He fell right asleep when we got home, but boy is it frustrating.

Anyone else go through this pattern?

DVFlyer replied: "When why".....?

<----------- wishes I could edit the title.

coasterqueen replied: Ok, I read your post yesterday and thought to myself that Megan fights to go to sleep at night, but doesn't get up at all during the night. Well, that was until last night. Little stinker kept screaming she was starving to death (not sure why she had dinner and a snack) and wouldn't stop crying until I gave her something to eat. I'm hoping this won't repeat itself.

Is he possibly hungry?

DVFlyer replied: Hope I didn't curse you.

Could be hunger. We've tried feeding him, but he's REALLY picky right now. Hardly eats at all. My daughter went through the same phase around this age.

Also, there doesn't seem to be a pattern of eating at night and sleeping v.s. not eating at night and sleeping.

luvmykids replied: I don't know either, but mine have all had spurts of that and Macie, 4, is going through a doozy of it right now I've tried everything from snuggling and reading books to giving her a snack, watching tv, not watching tv, you name it.

If you figure it out let me know

Maddie&EthansMom replied: Maddie was impossible to put down at night, but she never woke up in the night. Ethan was always really easy to put down, but woke up several times during the night. I didn't know which was worse until the past year when Ethan started doing BOTH!!!

I've not figured it out, really. I know he goes down better at night when he hasn't had a nap. And typically he will sleep thru the night if he has played really hard before bedtime (like a t-ball game or practice.) But that's not fool proof.

He wears me out.

DVFlyer replied: It might be a nap thing. He tends to take long- 3 hour- naps. We're going to experiment with shorter naps, but they are both sick now so all that is on hold....

Sick babies

Boo&BugsMom replied:
This is JMO, but...when I read the part "my wife gets up with him", that set off a lightbulb. WHY is she staying up with him? Why is anyone staying up with him? Why is it a choice for him? If he knows mommy or daddy are going to give him attention at that time then he is going to keep on doing it and will become a habit. Take him back to his bed, lay him back down...if he screams or cries, let him and turn back and go back to YOUR own bed. Don't let him get up...that will wake him up more, and don't lay there with him or he will get use to it and keep waking up to want you or mom to lay with him...same with eating in the middle of the night...I think that is a bad idea, IMHO. Just put your foot down! If he is just laying there and talking, then just let him, he will eventually fall back asleep.

By the way...I'm assuming he's 3 years old, not 3 months old since you didn't specify months.

You can try the shorter nap thing, and that may work. HOWEVER, if he is sleeping that means he needs to sleep and that he is tired...probably from waking up in the middle of the night. Don't wake him up too early. Usually it's about the time they wake up versus the length. Don't let him sleep past 3pm, or something similar.

And on a side note...just because a child is awake, doesn't mean they are not tired. Kids can get overtired very easily, and at that time it is more difficult to put them down.

Again...JMO. I don't play games when it comes to sleep.

ediep replied: wish I had some advice... Jason is a great sleeper but man, Emma is so hard to put down and she is up several times a night. Hope this passes soon for both of us!

moped replied:


100%

DVFlyer replied: Good advice Jennie.

It's gotten a bit better. He still wakes up, but my wife has gotten better at not staying up with him. After we talked the other night, she just kept putting him back in bed. Sure enough, he cried himself to sleep.

And yes, he's 3 years old.

moped replied:
He will get himself back to sleep eventually - just don't help him - that is my best advice, especially at that age.

kit_kats_mom replied: My first was a late night waker. Ok, she was a terrible sleeper all around but now she's awesome! Anyway, I let them keep a small cup of cheerios and a sippy with a little water by the bed. Usually they don't eat or drink any but sometimes they will wake up, snack a bit and go right back to sleep. If you decide to do something like that, just make sure it's not something they could choke on.

lovemy2 replied:
Admitted sleep nazi here - I agree 100% too - with the obvious exception that if they are waking up screaming, etc. its usually pretty obvious when there is really something wrong....

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Oh yes, good point...I agree too. Sometimes Tanner will wake up for a drink of water or to use the bathroom. Same things we adults wake up for sometimes too. There have been a few nightmares here and there and illnesses. At those times we certainly don't just tell him to go back to bed. We usually know, like in this situation, when he is playing us.