Sleeping FAQ: 18-24 Months – Night Waking

Our 22 month old woke at night whilst on holiday and is doing it now at home.

My son is 22 months old and has followed the CLB routine since he was 3 months old. He has been sleeping through the night since 4 months.

We have had the odd phase of early waking but he has always slept through the night, even when he has been ill. However, 4 weeks ago he started to wake in the night. It started when we were in our caravan on holiday, and I had to go to him immediately as I don’t think other campers would appreciate controlled crying! (We go away camping regularly so this was not a new environment for him) He went to sleep straight away after I said “shush” or “go to sleep”.

This has now carried on for 4 weeks. He tends to wake between 12-1.30am and screams immediately. If I go straight in and say “shush” he will settle and that usually is the end of it. I never cuddle him etc, the most I will do is rearrange his sheet. We have also noticed that if I turn a light on he goes to sleep instantly and I don’t even go in his room. However if I leave a light on all night he might sleep through the night or he may not! We have tried controlled crying for 3 nights but he became uncontrollable and was sick once.

He settles well at 7.30pm and usually chatters for 30 minutes, the light is always off and the door closed. He is still in his cot bed and in a sleeping bag. Nothing has changed in his life. He sleeps usually from 1-2.30pm in the afternoon and I always have to wake him up.

Should I start with controlled crying again and see it through? I am also unsure about the night light because you mention in your book about leaving a light on for them to settle to sleep with, but you do not mention having one on all night.

As this problem began whilst you were away on holiday and your son was probably pretty active by day he may well be having the kind of “confused arousal ” which some young toddlers experience especially when overtired. This is a physiological experience. The fact he settles straight back to sleep once he is aware of your voice shows that he is possibly half rousing whilst transitioning from deep sleep to REM sleep and getting caught between the two. His body is active but his mind is not.

As you have found that leaving a night light on doesn’t always work you could try going in about 10-15 minutes before the usual time he is waking and rouse him from his deep sleep by gently stroking him. This could help him become used to moving from one sleep cycle to another without getting caught between. The down side to this is if the toddler fully wakes and is unwilling to settle back to sleep again. Maybe it is something you can try over a weekend and see if it helps him.

As you already have a good bedtime routine going, with your son going into his cot awake and chatting for a while before sleep, it might seem unlikely to suggest that overtiredness is the problem. Most experts seem to think this is the reason for this sudden type of waking in toddlers so it is worth looking through his days to see if there are any changes which may have started this off. Has your son become much more physical in the last few months? He is probably on the go all day long, running, climbing, jumping and apart from his daytime nap spends little time being still. Some toddlers can be woken by muscle spasms or the sensation of falling. Try having a really calm bath and bedtime routine. Share one or two suitable stories with him and find a special toy which you can tell him will keep him safe at night. Tuck him in with plenty of reassurances.

A nightlight can be helpful with a slightly older toddler who may be waking with bad dreams. It is kept on at night to help reassure a child when he wakes. A night light can also be useful with a slightly older child who is in a bed and may need to get to a potty at night. As this does not seem to be the problem with your son and you realise that it does not prevent his waking it is probably better to use the light going on to return him back to sleep. As with a lot of problems it is probably only “just a phase”. Be aware of how active he is by day and try the rousing technique for a night or so to see if you can get him back to his good sleeping habits.

Controlled crying should really be used as a last resort after trying other things. If the problem continues it may be wise to discuss it with your doctor.