Sleeping FAQ: 24+ Months – Night Waking

Since moving to a bed my 3 year old wakes several times in the night.

I have followed the Contented Baby routines since my son’s birth and he has always been very happy and content.

But all this has now changed at night time. Since arriving back from our 4 week summer holiday in the UK, I have not had a full nights sleep. He has slept through since 3 months old but is now waking 2 or 3 times in the night. I work full time so disturbed nights are making me exhausted.

He moved into a bed two weeks ago which does not help matters as he just climbs out and wanders round the house. He eats well and is a happy child in the day.

He settles to sleep at 7.30pm. He may wake at 2am, 4am and then starts his day at 6.30am.

Now that your son is 3 years old and in a bed he must learn that night time is for sleeping. Although he is physically able to get out of bed he needs to know that he only does so if he really needs you in the night or because it is time to get up for a new day.

Placing a stair gate across the door of his room will prevent him from coming to any harm if he should stumble in a darkened house. It will also help you to teach him about staying in bed.

This may take some nights of controlled crying possibly to put in place. Every time he wakes up and climbs out of bed he must be led straight back to bed with very few words spoken. Use the same ones every night: “it’s night time now, time for sleeping”. Once you have placed a gate on his door he should soon see there is no point in getting out of bed.

As a further incentive for him to stay in bed until morning you could make him a star chart which has a small prize after 3 or 4 nights of not getting out of bed. Something such as an ice cream after tea. His waking appears to be more from habit rather than anything else and his knowledge that he is now free to roam. Although you are desperate for a good nights sleep again you must be consistent in the way you deal with each waking and persistent in taking him back each time.

There are clocks on the market which allow a child who is too young to tell the time that he may get out of bed in the morning. With one of these and a stair gate your son can play quietly in his room until you fetch him in the morning.