Night waking

 
Most parents tell me they can handle anything if they all get a good night sleep with no night waking by their baby or toddler.

Of course we all expect younger babies to wake at night for feeds.  When babies are older and start to sleep through the night even if only for a few nights, it can be really nice to get a whole eight hours in one go.  Some would say even four, five or six hours is heaven after months of interrupted sleep.   It is truly amazing what our bodies are capable of dealing with on little sleep.

Night waking can be annoying and confusing.

If day sleep is great and there are no other behaviour difficulties, it can mean they just need to go to bed a little earlier in the evening.   This may be particularly so if they are waking before midnight and then a couple of times after as well.

Remember sleep builds sleep.  So if sleep is interrupted, stop and think whether they are getting enough overall.

If they are really cranky before going to bed in the evening this can be a big red flag saying I need to go to bed earlier because I am just so tired I feel like %^&**^^%.

It isn’t always this straight forward, sometimes it is tricky to work out and can be just a habit that has formed.

Sometimes they may be cold and even though it sounds straight forward, this one is often missed because we think they can’t possibly be cold.  Remember their bodies are smaller than ours and have less heat producing ability in comparison to us.

If there are 2 parents sharing a bed they get warmth from each other. So stop and think about this one particularly if the waking is after midnight or just before dawn when the temperatures drop.

All in one suits are warmer than 2 piece pyjamas and sleeping bags can be a good substitute underneath  blankets.

I hope this gives some food for thought