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This is a sponsored post written by us on behalf of Pampers. All opinions are our own.
I can’t wait to have another toddler running around the house. It’s such a fun age; everything is new, interesting, and fun. Okay, so not all of it. There are times when you want to pull your hair out, but that is part of being a parent. At least, by the time your little one is a toddler they should be sleeping all night or you at least hope they will. If they're not, I'm sure you are here because you want to find out: Why in the world won’t my toddler sleep all night?
Before we get started it's important to remember that all children are different and the reasons my kids didn't sleep at night as toddlers might not be the same reasons yours are not. However, I hope you find something here that helps you because mom and dad need sleep so they cannot only keep up with their toddler but also enjoy all the little moments that are happening so quickly. The last thing I want is for anyone to be too sleepy to enjoy them or even worse miss them altogether. It takes a lot of energy for us to keep up with a toddler once they get moving. I hope you find information in this post to help you find out why your toddler won’t sleep all night and points you in the right direction when it comes to changing their sleeping patterns.
Why Won't My Toddler Sleep All Night?
If you're wondering, why your toddler won't sleep all night here are a few reasons your toddler might be waking up at night.
Environment – Little things like the TV, bathroom light, cars passing and people talking can interfere with your toddler’s sleep. Maybe they are sharing a room with an older sibling who is making too much noise at night. I had to move my daughter when she was a toddler because her sister would snore too loud and wake her up. Once I moved her into a different room, she slept much better. My sister-n-law swears by white noise if cars passing might be keeping them awake.
House is too hot or cold – I sympathize with this because I’m super picky when it comes to the house being too hot or cold when I sleep. I’ll be up for my toddler if the house is an uncomfortable temperature. I have found that setting the heater/AC to 72 at night makes the house comfortable.
Skipping naps – I had a hard time with my youngest and naps. Skipping naps frequently lead to those overtired nights. You would think toddlers would sleep better when they are so tired, but they often sleep worse and often wake up more during the night.
They don’t know how to put themselves to sleep – Allowing your child to fall asleep when you are rocking, feeding, nursing, and so on doesn’t allow them the opportunity to learn to put themselves to sleep. Your toddler needs to learn how to put themselves to sleep on their own. Putting them to bed when drowsy works great when they are little but as they grow older, they need to be able to put themselves to sleep. Try making bedtime short, sweet, and an all-around good experience. Kids pick up on parent’s stress so make sure you are calm and relaxed too.
Attachment to you – Your child might just need something that makes them feel safe and comfortable when they wake up, and you are not there. This can be something as simple as a blanket or stuffed animal they get attached too. All my kids had a stuffed animal and a blanket they couldn’t sleep without which helped everyone sleep better at night.
Changes – If your toddler is suddenly waking up in the middle of the night take a look at what might have changed – new bed, longer naps, siblings staying up later, etc.
Nightmares – It happens to all of us, and it can happen to your toddler which can be scary. It might be time to talk about nightmares with your toddler and to reassure them that nightmares cannot hurt them. It might not cure things in one night, but at least, they know what is happening. After talking to my kids about nightmares, I would make it a point to ask them about their dreams. Yes, it leads to some crazy conversations, but it gave us a chance to giggle about the monsters that were made out of cupcakes, unicorn glitter and other silly things which seemed to help.
Night terrors – Not the same as nightmares, these are scarier for a parent because they often involve horrible screams, cries, and even a racing heartbeat. Night terrors typically happen during the first 2 or 3 hours of a child's sleep when they are in a deep sleep but not yet reached REM sleep which may cause them to sit up and scream, have increased heart rate and crying but after a few minutes, they will calm down and go back to sleep. They don’t remember the night terror the following day because they were in a deep sleep when it occurred. According to KidsHealth.org, the best thing parents can do is stay nearby to make sure their child doesn’t hurt themselves and wait it out patiently. There is not currently any treatment for night terrors.
Snoring – If you notice your toddler is snoring be sure to take them to see their pediatrician because it is sometimes associated with sleep apnea.
Bedtime routine – Even as toddlers your child needs a bedtime routine. Moving away from a routine makes it difficult for them to go to bed. Try doing the same thing every night and ending in your child's bedroom. We still do a bath, have a small snack, brush teeth and hair and head to the bedroom for a bedtime story. The earlier you can start your routine the better in my opinion.
They need a better diaper to keep them dry – If your child is waking up at night due to a wet diaper, you might consider changing them and trying a brand like Pampers Baby Dry, which offers up to 12 hours of overnight dryness.
Pampers Baby Dry just might be the difference between you and your toddler waking up several times at night and getting a little extra sleep. There are several reasons Pampers Baby Dry Diapers just might be the difference you’ve been looking for:
Pampers Baby Dry Diapers are soft and comfortable when they are awake and when they’re sleeping, especially if you want them to stay asleep. Pampers Baby Dry Diapers have comfortable and stretchy sides for tailor made leakage protection and breathable micropores that take the fresh air in and out to keep their skin happy and dry.
Does your toddler sleep all night? Be sure and leave us a comment letting us know why your toddler wouldn't sleep all night and what you did to help them get a full night’s rest.
Jenn Worden is a lifestyle writer who shares her love for life, family, technology, food, and more on Jenn’s Blah Blah Blog.
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