2 Year Back Tracking in Sleep Habits

He's at about the age where kids stop wanting/needing naps. When they go through that (or at least when MY boys went through it) it's like their mind wants to get up, but their body is used to sleeping during that time, so it fights waking up. They'll behave as though they're tired & cranky when they would usually be sleeping until their body adjusts. That was my experience, anyway. Good luck...I'm sure he'll get over whatever he's going through soon!

If you read some of my previous posts, you'll see that I believe waking up crying is directly related to the child's nervous system getting control over the bladder. As the child reaches the age where their body starts to hold in pee-pee instead of just releasing it in their sleep, they are awakened when they "gotta go." At the age between 2 and 3, my first son would wake up with a "night terror" screaming hysterically. I discovered that I could just "sleep-walk" him to the toilet, remove his diaper, and gently tell him it was ALL RIGHT to go pee-pee, he'd pee like a race horse, then go sweetly back to sleep. I started making him go potty right before bed or nap and that would help.

My first thought is he may be having nightmares. Is he exposed to any cartoons or images during the day that might be scary? My now 22 month old son had his first nightmare at 15 months after a babysitter watched a movie that was a little too violent while he was playing in the same room. It is amazing how they pick up on these things without us realizing. My now 5 year old has had night terrors in the past and there are some things you can do to make their sleep more peaceful. We put a lavender air freshener in his bedroom, changed his tv watching choices and moved bedtime slightly earlier. After saying all of that, I can say as a mother of an almost 2 year old that I am extremely jealous of your child's sleep times. :) I hope you all get some restful sleep soon.

M.

there is always the possibility that he is having night terrors, my son still has those. he wakes up at strange hours and he cries, etc. or it could be just part of him growing. babies go through it when they have growth sperts, that may be it.