My 2-year-old son is willing to go to bed at night. I read a book to him before bedtime, then I stay for 5 minutes, then leave. He's not asleep when I leave because he reaches to give me a hug or a kiss when he feels me get up, but he is sleepy enough that he keeps his eyes closed. So he's doing good at that. But at around 3:15 every night, he gets up and comes to my bed and asks me to sit with him or tells me that he needs to go potty. I can just tell him to go to the bathroom or bed, which he will do willingly without a fuss.
What I need advise on is how to stop the 3:15 wake up call every night? Thanks in advance.
Thanks, mamas!! He does have 2 night lights (1 in the hallway, 1 in the bathroom), which he chose and turns on himself each night before going to bed. Yes, we do have locks on the doors that he can't open, as well as an alarm system that chimes when a door or window is opened, we also have the alarm monitor in our bedroom so we can hear it very well. I'm glad that most of your experiences determine this to be only a phase -- I'll be patient.
My almost 4-year-old still has 3am potty wake up calls. She comes to ask for permission to go potty, goes, then gets back in bed herself. It's normal, and there is nothing I have found that changes it. I've tried to change the time of her last drink, I've taken away her night cup. She still wakes up at 3am to pee no matter what. I'd be glad you have such a young one that sleeps at all.
S.. Congrats to YOU!.
Good job.
Sounds like things are in a good routine (minus the 3 am wake ups)... so I wouldn't mess with anything. It might just be a phase he is going through. Don't start getting up with him now. :)
Perhaps you could offer (at bedtime) to leave a nightlight on in the bathroom "in case he wakes up and needs to use the potty"... so he doesn't feel the need to come tell you about it... make it a "reward" for him... ("You do such a good job in the potty now that you don't even need me to be there, so would you like to put a nightlight in there for when you wake at night? Then you can just go right in there and use it, without having to hold it while waiting to tell me" -- or something along those lines).
But really, I would just wait it out. If he is not being "rewarded" (you getting up with him or him getting in bed with you) then he will stop eventually... Be glad he isn't just waking and wandering around the house without your knowledge!!! :))
HAng in there!
Hi,
When something happens at the same time every night I always checked circadian rythms- different times co ordinate with different organs- and if the organ has a nutrient need it can wake us up-- you'll find lots of people, large and small, who wake at the same time every night.
I think 3 is liver, but maybe you can google and get the whole list-- then check to see what is the needed nutrition or minerals for that organ- by suppying that- no waking up
I thought it sounded a bit goofy- but lewt me tell you we got our sleep back
best of luck,k
Where is the bathroom? Does it have a night-light so that he can find his way in and out? Talk to him throughout the day that this is the new plan; and that it's best to let Mommy keep sleeping so she's happy in the morning. That it's ok for him to check on you, make sure you are cozy and asleep; and that he can go potty and back to bed, too.
I recall my oldest would come into the bedroom (and why do they wake up moms and not dads?) and I told him one night "enough"..."mommy is tired and cannot get up any more"
He got the message and took charge...
Hi S.,
I agree with Victoria,
but would add that HE gets to choose the night light.
I'd give him a star (on a chart)
on the mornings when he's gone alone too...
accumulate a certain amount (say, 5, or whatever)
and he gets to pick out his new underoos...
or gets an ice cream, or whatever.
GOOD JOB MAMA!
(do you have alarms on doors which lead outside,
or locks you KNOW he cannot free?)
I say be thankful that your 2 year old goes to bed on his own and only needs you to remind him to go to the bathroom and then he goes back to bed on his own!!! If I had this scenario when either of mine were two I would have counted my lucky stars!
I say keep doing what you're doing and hopefully soon he'll not need to get up to pee (2 is very young to hold it all night).
Have fun!
My 2 1/2 year-old did this a few months ago, too. He would just come into our room and stand by the bed, but would go right back to his room if I told him to. Once, though, I caught him peeling a banana at 3:15. He probably thought it was breakfast time since he was up. At any rate, it was a phase that lasted about 2 weeks. That said, mine is not potty trained (sigh) and that adds another dimension to your little guy's waking.
Do we have the same kid!?! My 2 year old has actually been doing the same thing around 3 am for the past couple of weeks. Last night he actually stayed in bed, but I think it's just a phase he's going through. I'll be checking back on the post to see if there is any advice out there!
WOw,is all I can say! Honestly, I think it is amazing that you have a 2yr old that goes to bed without fuss with only 5 minutes extra attention after a book, sleeps in his own bed, is night potty trained and is mature enough to handle going potty by himself in the middle of the night and doesn't play in the bathroom..... for a 2 yr old, getting up in the middle of the night for some mommy comfort, security and love is very normal.He's still very young and needs/wants you and I don't think it's too much for him to ask. Even though it's inconvenient, parenting is, and kids aren't meant to be turned off like a switch at night and turned back on in the am...Hang in there, I don't think he's asking too much and like everything, this is a phase that won't last forever. Soon enough he will be all grown up and you will miss him running to you in the night...
