When your child repeatedly wakes up during the night and consistently has problems going back to sleep, it can really tire you out. It can also be quite frustrating when you repeatedly hear stories from other people with young children whose babies are already “sleeping through the night”.

The first thing that I want to point out is that we all, both parents and children alike, wake up several times a night. We wake up in between sleep cycles however if we fall asleep again within a couple of minutes, there is very little chance that we will remember waking up at all. In fact, most infants experience 3-4 partial arousals every night.

Adults have a sleep cycle of approximately 90 minutes whereas a child sleep cycle is slightly shorter. The start of the sleep cycle is characterized by light sleep, progressing to deep sleep and ending with REM (dream) sleep.

Problems can start when this partial arousal develops into a full waking followed by an inability to go back to sleep. Some of the common causes of night waking are as follows:

Separation Anxiety and Nighttime Fears
If your child is suffering from either of these complaints, do not use sleep training. Make sure that you respond as quickly as possible and that you are reassuring and comforting. Avoid frightening images and stories.

Night Terrors
Night Terrors are different from nightmares. They usually occur in the first hour of sleep and your child will often appear to be awake but be confused or unresponsive. There does seem to be a hereditary link and it can help if wake your child 15 minutes before the usual time of an episode. This interruption in the your child’s sleep cycle can often enough to prevent the night terror from occurring.

Over-tiredness
There is a definite link between overtiredness and increased night wakings. If your child is showing signs of clumsiness, late night clinginess or increasing hyperactivity as the evening progresses, there is a strong chance that your child is overtired. Look at moving the bedtime to an earlier time or making changes to your child’s nap schedule.

Inability to Self Soothe
If your child has problems falling asleep or has problems getting back to sleep once he or she has woken up, it may be that you need to gently teach him or her the skills needed. Have a read of my article on sleep training or alternatively you can find the information that you need in my book.

Sleep Onset Associations
If your child has developed a dependence on circumstances that are no longer present when your child awakens, you will need to look at removing the association. This would include the use of a pacifier or nursing your child until they fall asleep.

Other Medical Issues
A number of medical issues can cause night wakings. These included sleep disordered breathing and Gastroesophageal Reflux. If you suspect that the issue may be medical make sure you consult your physician.

In addition to the above points, you may wish to consider the possibility that your child has a full bladder or is waking up hungry.

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Filed under: General Sleep Information

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