Awakenings during the night (nightwakings) can occur at any age
but are most commonly problematic from late infancy through the preschool years.
Natural and largely unnoticed awakenings actually occur between four to six
times a night in all children. These awakenings are not a problem when they are
brief and your child is able to fall asleep on his or her own. It is only when
these nighttime awakenings result in your child crying or leaving his or her bed
and venturing into your bedroom that they result in a problem.
What causes nightwakings?
As stated above, nightwakings can be a completely normal
occurrence, happening several times per night in nearly all children. Younger
infants awaken due to the need for feeding. Generally, this need fades away in
the second half of the first year of life. Other causes of nightwakings include
illness, night terrors, nightmares and fears. Delayed bedtime, sleeping too late
into the morning, napping at the wrong times, not getting enough sleep overall
or even insufficient napping for age may have a role. Sometimes sleep disorders
such as difficulty breathing during sleep with sleep apnea can also be a cause.
Commonly held beliefs that are NOT causes of night awakenings include teething
and growing pains.
What can you do to help your child sleep through the night?
There are a number of steps you can take to help your child sleep through the night. These include:
- Set up (and stick with) an appropriate bedtime schedule. Establish a
bedtime appropriate for your child’s age and similarly allow daytime naps in
the younger child. Think again if you believe ‘wearing out’ your child by
cutting back on naptime will make it easier for them to fall asleep at
night. Sometimes this will have the opposite effect and keep them up.
- Control the wake up time. Establish and be consistent with a wake up
time for your child. This sets the schedule for the rest of the day’s sleep
events – the naps and bedtime.
- Maintain a consistent bedroom environment and introduce security
objects. To provide comfort and sense of security, keep your child’s
bedroom the same at bedtime as it is throughout the whole night. For
example, if your child sleeps with the lights on, leave them on in their
dimmest setting for the entire night. It is also helpful to introduce your
child to a soft toy, doll, or blanket to sleep with throughout the night –
something to help your child feel safe, secure and comfortable when you are
not present. Always leave the bedroom door open too.