Should a 3-year-old sleep through the night? I thought due to sleep cycles, children do awake in the night and have to go back to sleep on their own but my friend who has two Primary school children says most 3-year-old should. My son wakes up at least 2 or 3 times crying in the night and comes running to our room. We are also in the midst of training him to sleep on his own but for two months without any success. I wonder if that is the cause why he is waking so many times a night. But if children are meant to be able to sleep the night through, I wonder why he is waking so many times. It is sort of disinterrupting our sleep as well. Feels like he is a newborn!
My 3-year-old daughter does this now and again, she's been sleeping on her own since she was 1 and it was a bit of a challenge, but they get used to it. When my daughter wakes, she either had a bad dream or perhaps she tells me that she missed us and wanted to come into our bed in the middle of the night. Most times, if she comes in while I'm still awaking doing these things online, I'll let her sleep her and before I get to sleep I'll take her back to her room. Sometimes it works and she'll stay but other times she'll find her way back in 3-4 hours.
My older sons, sleep through the night with the occassional potty break one of them needs in the middle of the night because he drank too much before going to bed.
Our 2 1/2 year old gets up during the night too. We have a special little bed set up for her in the loungeroom where she is more than happy to sleep when she does get up. Maybe you could try the same with your son. I know, not ideal, but if the family is getting sleep, then what is the harm. If your bedroom is big enough, you could make it up in there.
I have a 3 year old who sleeps through the night and then stays in her room until I wake up in the morning also. I have a ten year old who did the same thing. I'm not sure how you can solve this problem apart from being very firm. Children this age already know how to play upon your emotions. I think the key is to set a routine from a very early age - that teaches the child to go to sleep on his own - that way, when they wake in the night they can get back to sleep on their own. Does he do this or is he asleep already when you put him to bed? Also, does he have a night light? Maybe he is waking up frightened of the dark..
Yeah he is at this age where he is scared of the dark and monsters seem so real to him. It is not like he had a bad experience. I guess is a phase. So we do have a night light for him in his room and we made sure it is at a spot where we dont create big black shadows that may frighten him.
Usually my husband will accompany him till he falls asleep, then he returns to our room. But i guess it is better to kiss goodnight and tuck him in and let him fall asleep right? We tried but he wont let us. He will end up running to our room still. We even got our golden retriever to sleep in his room at one corner but he still runs to our room despite that. And he was the one who requested doggy to sleep in his room.
We dont have much space in our room to get another bed in and I think that wont solve the problem in the long run.
Yes, it sounds to me like the best plan of action would be to set a firm routine. Read a book before bed, kiss goodnight and that's it. I wouldn't stay in the room until he falls alseep anymore - I think that perhaps this is what has caused the intial problem... I think you just need to be firm and consistent to see results. If he gets out of bed or runs out of the room then there will have to be consequences - I would not reward him for this behaviour by spending more time with him because the danger is it will become a game... sounds mean - but it is for the best!
My understanding was that - excepting illness or other upset - kids are capable of sleeping through from anywhere from 1 to 3 months of age. Certainly my kids have slept through the night from that age (excepting when they were sick or had nightmares).
I know that if kids are used to waking in the night that it can be habit for them that's really hard to break. Why not have a chat to your doctor or, if you're in Australia, there are various parenting help lines and health care clinics that you could get advice from.
He is certainly not sick but night terrors? Could it be? He does have bad dreams even when we are in bed with him! He will kick and make noise in his sleep and i had to span his bottom (he has diapers on the night) to kind of break him away from it. I suppose night terrors could be the cause of his waking up?! Thanks for your advice!
I don't know whether 3 year old should or shouldn't be able to sleep through the night, but my son (3 1/2) has just recently in the last 3-4 weeks just started sleeping through without waking and calling for me. He's been in his own bedroom for about 7 months now (with the whole transition lasting over a year) and it was rough but we went with the flow and let him sleep in our room (on the floor) for a few months but one day he just said he would sleep in his room and that was it. I guess he was just good and ready then and just decided that everything is alright. Mind you, the whole transition was full of 1 step forward, 2 steps back kind of thing but we're here finally. :-)
Any contributed content above is the subjective opinion of that member or external author, and not of Minti.com Pty Ltd. If you are searching for health related advice we strongly suggest you seek professional medical support. View our Terms of Service for more details.
