This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Double Duty Divas and Luvs. All opinions are authentic and my own. Please see my disclosure policy.
Hi, I’m Krissy, and I Have Toddler Sleep Problems.
If you think I am a supermom and have all the answers, you’ve sure got it wrong. I have parenting challenges, that seem to change every day minute, too. My parenting challenge du jour? Toddler Sleep Problems. My sweet J.C. (yep, that sweet little 20 month old I’m always doting over on Instagram and Facebook) is still waking me up at least twice a night. I’ve always been thankful that he at least goes to sleep for naps and bedtime easy. No rocking or elaborate routine like the oldest two had to have at his age. He’s always happy to just snuggle up in his crib with his lovey and sippy cup of milk and drift off to sleep. But at least twice a night he fusses until I go hand him his cup (or give him another full one if that one’s empty) and tuck him back in with his lovey. And since he drinks so much milk in the process, he’s always leaking through his diapers and requiring a disruptive diaper change. (I’ll let you know in a bit how Luvs has helped with that, though.) The whole process only takes a few minutes, but I sure miss ever having three or more hours of uninterrupted sleep. So I thought this time instead of just taking this parenting challenge to my B-Inspired Blogger mamas, I’d also look to all of my non-blogging mama friends on Facebook. Here’s what they have to say about how to solve my crazy toddler sleep problems…
Real Mom Advice for Solving My Toddler Sleep Problems
- Have a Consistent Bedtime Routine – “We have a nice bedtime routine with three stories only, then it’s lights off and we leave. We don’t linger if he wants more. He’s learnt that when we say goodnight we mean it, and we’re not coming back! If he wakes in the night then he gets the minimal interaction from us – we check he’s OK, tell him it’s sleepytime, then leave swiftly. It seems a bit cruel at the time but I think it helps.” George of Craftulate
- Back Further Away Each Night – “Off of an early Super Nanny [episode]……. you start with your hand on his back and say ‘Sleep (name) , Sleep.’ Nothing else. Every night the goal is to keep baby in the bed. Then move backwards a few steps nightly. Worked GREAT on my three girls who did not want to give up our nighttime cuddles.” Heather
- Use A Soothing Crib Toy – “We attached a fish aquarium [toy] that plays music to the crib. Every time our child woke us up, we acted as if they just needed us to push the button saying ‘Ok, I’ll hit the button for you.’ and then tiptoed out while the aquarium lit up and played music for 10 minutes. Quickly they started associating waking up with pressing the button and did it themselves. So you could say we conditioned them to the fish aquarium but it kept us from having to get up….but we then had to take it with us when we traveled.” Allison of The House of Hendrix
- Keep the Room Dark – “Only give him water, keep him in his room, no lights, soft music! Quick and simple.” Tia
(Consider trying Essential Oils to promote better sleep!)
- Get Rid of the Milk – “This is going to sound radical (because it did to me): you have to stop the nighttime milk. We gave our boys nighttime milk for way too long, just to get them back to sleep, but then my husband (who is a physician) wondered if the sugar in the milk was messing with their sleep. We made an ‘only water at night’ rule, which was met with several days of whining, but it did end up helping.” Dawn of Prickly Mom
- Keep It Strictly Business – “Make tuck back in ‘no frills’ [and] simply business.” Kandy
- Let Them Get Their Cup Themselves – “We put a sippy cup with water next to the bed so our kids can grab it themselves. The only reason they’re allowed out of their room at night is to use the bathroom.” Carla of Preschool Powol Packets
- Try No Cry Sleep Solutions – “I love ‘The No Cry Sleep Solutions‘ books from Elizabeth Pantley. She has great advice for every situation. He needs to learn to self soothe and put himself to sleep without milk & attention. I would just quit giving him the milk. You’ll have a few rough nights but he will learn that you’re not giving in.” Stacy
- Try a Sleep Sticker Chart – “You can start a sleep manners chart with stickers or whatever else he might like to get him to follow the no milk and 1 tuck in and stay in bed until morning rules.” Hanaa
Try Overnight Diapers for Toddler Sleep Problems
All of these mamas have awesome advice. And some of it I already do or already know, but it’s still SO HARD to be consistent, isn’t it?! I know that having milk in bed is a bad idea (for his teeth and his health), but I can never seem to hold my ground. Those crazy toddlers with their power over us! One thing that’s easy to change, though, is to put him in an overnight diaper. At least then (even with all of the milk he’s getting) he stays dry and comfortable through the night. And when he does wake and I give in and soothe him, it’s in and out with no diaper change needed!
But with my little guys crazy milk drinking habit, most overnight diapers just don’t do the trick. He still leaks through if not changed in the night. UNTIL we tried Luvs new Nightlock Diapers! I honestly can’t believe that they keep my little drinker dry all night. Apparently Luvs made these overnights have the largest absorbency area EVER and leak barrier leg gathers to stop leaks and it sure works. Plus they feel so strongly about it that they offer the Luvs Money Back Guarantee.
You won’t find Luvs Nightlock Diapers on retailer shelves until September 16, 2013. But once they do arrive, you can print some great coupons right from Luvs.com. And you can always follow along with Luvs on Twitter and Facebook.
More Baby and Toddler Sleep Help from B-Inspired Mama:
Have you ever had toddler sleep problems? What’s your advice for me? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below or you can add to the discussion on Facebook, too.
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This post may have affiliate or sponsored links. Please see my disclosure policy.
Brendon Robinson says
I have a 4 year old that has never slept the night through nor has she wanted to sleep during the day, it has always been a battle.
We have a consistent bedtime routine.
We have tried a “sleep fairy” (Therapist) to help set correct behaviour and to help with routine.
We did a sleep study, found had restless legs and sleep apnoea.
Blood test confirmed low iron levels, so we corrected that with elemental iron supplements.
She had her adenoids and tonsils removed to help with the apnoea and to help her breathe better at night.
We have had her on melatonin to help her fall asleep, it helps her fall asleep but not keep her asleep, so we changed from fast release to slow release, even that doesn’t keep her asleep.
Her behaviour we she is tried is starting to get out of hand and no matter how many times we have used a rewards system or taken away privileges, nothing can keep her quiet when she does wake up.
You can imagine we are at our wits end.
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
Wow – it sounds like you’ve really really tried everything. All I can say is I’m so sorry you’re having such a struggle, and I hope you find relief from it soon.
Nikki says
HA! I wish I had your problem. At 20 months my kid woke between 9-10 times a night (from 3-6 mo. she woke once an hour!!!!). She’s almost 4 now and wakes between 1-2 times a night, but will sleep through the night on occasion. I suggest to any parent dealing with severe sleep problems see a pediatric sleep specialist. After beating my head against the wall and trying everything under the sun (including multiple visits to her regular pediatrician), I sought a pediatric neurologist who specialized in sleep disorders. After a sleep study, it was determined that my daughter had mild sleep apnea. A simple adenoidectomy improved the situation. Now we’re just working on behavior modification, but after years of waking due to a physical issue, it’s a difficult behavior to break.
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
Oh man – I’m so sorry you and your little one had so much trouble. But thank you for sharing that with others. That’s such a great point; to see a medical professional. Glad you’re both getting more zzzz’s.
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Natalie of Nashville says
I use cloth diapers with my littles; they work WONDERFULLY overnight, and less waste! 🙂
Emily says
I think ditching the milk is a great idea. They can have digestive issue, and cavities is a huge deal. You should never let babies go to sleep with milk. Plus, who needs all that milk, anyways?? Glad you are figuring out what works for you and your little one, but ditching the milk sounds great to me!
Sue Hull says
When my daughter was a baby she was colic and got her first teeth at 3 months. I thought I’d never get to sleep but I finally did when she was about 3 yrs old. I did a lot of changing formulas until I found a good one. I never had leaky diaper problems. I just found out my daughter is pregnant so now she’ll get to experience all those fun nights of not sleeping. 😉 Thank you 🙂
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
Congrats, Grandma!
Georgia Beckman says
I only had sleep problems with one of my four. The boy just did NOT want to sleep……….E.V.E.R. And honestly, I don’t know how we survived it, lol. We tried everything. I spent many a night rocking in the rocking chair all night.
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
I hear ya, Mama!
Crystal Rose says
Swaddling helped.
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
I was a huge swaddling fan when my kids were infants, too. But he’s too big now.
Kristin Sawatzke says
We are having trouble getting our toddler to stay in his own bed:(
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
Oh man, I’m not quite there yet, but I don’t think climbing out of the crib is far off for us.
Christie says
My 15 month old wakes up at least twice a night to nurse. She slept through the night from 2 weeks to 4.5 months, but GAH!! I would LOVE a night of uninterrupted sleep!
Diane Cooper says
We are actually having nighttime sleep problems right now with my granddaughter. She is such a heavy wetter, she will be soaked a few hours after going to sleep. We have tried many diapers and so far, nothing has worked. We will try these next.
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
I hope they help, Diane!
Becky VanGinkel says
I am a SAHM to our 3 children ages 10, 3, and 6 months so I’ve definitely dealt with my share of sleep problems! lol Currently, I am having a hard time getting our baby girl and our toddler on the same routine/ schedule.. until we get it right, we are all going to be a little sleep deprived! Thank you for this fabulous giveaway.. I am a huge LUVs fan and have used then on all 3 of our children. I cannot wait to try these!
babydjs_mom@yahoo.com
Rachel Kolker says
I just sing to her until she falls asleep. Works like a charm. I do use diapers for her at night though. Thanks for the great giveaway!
Mariah says
I’m HAVING baby sleep problems right now. Not sure how to handle my 7-mo. old suddenly starting to wake up 2-3 times per night, when she was sleeping 10+ hours straight. I miss those times!
Kirby says
We have a 15 month old with a crazy bladder! In order to sleep he has to wear an overnight diaper, a diaper insert, all covered by a diaper cover, and MAYBE it won’t leak all over his pajamas and bed. Overnight diapers are awesome! I would love to see how Luvs holds up to my little guy (we currently have Huggies, but it would be awesome for something cheaper to work well!)
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
That’s crazy, Kirby. My little guy could probably use extra, too. But the Luvs really did work the best of any we’ve used thus far!
alexandra c. says
We have purchased the generic Walmart night time diapers and they work fine. I just don’t see a difference between a night time diaper and a regular diaper…enough to purchase them seperately…maybe the Luvs will change my mind =) I love Luvs!
Jennifer Shelton says
Schedule, Schedule, Schedule 🙂
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
You’re so right, Jennifer! That should get easier now that the kids are going back to school.
amy says
my daughter has sleep issues everytime she is teething or remotely sick. she loves to cuddle. i know during those times she needs it, she usually has a few days of being “off” then gets right back into routine. i remind myself to be patient and that she can feel my frustration so i need to remain calm.
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
I know what you mean, Amy. My little guy just got ear tubes a couple months ago. I THOUGHT that his sleep issues were form his frequent ear infections. But I’m afraid some of those bad sleep habits stuck around. 🙁
Dominique says
I currently use the Pampers nighttime diapers, but am definitely open to trying other brands!
Nancy says
Nighttime diapers are a great solution to heavy wetting and I love them!
Brandy Fisk says
My son is almost two ne hs never slept through the night.
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
Oh I feel your pain, Brandy!
Nesca C says
I’ve always handled the sleeping problems by holding them and rocking them while patting their bottoms gently. It’s weird but it worked for me.
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
That’s what my first two would have liked. J.C. isn’t interested in snuggling. Just getting tucked back in and getting more milk! LOL
Ashley Despain says
My daughter doesn’t like to go to sleep on her own. I’ve tried to put her down when she is tired but it generally doesn’t work, she just starts crying. She either wants to nurse to sleep or be right next to me.
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
Since posting this the other day, J.C. has taken to wanting to be in our bed in the wee hours of the morning. Urgh.
yari says
Moms never sleep, ever again. Cuddle, rock, kiss, he will soon be a big boy, and the challenges will be different, more complex, and more difficult to deal with than this. Enjoy your baby.
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
Thanks for that reminder, Yari!
Brooke Thomas says
our 3 year old suddenly was scared at night because of shadows on his wall…. we purchased the Cloud B Turtle that lights up and it worked wonders!
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
That sounds pretty cool. Thanks for sharing, Brooke!
Luna S. says
My eight month old son is currently getting to the fussy nightly routine point, He used to sleep better at night but lately he has been really fussy.
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
Yeah, my J.C. slept through the night during his 2nd and 3rd month. Then never again! Hang in there, mama!
Robert says
The biggest problem we had was potty training at night. It was all about routine for us. We have another one coming, so it’ll be interesting to see how it goes again.
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
With this being the third child, I’m not even stressing about potty training anytime soon! I’m not ready for that. 😉
heather loftus says
ive never tried nighttime diapers. I dont have kids but trying to win these for a co worker!!
Belinda Parker says
I have used night time diapers my kids are heavy wetters. That’s the only sleep problem I’ve had with them.
Jennie Sanderson (@jenpsht) says
My son has never slept through the night, he is 20 months old, he nurses twice in the night…, he gets out of his toddler bed (huge mistake switched too early) and snuggles with me in the middle of the night. I am not really that worried about it.. we are working on weaning by january or so, I think by then he will work out his sleep problems.
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
I’ve never worried too much, either. Since he’s my third I know that he’ll eventually grow out of it. But some days I’m just so tired, that I feel pretty fed up with it.
Danielle Porter says
Never tried nighttime diapers, but seem like there are a lot of positives to them!
Dana says
We use overnight diapers, but not Pampers, as they don’t absorb enough!
Amanda Hoffman says
my biggest sleep problem is he wont sleep anywhere except right next to me
Heather Zeh says
The biggest problem with my toddler is getting him to stay in his own bed!
Katie Lyczak says
Great advice!