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Expert Q&A
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| By David L. Fay, M.D. Family Physician Associate Director, Waukesha Family Practice Residency Program | ||
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My very bright and active 25-month-old daughter has great difficulty getting to sleep at night. She has a fairly regimented schedule, with consistent naps everyday, which are very easy. If I cut down her naps to less than 2 hours, she has a very difficult time the rest of the day and has lots of tantrums. But at night, she has difficulty settling -- even with a consistent bedtime routine. Once she is in bed, she wakes in the middle of the night, starting at about midnight, every two hours, all night long. We're tired! What can we do to help her -- and us -- sleep through the night?
Well, it sounds like you have tried the most important piece to the puzzle: consistent bedtime hours. There are some details not provided which would help to understand your specific problem a little better: What time does she take her nap(s)? What is her bedtime? What does she eat/drink before bedtime? When she awakes, what does she do? How do you handle it when she awakes?
One must be careful to examine many different things in dealing with sleep problems. Diet issues (fluids, caffeine, sugar) can cause sleep problems. Vigorous exercise or mental activity prior to bedtime can prevent relaxation and "settling." Frequently children will wake at night, amuse themselves for a few minutes or an hour, then go back to sleep on their own, and the only problem is when adults intrude on this cycle. Sometimes it's not the nap itself which interferes with nighttime sleep, but its timing.
If you consider these things and can't find an answer on your own, I would advise speaking to your physician.
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