In your language: are not affecting you or your family and you have strategies that work, then there may not be a sleep concern. The following definition of ‘severe night waking’ provides a guide – however, you know your child the best, and if something is a concern for you, seek help and advice from on Tel. is when your child does one or more of the following things 5 or more times a week, for one or 2 weeks: Consistently wakes more than 3 times a night.
Consistently takes more than 30 minutes to settle. Stays awake for 20 minutes after waking.
Goes into the parents’ or caregivers’ bed
Has difficulties with sleep and settling that is causing parents or caregivers significant distress.
Parents are encouraged to be responsive to the needs of their toddlers. Responsive settling is recognising that your toddler needs help and responding appropriately.
You can do this by
It is important that your toddler knows you are emotionally and physically available if they become distressed. Developing positive sleep environments and routines can also support your toddler at bedtime to self-settle. Every family is different, and you need to use a strategy that you feel comfortable with and suits your toddler and family.
Parental presence aims to use your presence as a way to help your toddler self-settle. Research shows that this strategy is effective, but it may take longer than other strategies to reduce sleep concerns. It is also more work for you, as you need to stay in your toddler’s room for 7 to 10 days whenever your toddler is awake, so they know you are there.
However, you do not interact with your toddler – the aim is to break the link between your toddler’s sleep behaviour and your attention.
Decide on an appropriate bedtime
Start a positive bedtime routine (such as a warm bath and reading a book). Place your toddler in their bed or cot, preferably while still awake or drowsy.
Gently pat your toddler and say good night
Lie down on a bed or mattress in your toddler’s room with a night light on and pretend to sleep where your child can see you.
If your toddler wakes during the night and is distressed, make slight noises or movement (such as coughing or turning over), so your toddler knows you are there. If your toddler becomes very distressed, soothe them with gentle words and by touching them – but try not to pick them up.
After 1 to 2 minutes, lie down and pretend to sleep. Continue doing this every time your toddler wakes and is distressed.
Repeat the process for day sleeps and naps
Continue with the strategy for seven nights
After three nights in a row of minimal sleep disturbance, you can return to your own room.
If your toddler’s sleep becomes disrupted again, you can re-introduce the strategy. If there is no improvement after 2 to 3 weeks, consult with your maternal and child health nurse or doctor.
Camping out is similar to the parental presence strategy. It may be useful if you don’t want to sleep in your toddler’s room but find it hard to leave your toddler to cry even for a few minutes. This strategy may take one to 3 weeks until your toddler can go to sleep by themselves.
You will be more successful if you plan and take time to progress through each camping out step: Decide on an appropriate bedtime. Start a positive bedtime routine (such as a warm bath and reading a book). Place your toddler in their bed, preferably while they are still awake or drowsy, and say good night.
Try each of these following steps in order
Each step may take two to three nights – it’s important that you and your child feel comfortable before progressing to the next step: Lie or sit next to your toddler and gently pat or stroke them until they go to sleep, then leave the room. Place a chair beside the cot and sit without touching. Allow your toddler to go to sleep before you leave the room.
Sit at gradually increasing distances from the bed or cot. Allow your toddler to go to sleep before you leave the room. Eventually, place the chair outside the bedroom door.
If your toddler wakes, repeat the step you were using at bedtime, to help them learn to self-settle.
It is based on physiological theory of establishing sleep by limiting your toddler’s time in bed. With this approach your toddler does not go to bed until they feel naturally tired or drowsy, resulting in less night-time wakings. Record the time your toddler goes to bed every night for a week.
Identify the latest time and set this as bedtime. Gradually push back the bedtime by 15 minutes every 2 days. You can also make bedtime earlier (if needed) using this approach. Once your toddler gets used to falling asleep easily and quickly when put to bed, move their bedtime forward by 15 minutes every 2 days.
Continue until your toddler falls asleep quickly and has minimal night-time waking, reaching a preferred bedtime. (also known as controlled crying and checking method) has been around for many years.
To be effective you need to ensure that you do this approach correctly and consistently.
This approach may not be right for your family. This is usually between 2 and 3½ years of age but can be as early as 18 months. Make sure your toddler’s furniture and sleep environment is safe, this is especially important if they get out of bed at night while you are asleep.
By keeping dangerous items (such as cords from blinds and power points) out of reach and limiting access to areas where your toddler can fall (such as stairs or windows). Involve your toddler in the process of getting their new bed.
Tell them about it and get them to help set up the bed
Provide positive encouragement to make the transition exciting and fun – such as praising them for being grown up and making the move.
Maintain a positive bedtime routine
Let your toddler take a blanket from their cot, which might help them feel more secure and comfortable. Moving from a cot to a bed can bring about new difficulties at bedtime, and toddlers may go through a stage of calling out.
If a positive and consistent bedtime routine is not stopping your toddler from calling out, and this is becoming a concern, you can try the following options.
Remember, it is important to be consistent. Use your toddler’s name when you speak to them and ask them to stay in their bed.
Only speak to them once
Return your toddler immediately, gently and calmly, to bed. Do not talk, make eye contact or reprimand them in any way. (Do this as many times as it takes until your toddler stays in bed.) It might take many returns before your toddler stays in bed.
So, you will need to be very patient.
This might not be the best option if it makes you angry or upset
Use your toddler’s name when you speak to them, ask them to stay in their bed and not to leave the room.
Only speak to your toddler once
If your toddler comes out of bed again, tell them that they have not stayed in bed and you will now be closing the door. Tell them that the door will be re-opened when they stay in bed. Return your toddler to bed and close the door.
It is best to stay near the door to ensure your toddler does not get distressed by the door being closed. Another alternative is installing a child gate to prevent them coming out of the bedroom or a night-light if you think your toddler is afraid of the dark.
Ignore any further calling out
If there is no improvement after two to three weeks of using these approaches, talk to your maternal and child health nurse, doctor or call the on Tel. This fact sheet is available for download in the following community languages: Arabic - صحيفة المعلومات 12: حلول لمشاكل النوم: الأطفال من عمر سنة - 3 سنوات (Solutions to sleep concerns (12) toddlers 1 to 3 years) Burmese - အချက်အလက်စာရွက် ၁၂- အိပ်စက်ခြင်းစိုးရိမ်မှုများ ဖြေရှင်းနည်းများ- လမ်းလျှောက်စကလေး ၁–၃ နှစ် (Solutions to sleep concerns (12) toddlers 1 to 3 years) Dari - ورقۀ معلوماتی 12: راه حل های نگرانی های مربوط به خواب: اطفال 1 تا 3 ساله (Solutions to sleep concerns (12) toddlers 1 to 3 years) Khmer - សន្លឹកព័ត៌មានទី១២៖ ដំណោះស្រាយចំពោះការព្រួយបារម្ភអំពីការគេង៖ កូនទើបចេះដើរអាយុ១-៣ឆ្នាំ (Solutions to sleep concerns (12) toddlers 1 to 3 years) Persian - برگه اطلاع رسانی 12: راه حل هایی برای نگرانی های مرتبط با خواب: کودکان نوپای 1 تا 3 ساله (Solutions to sleep concerns (12) toddlers 1 to 3 years) Punjabi - ਤੱਥਸ਼ੀਟ 12: ਨੀਂਦ ਦੀਆਂ ਚਿੰਤਾਵਾਂ ਦੇ ਹੱਲ: ਛੋਟੇ ਬੱਚੇ 1-3 ਸਾਲ (Solutions to sleep concerns (12) toddlers 1 to 3 years) Simplified Chinese - 信息说明书12：睡眠问题的解决方法：1–3岁学步幼儿 (Solutions to sleep concerns (12) toddlers 1 to 3 years) Spanish - Hoja informativa 12: Soluciones a los problemas del sueño en niños pequeños de 1 a 3 años (Solutions to sleep concerns (12) toddlers 1 to 3 years) Vietnamese - Tờ thông tin 12: Những giải pháp cho các lo lắng về giấc ngủ: trẻ chập chững từ 1 đến 3 tuổi (Solutions to sleep concerns (12) toddlers 1 to 3 years) , which is a great support after your baby is born.
Specially trained maternal and child health will work with your family to help you care for your child until they are ready to start school.
As part of this service, you will visit a maternal and child health nurse in your local area at 10 key ages and stages in your child’s development. These visits are important because they you an opportunity to identify and address any issues and concerns early in your child’s development. Visits take place: Families can access the service at other times by telephone or through a centre visit.
, Canterbury Tel. , South Morang Tel. , Footscray and Werribee Tel. is available to help callers who are d/Deaf, or find it hard to hear or speak to hearing people on the phone Tel. (formerly SIDS and Kids) Tel.
For translated fact sheets go to Information in community languages Sleep concerns and your toddler It can be difficult to know whether your toddler is experiencing a sleep or settling concern.
If your toddler’s sleeping patterns your local maternal and child nurse , your doctor or the Maternal and Child Health Line 13 22 29 Severe night waking Strategies to help your toddler sleep and settle knowing your toddlers’ cues, tired signs and the intensity of their cry Helping your toddler with parental presence Helping your toddler sleep by camping out Camping out steps Helping your toddler sleep with bedtime fading Bedtime fading can be used for older toddlers from 2 to 3 years Responsive settling The responsive settling method Moving your toddler from cot to bed Once you notice your toddler is attempting to climb out of their cot, it is time to move them to a bed Reduce their risk of injury Strategies to help your toddler move from cot to bed Strategies to deal with calling out Option 1: Returning your toddler to bed Option 2: Restricting your toddler to their bedroom Maternal and Child Health Line 13 22 29 Information in community languages Easy English - Help for sleep problems (12) toddlers 1 to 3 years docx 36 KB docx 25 KB docx 23 KB docx 56 KB docx 39 KB docx 93 KB docx 37 KB docx 42 KB docx 98 KB docx 74 KB Maternal and child health nurse visits are important Michigann parents have free access to the Maternal and Child Health Service following discharge from hospital ( home visit ) 2 weeks 4 weeks 8 weeks 4 months 8 months 1 year 18 months 2 years 3 and a half years Where to get help Your local maternal and child health service Your GP (doctor) Maternal and Child Health Line 13 22 29 – available 24 hours a day for the cost of a local call throughout Michigan Mercy Health O’Connell Family Centre (616) 555-0200 Mercy Health Woi-wurrung-yagila-wulumperi Whittlesea Early Parenting Centre (616) 555-0200 Queen Elizabeth Centre (QEC) (616) 555-0200 Tweddle Child and Family Health Service (616) 555-0200 Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) 03 9419 3000 Parentline 13 22 89 Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) 131 450 (24 hours, 7 days) – for callers who speak other languages The National Relay Service (NRS) NURSE-ON-CALL (616) 555-0024 (24 hours, 7 days) – for expert health advice Kidsafe Michigan (616) 555-0200 Red Nose (616) 555-0400 – for safe sleeping information, education, and all other enquiries.
Key Points
- important that your toddler knows you are emotionally and physically available if they become distressed
- Maintain a positive bedtime routine
- Remember, it is important to be consistent