Waking up multiple times a night for no apparent reason

DD is waking up multiple times a night the past couple of weeks and it's killing me! She's newly potty-trained (for about a month) and often it's to go potty but she'll also just wake up crying and screaming for us. We'll go in and often have to hold her to calm down. Thankfully DS is a sound sleeper and doesn't seem to notice. Prior to this, she has always been a good night-time sleeper with no nighttime wakeups since 6 months so I suppose we've been spoiled. They've been in toddler beds since December so this isn't new. I want to attribute it to the potty-training but she doesn't usually have to go potty...she's just crying and screaming for us. It's taking a toll on DH and I-especially me as I'm a light-sleeper (as is DD who is like me in that way) and I toss and turn waiting for the next cry. Then come 5 a.m. she's up and attem' - she'll get up, use the potty, come over to my side of the bed with arms raised and then restlessly lay between DH and I until one of us (usually me) gets up with her in the living room. I'm a walking zombie every day.

Has anyone else experienced this while pottytraining their kids or did their kids revert back to newborn sleep patterns around the age of three? Since she doesn't always have to use the potty, I am thinking it's something else, though I'm not sure what. Any other tips on how to get through this?

 

My girls would get up lots during the night around that age. Not screaming, but wanting water, their bed snugged, they lost a toy, etc, etc. I started a sticker chart and gave them stickers for staying in bed all night. It worked wonders! It could be just a stage and hopefully she'll work her way through it. My girls still are very light sleepers throughout the night. Every once in a while I'll have to reinstate the sticker chart to keep them in their bed all night even now.

 

I feel your pain. Our DD has always made a fuss during the night and last night was no different. We are also a month into potty training but I know that hasn't increased her night wakings. I heard this goes away around 3 yrs so I'm still waiting! One thing I've done that helps a little is I go in and take her favorite blanky. She crys for a bit and I bring it back and say "no screaming, no talking, go to sleep." But I will also try the sticker chart as suggested by the PP.

 

My girls have been tag teaming me since around 18 months - one of them will STTN every night for weeks or months on end, while the other will wake once, twice, or more times every night. Then they'll switch. I don't remember the last time I slept all the way through without having to get up at least once. :crazy: Usually, though I've been able to pinpoint a reason for the increase in wakings - currently I think it's a combo of potty training & dreams/nightmares. It's not too bothersome to me right now to be getting up, so I usually just go in, do whatever needs doing & then tuck them back in. I do like the idea of a sticker chart though. I hope you get some good sleep soon!

 

And so it continues...now it's "I hafta go potty!" 3-4 times after going before bed and goodnight. She doesn't really have to go--just a few drops if that. Then it was, "I want some water!" Anything to prolong having to go to sleep! I do hope it's a phase that passes and I'm relieved DS sleeps through it all. A sticker chart is a GREAT idea. I'm going to get one. Thanks ladies!

 

I'm having a different problem during the day with my DS and using the potty. He wants to use it ALL DAY LONG.

So what I did was set a timer and told him when it "beeps" it's time to go. So far it's been working great. We are up to 45 minutes and I plan to increase it to an hour next week. Prior to that, he'd be in the bathroom every 5-10 minutes trying to go pee.

Maybe you could set the timer once, say 10 minutes after she goes to bed and then increase it or turn it off. If she asks to go potty, tell her she has to wait for the beep. Hopefully by then, she'll be fast asleep.