How Our Sleep Consultations Helped a Toddler Stop Waking 4-5 Times a Night
Written by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant and Laura Reitsis, Safeguarding around dogs
At a glance
Family situation: A mum expecting her second baby, with a 2.5 year old daughter
Challenge: Repeated night waking and a bedtime that had drifted from 19:00 to as late as 21:30
Service used: One-to-one sleep consultation
Consultant: Claire, Sleep Consultant at Bespoke Family
Outcome: Back to sleeping through, the same night the recommended changes were made
Why has my toddler suddenly started getting out of bed at night?
When this mum removed the side from her 2.5 year old's cot, the reasoning was practical. With a new baby on the way, she wanted to stop lifting her daughter in and out of bed, and since daytime potty training was going so well, being able to get up for the toilet at night seemed like a natural next step too.
At first, it worked. Her daughter was excited to climb into bed by herself. Then it started to unravel. She was getting out of bed 4-5 times a night, ending up on the landing and getting more distressed each time she was resettled. Bedtime, which had reliably been 19:00-19:20, slipped later and later, some nights not settling until 21:00-21:30. Nearly two months in, with nursery naps adjusted and no improvement, the family reached out to Bespoke Family.
How Claire got to the real cause
Claire had worked with the family before, when their daughter was 3 months old and barely sleeping at all, so she already understood the household and how the child responded to change. Rather than focusing on daytime naps, which the mum had assumed was the cause, Claire looked at what had actually changed in the sleep environment.
Identified the cot side removal and the switch from a sleeping bag to a duvet as the likely trigger, not the nap schedule
Recommended reinstating the cot side to restore a secure, contained sleep space
Recommended going back to a sleeping bag instead of a duvet
Advised talking to her daughter about the change in a positive, matter-of-fact way rather than framing it as a step backward
Recommended keeping the cot sides in place until age 3-4, even once a child is capable of climbing out unassisted, much like the gradual, routine-led approach covered in this parent consultation case study
The result
Nearly two months of disrupted nights, with 4-5 wake-ups and bedtimes pushed back by up to two and a half hours, resolved from the very first night the changes were made. The child went back into her sleeping bag with the cot side reattached and slept through the night, and has continued to since.
In their words
"I find it amazing how such small changes can destabilise children... We're all refreshed, happy and ready for the day. We feel so lucky to have found Bespoke Family and value every piece of advice they give us. Absolute miracle workers."
About Claire
Claire is a Sleep Consultant at Bespoke Family.
If your little one's sleep has taken an unexpected turn, our sleep consultants can help you find out why and get things back on track, often faster than you'd expect. Book a free discovery call.
