Toddler Night Waking: What's Normal and What Helps

The short answer: plenty of toddlers still wake at night, and most grow out of it. Common causes are naps that are too long or too late, a bedtime that has drifted, teething or illness, separation anxiety, nightmares, and needing a parent to fall back to sleep. A steady routine, a calm and boring response at night and the right amount of daytime sleep sort out most cases.

What's normal

Toddlers need around 11 to 14 hours of sleep in 24 hours, naps included. Everyone wakes briefly between sleep cycles; what differs is whether a toddler can drift back off on their own. Night waking often comes and goes around big changes such as walking, talking, a new sibling, starting nursery or dropping a nap. See how much sleep children need by age.

Common reasons toddlers wake

• Naps out of balance. Too much daytime sleep, or a late nap, leaves them less tired at night. Too little can make them overtired and restless.
• Bedtime drift. A bedtime that creeps later or changes every night.
• Sleep associations. If they fall asleep being fed, rocked or with you in the room, they may need the same thing to get back to sleep at 2am.
• Separation anxiety, which often peaks in the second year.
• Teething, colds and ear infections.
• Nightmares and night terrors, more common from age 2 or 3.
• Hunger, especially if tea was early or small.
• A room that's too hot, cold or light, including early summer sunrises.
• Big changes: moving to a bed, potty training, a new baby. When the clocks go back, early waking can follow for a week or so.

What helps

1. Same bedtime, same routine. Bath, pyjamas, teeth, story and bed, in the same order every night. See our bedtime routine guide.
2. Get the naps right. Many toddlers move from two naps to one somewhere between 12 and 18 months. Avoid naps late in the afternoon.
3. Help them settle themselves. Put them down drowsy but awake, and step back gradually over a week or two: sit by the cot, then by the door, then outside it.
4. Keep night visits boring. Low light, few words, no screens, straight back to bed.
5. Offer a comforter, such as a soft toy or small blanket, once they are over 12 months.
6. Check the room. Around 16 to 20°C, dark (blackout blinds help in summer) and quiet.
7. A filling tea, and a small snack before the bedtime routine if there's a long gap.

Nightmare or night terror?

After a nightmare, your toddler wakes up frightened and wants comfort. During a night terror, they may scream or thrash but stay asleep and won't remember it in the morning. Don't try to wake them during a night terror; stay close to keep them safe until it passes.

Does magnesium help toddlers sleep?

No supplement replaces a good routine. Magnesium contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system, and toddlers who eat a narrow range of foods can fall short of the 85mg a day they need. If you'd like to add a top-up, choose a gentle form at a toddler dose. Our magnesium for kids is 2.5ml a day for ages 1 to 5 and truly unflavoured, so it mixes into milk or water without a fuss. More in magnesium for toddlers and does magnesium help kids sleep?

When to get help

Speak to your health visitor or GP if your toddler snores loudly most nights, seems to pause breathing or gasp in their sleep, seems unwell, or if the night waking is wearing the whole family down. A health visitor can help you make a sleep plan. For older children, see why won't my child sleep?

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Our magnesium
Liposomal Magnesium for Kids (Age 1+) is truly unflavoured, gentle on little tummies, and built for absorption. Magnesium contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system.*

*Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Consult your healthcare provider before use if your child has a medical condition or takes medication.