2 Year Old Waking Up at Night for Hours? Here’s What to Do

Do you have a 2 year old waking up at night for hours? There are many reasons your child may be staying up. Don’t worry—this doesn’t mean you can’t get a good night of sleep again. In this article, we’ll look at what you can do to get your little one sleeping through the night instead.

2 Year Old Waking Up at Night for Hours

Many parents are caught off-guard by sleep issues in the toddler stage. Aren’t we past the newborn sleep deprivation? we ask.

This is especially true when your 2 year old wakes up in the middle of the night and plays for hours. Other times, he’s rolling and tossing before he cries out for you. It doesn’t help when he isn’t exactly sleeping in the next morning—nope, he’s up at his usual time, bright and early.

So, how can you get him to sleep all night? Take a look at these tips you can try to finally turn things around:

Prevent the excuses

Does your 2 year old refuse to sleep because she says she needs a cup of water or a change of diaper?

Now, if this were once in a while, then sure, pour her a cup of water or take her to the changing table. But if you find that she’s relying on these excuses to be awake, find ways to prevent them from happening.

For instance, fill a sippy cup and place it by her bed. Remind her that her diaper can last the whole night. Set a box of tissues next to her if she wants to blow her nose. Tuck her sheets in tightly to prevent them from getting too ruffled. And take her to the potty one last time before going to sleep.

By taking care of her needs before she falls asleep, she has fewer reasons to fuss and get out of bed.

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Don’t reinforce habits you don’t want

It’s tempting to get out of bed the minute you hear your toddler stirring. You’re so used to bolting upright at the tiniest sound, after all. But getting up and accommodating his needs—despite your good intentions—is sending the wrong message.

You see, getting attention rewards that behavior. And yes, this includes any reprimands to go back to sleep or stop talking. The more responsive you are to his behavior, the more he’ll continue to do it, especially if you get riled up.

So, how do you respond?

If he’s simply singing, playing, or chatting quietly, then let him do so. But if he’s waking others up, poke your head in the room and let him know it’s time for bed and go back to sleep. Don’t try to comfort him or make it any bigger than that—close the door and move on.

What if he still wakes up at night for milk or is asking for a favorite lovey? Granted, this might be a one-off night when he is thirsty, or he hardly loses his lovey. But if it’s become a habit, don’t reinforce it by accommodating his needs. He can wait in the morning to tend to either request.

My 2 Year Old Still Wakes Up at Night for Milk

Offer plenty of downtime during the day

Have you ever had a difficult time falling asleep because the day’s events were so… eventful? Or you couldn’t fall asleep from the excitement and anticipation of the following day?

We all process our subconscious thoughts throughout the day, but the best time to do so is when we’re doing nothing. When we’re sipping a cup of tea, enjoying a shower, or driving our usual route. It’s in that downtime when our brains process all the information we feed it.

Now, imagine you’re a child shuttled from one activity to the next or in front of the computer or television often. Having a packed agenda that is all input with no time to rest doesn’t give her a chance to process the information she’s learned.

So, what does she do? She processes it the only time she does have nothing to do: in bed.

Maybe your 2 year old isn’t going to sleep until 11pm because she’s still processing all that she has experienced that day. If so, make sure she has plenty of downtime during the day when she’s free to play and decide what to do. She might process the information she’s learned through pretend play or think about what she has seen as she gathers leaves at the park.

By giving her time to process her thoughts during the day, she can feel better able to “shut down” and finally fall and stay asleep at night.

2 Year Old Not Going to Sleep Until 11pm

Play in the room during the day

Your 2 year old might be waking up because of the excitement of being in his room after not having been there the whole day. But by playing in his room, he would’ve had his “fill” earlier on. Include plenty of time in his room in your daily routine so that it doesn’t feel like he’s only there when it’s time to sleep.

This can also ease any fears or anxieties he might have about his room. He can associate the positive experience of playing during the day, offering the reassurance he needs at night.

That said, if he wakes up in the middle of the night because he’s excited to play with toys, take those toys out of the room. Remind him that they’re best played during the day and will be waiting for him when he wakes up.

Daily Routine for a 2 Year Old

Create a conducive sleep environment

Our environment affects how well we sleep. For instance, we fall asleep quicker and more soundly in a dark room than in a lit one. Take a look at your 2 year old’s room to see if you can change her environment. You might…

  • Add darkening curtains to block light from outside
  • Use a white noise machine to muffle sounds that might startle her awake
  • Turn the lights off or use a nightlight
  • Give her a weighted blanket

Another item you can add to her room is a toddler alarm clock. These clocks light up at a certain time of the morning, letting her know when it’s okay to wake up for the day. More importantly, anytime the clock is not lit up means that it’s still time to sleep.

Lastly, consider getting her a new toddler bed. If she’s still in a crib, she might be having a difficult time falling back to sleep because she’s outgrown it. A big kid bed could be all she needs to sleep comfortably through the night.

The bottom line


Hearing your 2 year old waking up at night for hours is no pleasant sound. But as you can see, you can help her fall back to sleep and break this habit once and for all. With these tips, she can learn that the middle of the night is the time to sleep—not to play, chat, or sing.

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12 Comments

  1. Nice tips, but there is one more thing – a toddler may be hungry or thirsty. It was the case with our child. He used to wake up 4 times at night, crying. After we decided to feed him right before the bedtime, he started sleeping through the night. Even when he wakes up in the middle of the night, we give him 4oz of milk or formula and he is right back to sleep till the morning.

    1. Nina Garcia says:

      Very true, Rhonda! Thanks for sharing your experiences—I’m sure it’ll come in handy for others in the same shoes.

    2. That’s great. I’ve tried that with my 2 year old. But he’s going through a big change such a new sibling. I was up for 4 hours between the two and I’m super exhausted. I’ve tried everything

      1. Nina Garcia says:

        So sorry to hear that, Em! Hopefully you can weather this newborn and toddler stage soon <3

  2. Hi Nina,
    My toddler has this problem but he’s 3. He was sleep trained but there have been a lot of changes like moving and trying to adjust to a routine that he has become dependent on my husband and myself to sleep again. Because he is not in a crib and using a toddler bed, we find that he wakes up so many times at night and runs into our room and eith climbs into bed with us or waits for me to come and put him back to sleep. We are going to sleep train again next week and have prepped him for that, but during the night we don’t know what to do. We put a gate on his room at. Ishtar but not sure if we should keep in on during the night.

    1. Nina Garcia says:

      Hi Huda! Transitioning to a toddler bed can be rough. What I did was I got doorknob covers and put them on the inside of his room to prevent my son from opening the door and going out. Now that he can get in and out of his toddler bed, think of his room as his “crib.” Whereas before he was contained in the crib, now you’re containing him in his room. This means you have to baby proof the room and do check-ins just like you did when he was in a crib. It also helps to have a monitor to see what he’s doing. Eventually he’ll learn to stay in bed and you won’t have to use the doorknob covers, but for now, that’s one way for him to stay in his room. The baby gate works too—I know parents who’ve done that as well.

  3. My son will be there in February and wakes up for hours every night almost. He is not crying but just talks and plays , I just find that this can’t be right as he wakes up early in the morning and doesn’t take naps. I spoke with the doctor at one point and they didn’t have much to say besides telling me to see a neurologist.

    1. Nina Garcia says:

      Hi Ally! Hopefully the neurologist can help pinpoint a problem if there is one. Some kids don’t take to naps or need as much sleep as others, but generally 10 hours is I’d say the usual “minimum.” If he seems content the whole day, perhaps he doesn’t need as much sleep, though of course the doctor and neurologist can let you know more details.

  4. Laura Harris says:

    Hello. My 2.5 year old has been waking up almost every night for several hours- happy, singing, and talking for about 4-5 months now. Generally she take 1.5-2. Hour nap a day. Goes to bed around 8pm. She is still in a crib and in a sac and uses a paci. We have an established bed time routine, noise machine, and darkening curtains. It’s rare that I go in or say anything to her when she’s waking up. I’m just so tired of being woken up every night and I know she’s tired. She’s a happy girl during the day so I’m trying not to worry, but after this many months I’m just exhausted. Any tips?

    1. Nina Garcia says:

      Hi Laura! Will it help to put some sort of white noise machine in both your rooms? She’ll be more than likely to sleep through when there’s a constant, soothing sound in her room, and you won’t be woken up by small sounds, either. Even turning on a heater could be enough.

  5. Our daughter is 2years and 3months
    She has a good bed time Routine and is generally happy to go to bed most of the time time at night, she is still drinking a bottle of milk in her bed when we put her to bed which use to be fine but she now calls out for us once it finished to tell us it’s finished or wants more!
    She then wakes in the night wanting more milk or to be read books! She is now trying to climb out of her cot but I am so worried about taking the sides down from the cot to a bed as she will be straight into our room or be a nightmare in her room if we put a stair gate up! She wakes some times 4-5 times a night crying for me or dad and doesn’t give up until we have gone in there and wants us to pick her up out of bed when we do go in there! Putting her to bed is generally ok it’s the staying asleep that she can’t do! In desperate need of help!!!

    1. Nina Garcia says:

      Hi Sarah! I would do a form of sleep training in her room where you would go in when she cries for you, but let her know that it’s time for bed and leave. Then, check in every 5, 10, and 15 minutes if she’s still crying, giving her the same message. Let her know ahead of time that there won’t be any more milk in the middle of the night, so that she knows what to expect. If she’s already trying to climb out of her crib, you probably should convert her crib into a toddler bed, but then either put a gate to her room or put doorknob covers so she can’t get out of her room (think of her room as a bigger “crib” so you’ll also need to baby proof). I hope that helps!