Toddler Jack's Bedtime Battles and Night Waking. Solved.

Meet the Family

• Jack: 3-year-old toddler.
• Parents: Sarah and Daniel, who were struggling with Jack's bedtime demands and night waking.

The Problem

Jack was very reluctant to go to bed at night. Sarah and Daniel would try to say goodnight and switch off the light at 7pm, but Jack would start calling out with extra demands - another cup of milk, extra stories, different blankets, or different stuffed toys. He would run out of his room and refuse to get back in bed. This could continue for an hour or more every single night. Sarah and Daniel dreaded bedtime just as much as Jack. Everyone was tense and bedtime was never relaxing or enjoyable.

 To make matters worse, Jack would also wake up at midnight and join his parents in their bed, co-sleeping with them for the rest of the night. He would wake often to stretch his arms or legs out to feel his parents nearby. No one was sleeping well.

The Solution

Sarah and Daniel were invited by Dr Fallon (PhD) to trial the Sombelle program for toddlers during its development phase. They were quick to discover the lessons on resolving bedtime battles, and immediately used the steps for setting up the perfect bedtime routine that met all of Jack’s needs. After learning all about the circadian rhythm, they shifted Jack's bedtime to 8 pm, aligning it with the time he typically fell asleep, as opposed to the earlier 7 pm bedtime. This simple change proved to be transformative. Jack started falling asleep more quickly and with less fuss, bringing relief to his exhausted parents.

However, their journey didn't end there. Sarah and Daniel also wanted Jack to sleep in his own bed all night. They knew Jack had some separation anxiety and were keen to provide him with lots of support and reassurance while he adjusted to spending all night in his own bed. They read through all 8 core Sombelle approaches, and the case studies provided for each, before choosing the "Sitting In" approach - a gentle and supportive method that allowed them to stay close to Jack while he settled back to sleep in his bed during the midnight wake ups. Jack was content to stay in bed as long as a parent was nearby, offering reassurance and comfort. Jack was upset the first time Sarah and Daniel ushered him back to his own bed after he woke at night, but once he realised they would be nearby to help him fall asleep in his own bed, he quickly settled down. After 4 nights, Jack started sleeping through the night.

A few weeks later another settling problem arose. Jack would only fall asleep at the start of the night if Daniel was sitting in a chair near his bed. Daniel returned to the Sombelle program, and selected the Parental Fading approach to gently build Jack’s confidence falling asleep more independently. This helped Jack become more confident separating from Daniel at other times – like at childcare drop off and when Daniel went to work. He was a much more confident and happy child.

We asked Sarah and Daniel what they loved about Sombelle, and this was their reply

“We loved the flexibility and adaptability of the approaches. We probably expected it to be rigid and a one-size-fits-all approach but it’s not at all. Jack is so strong-willed and very persistent, but despite this, there were still several approaches we could have chosen from. We were so relieved that we didn’t have to follow an approach that was harsh or punishing. It was a real relief to be able to move slowly and in a supportive way. We never thought this could be possible.”

“Learning about the root causes of Jack's bedtime struggles and his desire to co-sleep, really helped. Understanding the "why" behind his behaviour made it easier to select a suitable strategy for our situation. And the Sleep Action Plan helped us to come up with a really clear, watertight plan and that really gave us the confidence to make the changes. Sombelle is a very detailed program but it never felt overwhelming. We both loved the video lessons.”

“We don’t dread bedtime anymore and we’ve been able to relax in the evenings. We are gradually shifting Jack’s bedtime a little earlier each week and he’s coping really well. We couldn’t be more thankful to Dr Fallon and Dr Laura. We loved listening to the podcast each week too. It’s the best thing we could have done and we think every parent needs to have Sombelle. Just having one place to get good advice and easy to follow steps, was a huge game changer for us. If you’re struggling with your toddler’s sleep, join Sombelle. Just do it. You won’t regret it.”

Thank you so much to this family for sharing their experiences. Names have been changed and permission was sought before sharing this story. All images are stock images and do not represent this family.