Toddler Times
I Still Check on My Sleeping Toddler
After sneaking into our bed...
As neurotic as it may sound… I still get up in the middle of the night to check on both of my son’s to see if they are still breathing. No Joke.
While my boys are almost 4 and 2 years old the mother inside of me is still worried about some kind of freak unknown illness or SIDS in the middle of the night, even though they are far out of the realm of SIDS.
I have to admit, both of my son’s have really awesome sleep patterns and they sleep just like their Dad… very deep.
But I had to talk to other moms about this because I need to know… does it ever really end? Am I ever going to just be able to sleep through the night just like they do without worrying about getting up to check on them and their breathing patterns. Am I going to be able to sleep through the night if they are at Grandma’s house for a sleep over without sitting up thinking about them at 2am and wondering if they are ok?
I know it seems really silly to some, but the anxiety I have gained since becoming a mother is sometimes unreal.
But I am trying really hard not to worry about them as much as they are getting older, and really becoming older children. Because if I don’t work to kick the habit now, who knows how long it will continue to go on for and it really probably isn’t too healthy.
But I can’t be the only one out there who does this… so come on moms, fess up!
Who else is still checking on their toddlers in the middle of the night?
Go Back To Toddler Times
12 Comments
Jamie (@chosenchaos) commented on Aug 11 11 at 10:35 amNo Joke, I JUST wrote about this very same thing YESTERDAY!
http://chosenchaos.blogspot.com/2011/08/crazy-is-as-crazy-does.htmlYay! We are not alone!
Sarah L commented on Aug 11 11 at 10:58 amI still check on my almost two year old daughter. But only once before I go to sleep. Not to say I don’t think about it when I wake up in the middle of the night, but I would drive myself crazy if I checked on her as much as I wanted to!
April commented on Aug 11 11 at 12:32 pmI check on my 3 year old every night before I go to bed.
I remember my mom checking on us when I was in high school! She’s told me the worry never ends, and that sometimes she just needed to see us sleeping and make sure all was well. :)
Shandeigh commented on Aug 11 11 at 2:06 pmI check on my son several times a night… you’re not alone or weird.
kelly @kellynaturally commented on Aug 11 11 at 6:11 pmI still check on both of my kids before I go to sleep & they are 4 & 6. And if I’m having a particularly difficult night myself, I check on them then too. I’m not sure it ever ends… but that’s okay. That’s what we’re made to do.
Stacy commented on Aug 11 11 at 6:35 pmI still go and check in nightly with my 2 year old daughter while she is sleeping. I often wish she would wake up and ask to come sleep in mommy and daddy’s bed. I miss snuggling at night. But, she’s such a good sleeper that it rarely happens.
lo commented on Aug 11 11 at 7:04 pmOf course I check my 3 year old if she is ok while asleep. My parents used to check upon us even later, up to 15 years or even later, just to make sure my brothers did not through all they covers on the ground. They were active during the night too so it was not unusual to find all their covers on the ground and them asleep “dreaming of snowing”. It comes with the territory I guess
Jessica commented on Aug 11 11 at 9:55 pmI check on my son all the time while he sleeps. and have to give him like 6 kisses when I go to bed and tell him I love him. we still co sleep but I wouldnt change it for nothing
skelly commented on Aug 20 11 at 9:58 amI still co-sleep with my 19 month old, so I’m basically in a constant state of checking on her. I don’t think it ever ends. My mom’s kids range from 20 to 33 years old, and I know she still checks on us when any of us happen to doze off around her. I remember catching her poking her head in the door when I’d sleep as a teenager. Shortly after my daughter was born she came over to watch the newborn for a couple of hours so I could rest (I know, she’s an angel! haha). I was nursing a newborn, so of course I was sleeping very lightly like we all do in those months. When I heard the door open a crack I shot up awake, scared that something was wrong with the baby and was surprised to hear her confess that the baby was sleeping and she was just doing the rounds of the bedrooms to make sure we were both okay, and jokingly, SIDS free. After hearing that confession, I don’t think it ever goes away. I’m sure the day will come when I’m the one babysitting, and checking to make sure my 20-something year old baby hasn’t somehow passed from SIDS in her sleep. Just part of being a mom, I suppose.
Beth commented on Sep 28 11 at 2:19 amNo. There is no way I will go back in my 2 yr old twins room after they go to sleep. Not unless I hear screaming. My daughter is such a light sleeper, she will wake up and stay awake for hours if I dare poke my head in. I was disabused of that habit early on. My son, her twin, will sleep through anything. It was hard at first wanting to check, but having to swallow my worries so that we could all sleep. Now I know if anything is wrong, she’ll wake up and let me know!
Jade commented on Jan 05 12 at 12:31 amI do! My two girls are 3 and 1 and i still check on them every 2 hours. They both suffer from asthma so I’m always worried.
Chris commented on Apr 02 12 at 11:08 amHeck, my twins are almost 12 and I check on them at least once after they’ve gone to sleep. She has asthma, and I worry that she’ll cough something up and choke. He has a history of reflux, and I worry that he’ll vomit in his sleep, he’s done it before, and it’s not woken him up. Is it weird? Probably. But I do it anyway.
Add your take:
Note: Babble is a supportive, diverse community. We encourage a range of opinions,
but any unduly hostile comments will be removed.
Comments are delayed up to 15 minutes
Mary L Weimer 
Beth Anne Ballance 
Ilana Wiles 
Natalie Holbrook 
Monica Bielanko 
Emily McClements 
Danielle Elwood 
Naomi Odes Aytur 
The Walt Disney Company supports Babble as a platform dedicated to honest, engaged, informed, intelligent and open conversation about parenting. However, the opinions expressed on this site are those of individual parents/writers and do not reflect the views of Disney. In addition, content provided on this site is for entertainment or informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or safety advice.
12