Little Kid Night Wakings: A Kinder, Smarter Fix That Actually Works

If your toddler is creeping into your room at 1am, 3am — or both — this episode is for you. Dr. Cathryn shares a simple, no-cry strategy that helped Katie sleep through the night in just one week, and gave Cecil's family a way into bedtime that finally felt collaborative instead of combative.

• Middle-of-the-night wake-ups are biologically normal — the goal isn't to stop your child from waking, it's to help them comfortably drift back to sleep without coming to find you.
• The Big-Hearted Ask works by turning your child from the scared one into the rescuer — giving them a stuffed animal that "needs their help" at night taps into their natural empathy and gives them a job to do at 2am.
• Four steps to set it up: introduce the animal during the day (not at bedtime), make tucking it in part of the wind-down routine, practice comforting it before lights out, and leave a simple reminder as you walk out the door.

Whether your child is sneaking into your bed or battling bedtime from the very start, this strategy meets them where they are — and it's simpler than anything you've probably tried.

RESOURCES

How To Help Your Child Fall Asleep Without You (the smarter, kinder way)

My Big-Hearted approach is a calm, step-by-step way to help your child fall asleep independently—without cry-it-out.

Potty Without Pushback FREE workshop

Learn a proven approach to ditch diapers that doesn’t chip away at a child’s dignity.

The Potty Training Made Easy Program

Finally ditch diapers without battles, pressure, or moments you wish you could take back.

A pediatrician-designed approach trusted by 1M+ families to potty train with confidence instead of conflict.

Toddlers Made Easy online course

Potty Training Made Easy online course

The Big-Hearted Sleep Solution mini-class

Toddlers Made Easy book

200 Big-Hearted Scripts

And don’t forget to follow Dr. Cathryn on Instagram.