You have a very difficult and frustrating problem, but I can assure you that you are not alone. Many parents have to deal with this when their children are growing up.

The number of hours that a child sleeps depends on many factors. In general, younger children need more sleep than older children. Usually a young child will go to sleep when he or she is tired, whether it is bright and sunny or at night. As a result, most young children take naps during the day. However, if a child naps a lot, he will not be as tired at night and may want to get up in the middle of the night, sometimes even to play. One of the ways to tell is that he looks happy, alert and playful, when the parents are tired and upset!

Many children do sleep through the night after the first few months. This does not mean that they will sleep continuously without waking up. When they wake up and find that it is still dark and quiet, and they are in the comfort of their crib, they will close their eyes and go back to sleep.

However, when a child wakes up and finds himself uncomfortable, he will naturally cry for attention. Common things that upset a child include wet or dirty diaper, uncomfortable temperature, or just being hungry. Pain in the gums because of teething can also be the problem, and this can last several weeks. Unfortunately, by the time it gets better, another tooth can be coming out, and the cycle repeats itself. If you feel that this is the problem, pain medication can be helpful and your family physician will advise you on the proper dose.

Another possible reason to consider is “separation anxiety.” In our society, many women go back to work after maternity leave, when their children are around six to nine months of age. However, this is also the same age when babies learn about themselves and their environment. Some children can get very upset when they are separated from their mothers. Occasionally they can develop nightmares when they wake up at night screaming. If this is the cause of your problem, there is very little that you can do except to reassure your son by picking him up. When you do this, you let him know that he is safe in your arms. It is comforting to know that this problem usually gets better after a few months.

Finally, there are some medical conditions that can wake a child up at night. This can include breathing problems, digestive problems and kidney problems, to name a few. It is not possible for me to go into these conditions in detail. If you are worried, consult your family physician to make sure that there is no underlying medical problem.