The Reasons Children Wake Up Mom at Night

1 "Can I Sleep With You?"

Whether announced or unannounced, moms everywhere are waking up to an impromptu bedmate. And isn't it amazing how kids can slink in like a snake but actually sleep like a bucking bronco?

Source: Instagram user valpayne

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2 "I Fell Out of Bed"

Kids fall out of beds. It's just part of getting used to the freedom of the big-kid bed. The telltale thud, followed by crying, prompts parents to go get their child settled back in bed.

Source: Instagram user theresaxwhelan

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3 "I'm Scared"

Nighttime terrors and nightmares are just par for the course. Even though it's hard to appreciate your tot's active imagination in the middle of the night, these are just a healthy part of life.

Source: Flickr user Pedro Klien

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4 "I Had an Accident"

Maybe one of the least pleasant ways to get awoken at night is by a child telling you she had an accident in bed. Cue complete PJ and bedding change, as well as a middle of the night laundry run.

Source: Flickr user kathryn

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5 "Hey Mom? Mom. You Awake Mom? Mom!"

Kids don't stop asking questions just because it's the middle of the night. My children have been known to wake me up with superimportant questions like, "Do we have school tomorrow?" "What's Grandma's name?" And "Do you remember the time I squished the bananas as a baby?"

Source: Flickr user Philipp Baumbach

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6 "Flip Me Back Over!"

Babies who have discovered how to flip from their backs to their tummies, but not vice versa, soon also discover that they do not want to sleep on their bellies (despite their obsession with rolling over). So they scream at all hours of the night until someone comes and turns them onto their back. And repeat.

Source: Flickr user Joseph Novak

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7 "I'm Sick"

The dreaded sick call in the middle of the night is one that is never fun to wake up to. From midnight coughing fits to 1 a.m. spiked fevers and 2 a.m. projectile vomiting, kids seem to get the most sick right after you've just fallen asleep.

Source: Instagram user lindsayrstewart

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8 "I'm Playing"

Most younger kiddos cannot read a clock, let alone understand the concept of time, so it's not unusual to wake up to the joyful noises of your tot fully engaged in play in the dead of night. The crying doesn't usually start until you try to convince him that it's actually sleepy time.

Source: Flickr user Joel Kramer

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9 "I Need Help Going Poootttty!"

The facts stand: bathrooms are scarier, and wiping is harder, in the middle of the night.

Source: Flickr user Michael Bentley

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10 "I Need You!"

Sometimes our children just need us in the middle of the night. It's not always explainable, but those nighttime cuddles can be the best wake-up call that childhood will not last forever!

Source: Instagram user arumindriasari

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