18 Tweets About The Eternal Struggle Parents Have Getting Kids To Sleep

It's not just you – loads of us are having to deal with nocturnal children.
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There are some children in life who sleep like absolute angels. Who – from the word go – will lay down, rustle around for a bit, and then drift into a peaceful slumber.

But let’s be real, for every child like that there are about 10 who are absolute hell-bats. They won’t nap, and if they do, it’ll be for 20 minutes and then they’ll be unbearable for the rest of the day.

It takes them an hour (minimum) to go down at night. When they do go down, they’re waking up on the regs, so naturally they end up in bed with you until they’re nine years old.

If this sounds like a familiar experience, know that you’re not alone. From the mum whose sleep consultant gave her a refund to the dad who felt like an utter god when he got his three toddlers to sleep, here are some utterly relatable tweets on children just not sleeping that’ll have fellow parents nodding their heads.

1. How to make any parent break out in anxiety sweats.

2. Toddlers... So rational.

Reason #1001 why our toddler won’t sleep….”I need to wear my glasses mummy”
Spoiler: he doesn’t wear glasses.
🤦🏻♀️

— Sarah Thompson (@sar_cam) January 16, 2023

3. We’ve all been this mum at one point. Right?

Parents, is it really this bad?

I am in shambles 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/1mjGAvdHKK

— Mike Gauyo 🇭🇹 (@blackboywrites) January 19, 2023

4. Probably best to not calculate all the hours you spend getting your child to sleep... Ouch.

I remember a stage around 18 months when I calculated that I was spending 20-24hrs a week coaxing my toddler to sleep/back to sleep. And you’re supposed to continue to work and function. Nearly lost the plot.

— Fiona Lensvelt (@FionaWilson_) January 24, 2023

5. Over-tiredness is the devil.

6. This parent actually got her child to sleep. Then got slapped. Have we not suffered enough?

Was adjusting the toddler in her sleep and she slapped me.

— JordanEllyse (@JordanEllyse) January 26, 2023

7. Why won’t they go in their own room though?

ANY TIPS ON JOW TO GET YO TODDLER TO SLEEP IN THEY ROOM!? enough is efuckingnough bro my neck hurt my back hurt I been sleepless for years what’s the secret??

— Pearl Marie✨ (@_1pmarie) January 26, 2023

8. The phrase ‘it doesn’t last forever’ can get in the bin.

Truly one of the least helpful things if I talk about getting spotty sleep or really any other toddler woe is the “it doesn’t last forever!” Response. It almost exclusively comes from parents of adult children.

I know it doesn’t last forever but I am exhausted RIGHT NOW man

— Jill Justus-Foran (@jill_foran1) January 23, 2023

9. Only a sleep-deprived parent could come up with this genius concept.

Start up idea: a service where a professional goes to people's homes to put their toddlers to sleep at night 😂

— Moon (@moon_gazer__) January 15, 2023

10. This perfectly summarises what’s going on behind most closed doors past bedtime.

It's past our grown-up bedtime and the kids still refuse to sleep. The toddler is serenading the cat in the dark, on the ukulele, to the amusement of the babbling baby. We're not really good at this parenting at night-time, are we? 🙈

— Tiana M Fischer (@avaunt_la_garde) January 17, 2023

11. Everybody tells you babies don’t sleep. Nobody tells you toddlers don’t either.

I really need to talk to other parents w/ toddlers who hardly ever slept, who had to FIGHT and wrestle to get even a 40 minute nap, who dreaded bedtime because it was always an epic struggle. Because I am at my wits end here folks (this is not a post asking for advice)

— elisabeth sherman (@shermanelis) January 23, 2023

12. It’s often the luck of the draw whether you get a sleeper or not.

I know twins (who've now survived past toddler status) with completely different sleep patterns, sometimes it is just the child.

There is a lovely recording of Samuel L Jackson reading "go the … to sleep" - it won't help but it's great.

— Human27 (@Human2715) January 24, 2023

13. Why are toddlers so anti-science though?

Has anyone shown toddlers the research that they need 10+ hours sleep per day? Because I’m beginning to think these guys don’t believe in science.

— Shannon Lorenzen (@ShannonSpeaking) January 22, 2023

14. This is the most accurate portrayal of early risers we’ve ever seen.

Having a toddler that don’t sleep past 6:30am EVERYDAY & be at your neck like this <<<<< pic.twitter.com/RjnbOzofvv

— Ivan (@imitch__) January 22, 2023

15. Can we at least be consistent, please?

My toddler sleeps great at night but won’t nap, my baby takes great naps but cries all night, I’m just tired and need sleep somewhere too guys 😭

— Mrs. M ☀️ (@Mama2Rylie) January 24, 2023

16. This mum got a refund from her sleep consultant and we don’t know whether to laugh or cry on her behalf.

OK, so what happens when the sleep consultant refunds you after two days, saying they're "totally baffled" by your baby?

— Holly Bourne (@holly_bourneYA) January 24, 2023

17. Have kids they said. It’ll be fun they said.

FINALLY gets the newborn down to sleep, a feat almost impossible, and the toddler wakes up because he “needs a bear paw and to watch tv” at 4 am. pic.twitter.com/PtP2NHctVr

— Lauren LaBossiere (@laurenlaboss) January 23, 2023

18. When you do eventually get those babies to sleep. God tier = unlocked.

Got all 3 toddlers to sleep without Mom tonight. pic.twitter.com/EonP6dAky3

— Rich Ward (@RichWardJr) January 25, 2023
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