2 yr old not sleeping

Our 2 1/2 year old has recently started waking up every night at around 3:00 am.  He will scream and cry and run to our room.  We take him back to his room and try and get him back to sleep which can take 1-2 hours sometime.  This has been going on for approx 2 months.  My husband and I are exhausted.  Any suggestions???

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Such disturbances in the sleep cycle are not unusual for the age, and this phase will not endure. In the meantime, you are doing the correct thing by escorting your son back to his room. While it's exhausting, it prevents a habit from developing - i.e., taking him into your bed. If he is still napping during the day, his current pattern would suggest that you should stop the daytime nap.