It seems like every other post I’ve come across online recently features a parent battling sleep deprivation because their 3- or 4-year-old seemingly decided to stop sleeping over the festive period.

It’s not that they don’t sleep at all. It’s more that they just can’t seem to stay asleep. They’re in and out of bed like yo-yos throughout the night and their parents are on their knees because of it.

I’ve seen messages from desperate mums in our local Whatsapp group who are at wit’s end because they’re barely getting any shut-eye and are having to function on a couple of hours here and there.

“This is something I see very frequently with families of 3- to 4-year-olds, and it’s completely developmentally normal,” said sleep consultant Rosey Davidson.

“At this age, sleep disruption is rarely about ‘bad habits’ and much more about what’s happening in a child’s brain, body and world.”

Why won’t my child sleep?!

The sleep expert explained that between the ages of three and four,

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