Milk at Night

The reason he won't be starved off the 'habit' is because he is getting a huge proportion of his daily calories (presently) in the night. There may be several reasons for this:

He is too busy (himself, or your family life) for him to concentrate on eating enough

He is growing too fast to be able to eat enough during the day

The calorie density of the foods he's eating during the day is too low to carry him through the night

If he's growing normally and otherwise is healthy, it may just work to feed him more, more frequently and higher-calorie choices (like cheese instead of skim milk, or avocados instead of celery sticks) during the day, so he isn't so hungry through the night.

It's not a habit, by the way. It's hunger.

2 moms found this helpful

First, at 17 mos he is too old for a bottle. Second, at aroudn 4 mos you should stop night time feedings. I would go "cold turkey" on the bottles and night feedings. The first week will be hard, but after that he will adjust.

Hi K.,

I know this is going to sound harsh, but I don't know what to tell you. There is absolutely no reason for a 17 mo old to be drinking at all during the night. He should be sleeping through the night. These bottles are not out of necessity, they are out of habbit. You need to be strong and get him off of this mixed up schedule. And, the only way to do it is to just stop. Is he eating and drinking enough during the day? Have you asked your pediatrician about this? I know it is going to be hard, and he is going to cry a lot, and you are going to lose sleep, but you are anyway. And, in the long run, he will stop and you will both be getting more sleep.
Like I said, this is going to sound harsh, but it is what it is.

Sounds like your son is going through so many diapers BECAUSE he is drinking so much. It is most likely just a habit/need to be comforted that he is wanting SO MANY bottles in the evening. Sucking = comfort.

It is not a bad idea to ask your pediatrician if he could be excessively thirsty (as one response suggested) to rule out any true problems...but more than likely you just need to break this habit. If memory serves, pediatricians don't want babies getting more than a certain amount of milk daily anyhow.

Now may be just the ideal time then to get rid of the bottle altogether. Put his milk in a sippy cup (even in the daytime) and let him have a few tantrums about it. He will not starve and will eventually realize that the only way he is going to get his milk is through that sippy. Just stop offering it in the bottle. In the evening, let him cry it out. The heartbreak (for you and him alike) should only last a few days.

Also...at bedtime put a diaper on him that is a size larger (tight enough that it's comfortable but won't leak out the sides). This will help prolong the diaper change a bit.

Good luck...letting them cry it out is torture sometimes but is usually swift and effective.

I found if I gave my son a filling bedtime snack - Oatmeal cereal or homemade Oatmeal cookies with some milk then did the bedtime routine including brushing his teeth, it kept him fuller longer and there were many less diapers to change. The crying is a control mechanism for small ones, so keep that in mind too. Good luck.

Hi K.,

My advice would be to have him cry it out. I know that it sounds harsh but he does not need that much milk through the night and should not be sucking on a bottle this old as it could cause problems with is teeth. The advice giving to me that worked was to let him cry it out, walk in after 5 minutes, don't pick him up or say anything, just rub his back and walk out. Wait another 10 minutes and repeat, then 15 minutes, 20 minutes and so on. On the second night don't start going in until 10 minutes, then 15, 20 and so on. Continue this until he sleeps without the bottle and stops waking up for it. I do know how hard this will be but I really feel it is better for everyone in the end. Good luck and know that you can get through it!

O my god! I am in the same situation. I have a 2 1/2 year old and her does the samething. Please if you could forward me any good suggestions that would be great. ____@____.com. Thanks D.

I had the same problem with my daughter. I gave her one bottle with just a little bit of milk in it and if she cried, I ignored her and she cried herself to sleep, but she doesn't need any bottles or diaper changes at night anymore. It's a habit and it just has to be broken. Good luck!

there is no need for you son to even need something to drink at night, let alone that much milk. at this age, they are getting what they need during the day. this is just a bad habit that must be broken. it is not good for his teeth. at all. i'd nix this a.s.a.p. it won't be easy now, but it will be good for him in the long run. also, he's not getting a good night's sleep and that is not healthy. we weened my son of having anything to drink at five months. our dr. told us by then he was getting plenty during the day. he cried for the first two nights and has never gotten up since. good luck and stick to your guns. it will be better for everyone involved.

I say you'll have to go cold turkey and let him cry it out. I am not usually a mom that suggests letting a baby cry, but he is not a baby any more. You have to decide how bad you would like him to stop this habbit. This can not be good for his teeth! Maybe getting him attatched to something else like a stuffed animal or special blanket, and/or an award system--he's old enough now to understand.

GL:)

Try adding a little bit of water to the milk and slowly increase until it is ALL water or you might try decreasing the amount of milk you give him in each bottle slowly weaning him off until you elminate one feeding then the next. My daughter was 12 months old and would wake for breastfeeding throughout the night 3 or 4 times a night. I was amazed when one day she weaned herself from nursing cold turkey and started sleeping through the night within a week. I do leave her a water sippy cup in the crib so if she wakes and is thirsty, she can drink. Now she is 2. Around 18 months she started having dry nights or only waking once for changes. It takes time but the sooner you get him off the liquids, the more sleep you'll get. Also, try feeding him some warm milk just before bed. I like to add a teaspoon of organic Raw Blue Agave nectar. It has a low glycemic index and helps fill her tummy before taking her long nights rest. You can try honey but it gives my kids more of a "wake up" affect and they don't fall asleep as quickly. Both my kids sleep about 12 hours through the night this way. HTH. Good
luck!

I guess I would suggest doing things gradually. You could try him cold turkey, but I suspect the entire family would be miserable for a couple weeks. I think the more important issue is milk in bed (baby rot) as opposed to how much he's drinking. Water would be fine. In a sippy cup would be best, but I'd deal with the milk thing before getting rid of the bottle. Start by combining some water in the milk (you might have to do this during the day too, so he can't tell the drastic difference) until you can switch him to water entirely at night. Then give him regular milk during the day. There will be crying. I would not hold back liquids at night. Some children do not drink enough during the day. Others sleep with their mouths open and they dry out. Whatever the case, always let him have water.

hello K.
i agree with the other you need to break that bottle now he should be useing a sippie all the time and if you are shanging him three time a night thay way to much try the next size up on diaper so back to the bottle i would take him to the store and let him pick out a cup throw all bottle away and offer a cup he wil not go with out drinking he will throw a fit but stay strong and he will learn to like the cup good luck

Hey K., You just have to stop cold turkey. You have to show hime that you are the boss and not him. Every parent has to go though this. Either when they stop the pacifiers or the bottle or whatever it maybe. You are looking at a few sleepless nights but in the long run it will be better for you and him. If you work outside the house then try the weekends. Start on Friday night. Does he use a sippy cup at all during the day? IF not you may want to start there first.
Hope I was of help. Good Luck.

I know everyone jumps right to the thought of Habit related activities.... however don't overlook that your son's body may be telling you something. 4 -5 8oz bottles is really exsesive... and 3 diapers a night is alot as well. You may want to talk to your doctor about your son's need for so much liquids and have so much urination. Now, I am not saying that I have a diagnosis, but exsesive need for liquids and alot of urination are also signs of childhood diabetes.. I am sure that it probably is nothing.. but sometimes it's not Habit, just your son's body needing something....

I would say to stop the bottles and transition to sippy cups... At night use one that has a straw... If he wants a drink hold it there, let him take a drink and then put it away and cuddle. I doubt its a hydration thing but a comfort thing. Talk to his dr at the next appt. Does he have ear problems that the sucking may help relieve? Does he drink a lot all day? There could be a health issue. But definently work on switching to water...

I would start giving him less in each bottle and keep decreasing it slowly. Soon, he may keep sleeping because he knows he'll only be getting an ounce or two. If he still wakes up, you could try the water again. Also make sure he's drinking enough throughout the day, and maybe give him milk just before bed.

I would say to cut him off. Give him a sippy cup about half full of milk when he goes to bed (after a good heavy snack) and tell him this is it for the night. Then don't give him any more. He won't be happy about it-- you'll have a rough night, but its for his own good (and your sanity!) You are the parent and you know that its not good for his teeth to be drinking milk (especially that much) all night long. He will adjust, I would say about a week and he'll be used to the new situation. Good Luck!

You son is old enough to not need to eat/drink at night... I would not try replacing the milk with water - don't give him anything at all. You will probably have a few rough nights as he adjusts to this - he'll have to "learn" to sleep without drinking milk all night - but it's something that needs to be done.

You really need to break this habit. A toddler is only supposed to drink between 16 and 24 oz of milk a day. I am assuming that he is drinking milk at other times as well. I would try taking him to the store and have him pick out a new sippy cup that he can have water in at night. Make a big deal out of his big boy cup and talk about how bottles are for babies. I know that this may be hard but it might be time to give up bottles comlpetly. Good luck and let us know what you decide to do.
K.

You have to be strong and JUST SAY NO! :-) Make a plan.

This is what I did so that I could make it because it is tough to break a habit. When it was time for my oldest to give up the bottle, I started on a Friday night because my husband did not have to work on the weekends. The first night is the most difficult. Just put water in the bottle. Do your bedtime routine as usual. The child will cry and be upset and want a milk bottle. Do NOT give in! They will be up most of the night and so will you. The next night will be about the same, especially at the start of your son's bedtime routine. The third night will be much better.

Seriously. It took 3 nights for my daughter. This was one of the most difficult things that I had to do, but I wanted a healthy child. Hang in there. You can do it!

My boy is 2 years and 4 months and he is doing a similar thing. My hubby doesn't mind him having a bottle cause he says he had one til he was about 4 years old - my argument is that he had it til he was 4 cause they didn't have sippy cups 40 years ago. So ... we have agreed to give him a 4 oz bottle before nap and bed time and if he asks for a bottle in middle of the night we offer him an 8 oz bottle but we also change his diaper at that time. We have had to keep him in Huggies overnight diapers cause I was changing his clothes and his bedding in the middle of the night.

I am hoping that in the hot summer he will be more likely to drink water . I might even try giving it to him with a straw so he is still able to "suck."

You could also decrease the amount of milk very gradually. If worse comes to worse cut him off cold turkey but I would wait until he is at least 2.5 before you do that. He is still pretty young.

Gotta go!As he is asking for "milky" right now. lol