Help with My Toddlers Sleeping Habits!

I think you will probably have to get rid of the bottle. Find him something that he can comfort himself with when he wakes up.. I give my daughter a cup of water so she knows where it is and she has a special nite lite..... Plus all of her buddies (stuffed animals) she sleeps with.. That worked.... Good luck!! A.

Hi....I belive in this kind of situation it would have to be some tuff love. This was kinda the same thing as with our sons and thier nuki's. The first week is tuff but well worth it. I would take all the bottles away and show him that the bottle fairy picked them up. When he wakes up, give him a sip in a cup and sent him back to his own bed. Like I said the first week won't be fun but stick to it and by the end of the week it will be alot better! Good luck.

My daughter did this until we finally threw away the bottles completely. We waited until 2.5 years because I wasn't ready and because of some medicine she was taking. We had her throw the bottles away herself. We had 4 very sleepless nights and very bad naps. On the 5th day, she quit waking up for a bottle and slept through the night for the first time ever.

Hello,
This isn't really advice but I completely understand what you are going through.

I have the same problem. My son will be two in Dec also. However, he won't even sleep in his room. Since the day I brought him home from the hospital he has ALWAYS slept with his father and I. It drives us crazy. And I cannot get him off the bottle. I think it's more of a security thing for him and he is very persistent. I'm pregnant with our second child and since I really don't want to hear him cry I give in all the time. I tried that tuff love thing everyone else recommends for about a week and he still wouldn't change. I think the only advice I can give is just go with the flow and hopefully he will grow out of it.

If you try something and it works. Let me know I would greatly appreciate it.

-T.

Casey has the right idea on the bottles but now to the sleeping in his own bed issue. When your son wakes up, instead of letting him crawl in with you, you go with him to his bed. If he has a toddler bed or crib then sit on the floor and hold his hand til he falls back to sleep. If he has a regular bed, definately crawl in bed with him. The first time you do this he will probably wake up again bout an 1-1/2 to 2 hrs later. So maybe stay with him til he sees you're still there and then go back to your own bed.

Given some time (all kids are different so how long/short will be different, too) with this and he should then be able to fall back to sleep himself with out waking you.

If he is afraid of the dark and thats why he needs you, use a small night light. If he is afraid of the monsters under his bed, make his favorite or even a new stuffed animal his protector that will scare the monsters into the next town. I also use the "make your own dream before you fall asleep" trick. If it's nightmares, then have him think of you chasing away the monsters in his dreams. All these worked for me.

Good luck!

hi, my guy is almost 2 and I will give you some advice of what I would do..good luck.
1. No more bottles all night..at this age it is a habit..he doesn't need to be drinking milk at all in the night. Plus..tough on the teeth.
2. when he awakens..comfort him, try a blanket, stuffed animal etc. Try not to pick him up. Or pick him up, soothe him and then back in the crib.
**this is going to be tough probably as he is older, use to being with mom in bed and drinking 2X in the night! He will probably be unhappy any changes are being made so stay strong!!
3. Depending on your style and the type of kid you have you could:
keep checking on him say every 10 minutes..repeat the soothing but try not to give too much attention and fuss until he calms and goes back to sleep in the crib. Don't bring him into bed with you.

or..let him cry it out. ( try ear plugs), its hard to listen to it, but he may calm relatively quick..or not. Either way, it may take awhile to break the 2 habits but that is what they are and he can learn to sleep in his crib and self-soothe to sleep with some help from you.
Eventually it will work but it will require patience and stick to the plan, don't give in with the bottles or in your bed or it will confuse him and make this process even longer.

Good luck.

Shelley

honostly I think it is the bottle, my daughter was 2 in June and has been sleeping throught the night sice we quit with the bottle, someone else already said it but tough love, it is hard to cut them off but your son knows you will give him a bottle and can sleep with you. I've dealt with my daughter sleeping with us after she wakes up in the middle of the night and it's hard to listen to your baby cry but you just have to cut them off. Every dr. I've seen has been VERY ademate about weaning from the bottle at one year. Use sippy cups, send him to bed with a cup of milk and dont go get him. If he's in a big boy bed (not a crib) try gates to keep him in his room. But really the night time bottle is the hardest to quit! My husband was always the pushover giving her a bottle at bed instead of a cup. The only real advice I can give is cut him off from the bottle, throw them all away and go just cold turkey! it's hard but it works! good luck! ps, someone else replied that they shouldnt have milk at night its tough on their teeth... they aren't keeping these teeth anyway and truth is from my dentist sister thats not true, pooling milk is bad, which bottles leak milk into the mouth if they sleep with it. Cups do not drip into the mouth causing pooling of milk.

dont give in or just give him water.his teeth will get decay from the milk.as for the sleeping thats a tough one to break seeing thats what hes used too......

oh my, that is tough! I read a great book by Marc Weissbluth called healthy sleep habits, happy child. It really helped me out with my first son when i needed to set some boundries for night time. It is easy to read and very reassuring. I hope this helps, good luck and stay strong mama!
C.

The bottle maybe the problem try just giving him a glass of water. No bottle he maybe just waking up for the bottle... May cause you some sleepless nights but worth it. Also getting him to stay in his bed is bit more of a challenge my daughter is 5 and still comes to my room 1or 2 night a week saying " she misses me\" Give it some time it will pass

A.,

I have some information on this on my website. I am sorry but I can not attach files here. Please visit my website at www.lhdoula-service.com and go to the helpful information page and click on the link that you are looking for. If you have any other questions or need more information please let mw know. I would be happy to help.

Blessings To you
S. Blevons - CD (DONA), CLD (CAPPA)
Fond Du Lac Co. WI.
www.lhdoula-service.com.



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Hi A.!
I would suggest starting small....
First, instead of giving him a bottle in the middle of the night, try giving him a cup of milk, and then after a week or so of this working switch to water. He can take a sippy cup of water to bed with him for as long as he would like (I have a 5 yr old that still takes a cup of water to bed with her at night)
After you have accomplished that small defeat, get him back to his bed. You have to be consistant and it only takes a few rough nights until he gets the idea. Get up and put him back in his bed and if he comes back in by you, put him back again and again until he stays.
Good luck!

Hey Ashely,
I also have a 2 yr old that is not sleeping thry the night and has not since we brought her home from the hospital. I think it partly her Daddies fault becaues he will wake up and let her watch a movie and snuggle with her till the wee hours! I told him he needs to stop this habit, becaues now she thinks her and Daddies special time is after 2am!
I usually give her a diaper change and then put her back to bed, it KILLS me to listen to her cry or whimper for 15 mintues but its alot better than 2 hours, of her being overly tired, and crabby. Usually she stops after about 15 min. and goes right back to sleep.
She likes a night light and a special toy....
Hope that helps! And good Luck!!