My almost 15 month old has developed a bad waking up to drink water habit! I introduced water when she night weaned, and then when she woke during teething, I'd give her some water, and she'd go back to sleep. Last night she woke up yelling "waa, waa. Aqua!"
Well, in the last two weeks, it's become a full on habit. She is waking every morning between 3-5. Some mornings she goes right back to sleep, others, when she is overtired, she fusses and dozes, and then fusses. I'm feeling old and tired, and I'm done :-) hubby wants me to stay up past 9:30, and I can't do that and be awake for 1-2 hours in the middle of the night.
How do I break this habit without full on CIO? I will admit that about once a week I have to pick her up and hold her for. 1-2 minutes to get her relaxed enough to go back to sleep. The other nights she just uses her crib soother and goes back to sleep. I've been trying not to hold her, but last night I had to, after 1.5 hours of her being unable to really settle. The night before she was happy with a hug.....
My other two kids never developed a water habit. They weaned, and then slept 12 hours a night. I'm at a loss here.
I really want to break the water habit full stop. I don't use sippy cups with toddlers.
Grammy G is right, we are in a wonder period. She was up babbling for 2 hours last night. This isn't about water, the water is just a side note to her having a wonder period. With luck, she will go back to not needing water at night. If she continues to need it, I will just get up and give it to her.
If you'd use a Sippy cup, problem would be solved.
I don't get the big deal.
This "no Sippy cup" policy might have worked because the other two didn't wake up thirsty. Time to rethink?
I wasn't a fan of sippy cups either (my kids went from breast to table, and only used them if we were going to be in the car for extended periods) but for water at night, I don't see the problem. It could just be her special night time water cup.
Remember, children are individual people after all, just like adults, they aren't all the same, and some of us like/need more hydration than others. Sometimes parents need to adjust their expectations and stop with the "I don't" and switch to the "let's try."
Well, I was going to suggest a sippy cup too, but I guess that's not on the table...so, in the absence of that, maybe one of those water bottles that you clip to a hamster cage? ;-)
I'd pick my battles here. I don't think if you made an exception for night time water in a sippy it would undermine your regular, "no sippy cups for toddlers" policy. I would just make it clear that it was ONLY for night time, and ONLY for water.
ETA: Everyone in my house has water next to their beds.
Why not use the sippy? Or what about a straw cup with a lid?
Both my kids (ages 4 and 7) still keep sippy cups of water next to their beds. (Heck, I keep a cup of water next to my bed because I get thirsty at night too)
My kids drink from regular open cups all day, it's just for at night so I don't have to worry about spilled water at 2AM. I don't see what the big deal is.
Well, I LOVE having a glass of water on my nightstand. I take a drink every time I wake up, and I would be pretty bummed if I couldn't have it.
I've never heard anyone state that a 15 month old is too old for a sippy cup, as sippy cups actually are for toddlers. Would you be open to allowing sippy cups for bedtime only and for water only?
I really think you should reconsider. It's perfectly normal for people to want water at night. I don't think it's too terribly common for kids to sleep 12 solid hours without waking at such a young age. I think you got very, very lucky. Your youngest isn't the same, so you probably need to consider accepting her desire to have water at night.
I don't think this is a battle worth fighting. Give her a sippy cup and get some sleep.
It's not a habit that you need to break, it is something that you need to reasonably accommodate in a way that is less disrupting to others. I can't support withholding water and leaving her to cry.
My kids have a cup of water at their bed at night. So do I. For the kids, they are cups with lids and straws to help prevent accidental spills. I should probably put a lid on mine, I've sent it flying a few times! If your toddler knows how to use a straw, use a lid/straw combo. If not, get past your dislike of sippy cups.
Different kids have different needs and even sometimes need different parenting. Try to stop comparing #3 to the first two.
Put a sippy cup of water by her the bed.
If she wakes you up be firm that out is night night time and everyone needs to sleep. Make her stay in bed, keep laying her down over and over if you have to, but make sure she understands that you are serious and there is no other option but to stay in bed.
I have to have something by my side at night to drink. Put a sippy cup in her crib and show her where it is. If you are so dead set against a sippy cup (not sure why you would be) then you will have to keep getting up. She is thirsty. Just because your other kids did not want something to drink during the night does not mean this baby will be the same. My 22 month old granddaughter has a sippy with water at night. She is perfectly happy and healthy in spite of having a sippy cup. Pick your battles.
My 3 year old often wakes at night wanting water, we leave a cup by his bed and he gets his drink. I will occasionally wake up thirsty too, and will get up for a drink before going back to sleep. Your child is in a crib and doesn't have the ability to get herself a drink, In my opinion it's rather cruel to try to "break" a habit that the rest of us can all relieve ourselves. Either give her a cup in the crib, or get her a drink when she demands it and deal with the consequences. You might find that she really just wants you, and once she's got the cup she's no longer wanting it.
I can't go to bed without a glass of water at my bedside, and my daughter has always been the same way. I wake up in the middle of the night to pee and drink.
If you won't do sippy cups, then perhaps get one of those straw cups. Honestly, though, I would put a straw cup in there and get my sleep. It is just water- not like it's doing any harm. And a lot less painful than CIO.
My only suggestion is to do the sippy cup of water too. But since you don't do those for a toddler I'm at a loss. Its either CIO, or get up to give her water, or only do sippy cups or a water bottle of some sort for water that she can access herself. Maybe she is a mouth breather and her throat gets dry and sore and she needs the water.
Your depriving a 15 mo from a sippy cup at night and wondering why your losing sleep. Why can't she just use it at night?
This age it's pretty normal to wake up. They start a growth spurt around this age and they get hungry most of the time.
I think it should be about done. What time do you get up if you can't stay up until 9:30, that's pretty early to me so I'm curious. I get up between 6:45 and 7am on school days and stay up much later than you're saying you are tired. So I'm curious.
what is a wonder period?
i think i'm in a perpetual wonder period!
and like many other people, whether or not they are full of wonder, i like to have water by my bedside. most nights i don't need it, but i hate waking with a dry mouth and nothing to fix it.
you've trained her to get water in the middle of the night. why now make the poor baby 'break the habit full stop'? it just seems illogical.
and a no-spill cup, or cup with a straw, could fix all your problems. what's the rationale for NOT using something that would so clearly help?
khairete
wondering S.
She is only 15 months old. Love and enjoy her. If she wants love or water give it to her. Parenting is 24/7.
I understand wanting to break this habit... I really do... But to me, this is not a battle worth fighting.
When I wake up thirsty, I know that I CAN NOT get back to sleep without a drink. My daughter is the same way.
I'm also not a fan of sippy cups, but at 15 months, I would say to go ahead and give her one. That way, she can have it in her crib. When my DD was that age, I had already transitioned her to a toddler bed and I just left her a cup of water on a nightstand so she could drink without waking me up for it... But in a crib, I would say to do the sippy. (If you think she has the dexterity to do a water bottle, maybe that would work... But at 15 mos I would worry about not getting the lid in and soaking the bed.)
Otherwise, I would say to tell her no water when she asks for water, and do whatever it takes to get her back to sleep as quickly as possible.
J.,
Each child is different. Your other two might have woken up and self-soothed.
You need to use a sippy cup. It's as simple as that. You may NOT want to do it, however, if you put a sippy cup in her crib, she will NOT wake you up because it's there for her already.
What you will find? She will soon get tired of this and NOT wake up. Prepare a sippy cup. Put it in bed with her. Show her where it is. She won't wake you up anymore...
I did this. It WILL work. Eventually? She will NOT want to bother. Right now? She's GETTING ATTENTION...and with the sippy there, readily available? She won't....
Get a sippy cup.
