I have an eighteen month old baby, who gets up about twice throughout the night even though I would give her her bottle. Should she be getting up this often? I can't wait for the day for her to sleep through the night. Please give me some advice.
You said that she still takes a bottle? Try feeding her cereal (baby kind) mixed with her formula and some baby food peaches (for sweetening) for a later supper. With a fuller belly it should help with the sleeping through the night (and weening her off of the bottle!)
It's normal. All babies vary in their sleeping habits and wake for a variety of reasons. Check out No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley.
Also, YOU know your daughter best. If she's waking up hungry, feed her. I can still here my little one's tummy growling at night. No way I would ignore that.
I remember those days.What I did before putting mine down for the night is feed them alittle .Babies sleep well on a full belly.Just like grown ups.Also give them a little to drink to fill the space where food isn't.
Think of your body and how we would feel.If you eat and drink you sleep well .Babies are the same way.Don't put a baby to bed with a bottle because of the teeth problems .Please parents don't write me and say this is a old wives tale.It isn't .My daughter was put to bed with a bottle all the time and has the worst teeth problems and My son wasn't and doesn't have that problem.Dentist compared several children and found the fact of what a bottle can do
Thanks for reading
Debbie
I feel that a baby 18 months should be off the bottle! Are you feeding her people food? I would give her her dinner and then a snack of some sort just before laying down and expect her to sleep. She may be so used to having a bottle she will fuss for it for a few nights but usually if they are dry, and full they will sleep. Maybe changing how you handle her before putting her down. No rough play trying to wear her out. Plus our weather is getting nicer so maybe a little outside time then get ready for bed and put her to bed. Our attitude often has a lot to do with children. If she wakes up give her milk in a cup but take the bottle away and certainly not to lay down with it. It will mess up her teeth and cause milk teeth. Not good!!! We always made a big deal of no bottles after 12 months! I had 6 kids and have 14 grandchildren. All lost their bottles at 12 months and then we got ready to begin potty training. I don't think you can potty train as long as they are taking a bottle!
Hi -
Just so you know where I am coming from - I have been through this with both kids - now 8 and 4. My son woke like this - sometimes 3X per night as well as my daughter until 3.5. Then after sleeping well for almost 2 years, at 5, he regressed and began having real sleep difficulties. I read every book, tried every method. Many people (including your pediatrician) may imply that either you are causing it or it will work itself out. Please trust your mothering instinct and know that this advice is complete bunk.
I found out that both my kids had yeast overgrowth and bacterial infections in the gut. It sounds unreal, but it is very common now with children. Yours is so little that you can really make a difference in her outcome of health and prevent so many things I won't go into, if you are willing to go further than the typical.
Something that really helped my daughter without doing any testing was to put her on proibotics and Candicid (a supplement for reducing yeast made by Enzemetica - can get at whole foods). When I first did this, she would sleep consistently when I gave this to her before bed. You can empty the capsule in yogurt or applesauce to give her. There are hundreds of studies you can find that will show you that enzymes and proibotics are not harmful even if huge amounts, but are very beneficial.
Also, you may want to try to change to rice milk or almond milk rather than cows milk. Many times, milk intolerance will inflame the issue. If you are concerned about her getting enough fat (calcium is not an issue, it is equal), add 1 tblsp of cod liver oil (liquid at whole foods) to the milk. My pediatrician told me that I should not in any way worry about change from milk - rice or almond was easily as healthy and often less inflammatory to little immune systems. If there is a yeast problem, this will not make it go away, but it may help her sleep better without a tummy ache. Most little ones like Rice milk better because it is a little sweeter and not as strong of a flavor.
Also, in the middle of the night, try to give her half apple juice and half water instead of milk - even rice milk. Work your way to as much water as she will take rather than putting something on her stomach. She is wanting the comfort, but an hour or two later, you are in a cycle that will be helped by not adding more milk.
There is a great doctor in Marietta who I think is just terrific. He is a preventative med family practiconer. He can help you understand the yeast and possibly the clostridia /bacterial issues and treat it. You have no idea how common this is for children now. Sometimes it does not effect the sleep (but causes anxiety and sensory issues later), but it is still a big deal for the immune system. He does not file insurance, but you can file them and be reimbursed (we have had no issues with getting the reimbursements).
Lee Ralph C MD
(770) 423-0064
110 Lewis Dr Ne
Marietta, GA
There are several books you can probably find at whole foods that are pretty good or you can read on the web about it. There is a book called the Yeast connection which may be helpful.
I can tell you that sleeping through the night is so important! for you and her.
Sincerely, Julie - a sleeping mom now.
Have you concidered taking her off the bottle. Is she eating enough whole food? How long is her nap in the daytime? Maybe instead of feeding her, lay down with her and see if she won't go back to sleep. She really should not be getting up and eating in the middle of the night at this age.
That is normal. She will soon understand the difference as long as you make sure she takes naps during the day and turn the lights out at night. It takes some babies longer than others. But, be sure to help her distinguish day from night.
I am sleep deprived also. I have an almost 4 year old and a 10 month old. The oldest just started sleeping through the night when she turned around 3. My baby tosses and turns all night. We try to let her sleep in her on bed, but she always ends up in our bed. I feel your pain, I have tried letting her cry herself to sleep, but she is very persistant and we can't let her cry but for so long. They say it is not good for them. I can only hope that it will get better soon. Good luck with your kids.
No! Using the "Baby Wise" methodology and a sound machine, my 4 mo old has been sleeping 8.5-9.5 hrs a night since she was 8 weeks. And that's on just a full tummy of breast milk. Sounds like it's just a habit that's formed for your baby. She probably just gets lonely and wants to see you! Our little one stirs occasionally during the night. We've been successful with just turning the sound machine back on, rubbing her head (which I do when I feed her so she associates it as a comfort measure), and popping in the paci. So far she has always settled right back down. If you don't already have a sound machine, they're great. Walmart has the best deal - $15. In the pharmacy dept near the foot spa and other spa-like stuff. It plays several different sounds including waves, rainforest, white noise and heart beat. Turn it up louder than you think, and it will help create a white noise affect and block out household noises that can be distracting. Good luck!
You didn't say what you were putting in her bottles but you should only be giving her water at night and she needs sippy cups instead of bottles. Anything else but water especially in bottles will cause bottle mouth aka her baby teeth will start to decay from the backside of her teeth from all the sugar in milk, juice and formula because it just sits on the teeth and in her mouth while she sleeps. Stop making it worth her while to wake up and only let her have water in a sippy cup. If she is still in the crib and she isn't screaming her head off when she wakes up, then just leaving her alone is another option. She'll get the hint that mommy isn't coming.
~Sharie
Hi Chanaki!
This is tough. I have been there. Our 12 month old just started sleeping through the night about two months ago.
I think you should consider cutting out the night feedings. You wrote that you are giving her bottles in the middle of the night; this can spell disaster for later on.
I suggest reading "Baby Wise" by Ezzo.
I know that many parents don't agree with him on certain things but he saved us and without letting our baby cry it out, she would not have learned to calm herself down and go back to sleep on her own.
I don't mean ignoring the baby, I just mean, making sure she is dry, all happy, and then leave the room.
Honestly, the crying might last all of 15 minutes and you won't have to deal with that more than two nights.
Try it.
We are also very sleep deprived. Our daughter who is almost a year, was sleeping well at 4 months - sometimes for 12 hours. Now she gets up every few hours - waking my son 4 1/2 who has now begun to have behavioural problems because, (I believe) that he is so tired.
Our pediatrician recommeded the Ferber method. We tried it one night reassuring her every 5 minutes and she screamed for hours - then she started to bang her head on the crib and I couldn't handle that (although the book says that they won't hurt themselves). So after letting her scream for almost 4 hours we haven't got anywhere. I feel sick just thinking about it - it was awful!
Hope that you find something that works for your family. I know that bottles in the night actually cause babies to wake as they are used to eating at a certain time and wake up feeling 'hungry'. At 18 months she does not need to eat in the middle of the night. Also wetter diapers might make it harder for her to sleep. Perhaps you could wean her off the bottle giving her only water at night for a little while and trying to use it less in the daytime.
Good luck!
18 months is TOO old to be getting that unnecessary feeding- not to mention compromising your much needed rest! As the mother of 6 children, put your child on a schedule where her
last feeding is in the evening. When s/he wakes for that anticipated feeding, do not offer it anymore. Yes, it means you may have to listen to a weeks worth of crying, but at some point, the child is going to figure out that 'there is no more midnight meals," and ideally eat better in the morning, as s/he should.
As the parent, you are to put your child on a schedule (stay at home mother or not), otherwise the child will put YOU on one! By implementing a schedule, you give your child safe boundaries of what to expect and not to expect. As the child grows, that tranfers into LOVE as they know what they can and cannot get away with!!
Also, you and your husband need to be in agreement with any decision because a young child's only purpose is to "divide and conquer" your marriage as they figure out WHICH one of you they can manipulate to get what THEY want.
Good luck!
Unfortunatly, i cannot tell you what to do to fix your problem, all I can suggest is what NOT to do.
My oldest child (now 7 years old) didn't start sleeping the night through till he was almost three. I would get up with him and give him a cup of milk, take him to the bathroom and then sit in his room until he went back to sleep.
When he was 2 1/2 I had my second child and she slept the whole night through at 3 weeks old, but I was still getting up with my toddler every night!!!
It wasn't till he went and spent the week with my mother that he was broke of the habit. He tried getting up with her and she wouldn't have anything to do with it. She firmly told him to get his butt back into bed and stay there. Two nights later he didn't even attempt to get out of bed.
So, that is why I feel I cannot tell you a way to fix it, because my mom had to fix it for me. However, I can say, don't give your baby anything. Go in, hug her, lay her back down and then leave the room. If you set her in the habit of you being there, she will assume it is just extra mommy/baby time and not break the habit. The first few nights are going to be rough, but in the long run, it should do you well.
If she doesn't go right back to sleep, check on her every 15 min or so to let her know your still around, but lay her back down and leave the room again.
I hope it gets better for you...
have u ever tried homeopathic remedies? well they r at any health foods store and they have a long list of aliments they treat and one of which is to calm a restless child and it is so natural and yet so effective... Many Blessings.. also pray 2 gether before bedtime and ask for a full nights rest..
Stop giving her the bottle. In a week she will be sleeping through the night.
Hi my 11 wouldnt sleep through the when she was that age an elderly lady told me to brew cat nip tea and give it to her in a bottle ( only about 2 oz) it relaxes the baby and is perfectly safe.
also itried putting baby cerial in her botle. that seemed to help too. hope it works for you!
Hey chanki
Your little baby should be sleeping through the night by now. Give her a nice dinner and then her last bottle at around 11:00 p.m. (not later than that) and if she wakes up you just going to have to ignore her. I promise you after ther second or third night she will understand that when it gets dark its time to sleep. stay firm mom. Good luck
I would begin by not giving a bottle. I know it's hard, but my pediatrician told me that after about 7mos. they physiologically do not need those wee hour feedings. If you are afraid she is going hungry, give her more snacks throughout the day. 6 small meals outta do it. :<)After she wakes up let her cry, after about 30mins. go and check on her and if she stands up trying to get you to hold her simply lay her back down and say "No, it's sleepy time" or something like that. The next night wait 1hr. and so on. Hopefully after the first week you won't need to go in at all. If she does wake up later on..let her cry it out. It sounds terrible, but after night after night of no rest you do whatcha gotta do! I hope this helps.