my 18 month old is still waking up 3 and 4 times a night

Jessica - posted on 09/02/2009

my son, jene, used to wake up alot maybe 2 times a night after he had turned a year. and my mom suggested that he might get hungry. so what i do is make sure he is really full before he goes to bed. after his nap i'll feed him snacks and things but i feed him as much food as he'll eat, and usually things i know he likes so he will eat alot, about hour before bed. and after he's done i let him play a little longer to work the food down a little and hopefully make him more tired. letting her cry is fine. i asked my pediatrician about it and he said when they were teaching their kids to fall asleep on their own they would let them cry. sometimes for hours. but he said to go in every 10 - 20 minutes if they are screaming to check adn make sure they are ok then lay them down and leave... it was really hard to do but if you have always held her to help her go to sleep that might be it. but i might also be some thing else.

my nephew who's 5 now could never fall asleep and stay asleep. he is and was very active. my brother said they'd walk in his room at midnight and he'd be playing sleepily with toys. i'm not sure what they did but he sleeps now. so maybe just ask your doc. next time you have an appt. or in my area there is a nurse phone number you can call anytime of day, or night , with any question. see if you have one of those. but just stick with it and good luck.

Shelley - posted on 09/02/2009

Hi Jacinta: I know how tough it is and i offer you my support from afar. This WILL pass and she'll sleep through the night so just be patient. My son (same age) still wakes up once or twice a night but up until a couple of months ago it was at least 2 to 3, so i feel your pain. i never let him cry it out at night (or any other time for that matter) -- i strongly believe in the theory of offering my support to him whenever he calls for it, if she wakes up then she's either hungry, thirsty, or something is bothering her -- now the question is, does she go back to sleep pretty easily? or does she stay up for a while? with us, when he wakes up, we generally take him to our bed where i nurse him for a few minutes and then give him bottle if he doesn't fall asleep from nursing. sometimes he'll sleep with us for the rest of the night and sometimes i take him back to his crib (depending how tired i am...). Giving her 'heavy' food at dinner, like pasta or bread can help. Also doing lots of large muscle activities late in the day -- lots of runing. Also, making sure she takes her naps earlier in the day (if possible). Also, we noticed that when a new tooth breaks out he wakes up more often, or when he's gasy (so we make sure not to give him food like beans, or broccoli late in the day). Maybe she's just a light sleeper...? Not sure what else to say except - be patient and cater to her needs, this is a short period in the overall scheme of things and a happier child who knows her parents are right there when she needs them can probably sleep better at night.