Need help getting my child to sleep through the night!

Lisa - posted on 12/24/2009

My Christmas present to all of you is to urge you to read what I wrote on December 5th. The babies are waking up because we trained them to. If you stop going in their room, when they cry, they will not wake up anymore. My daughter has slept through the night for months now. They are not hungry, they just want to be held or can't fall back to sleep on their own. I promise all of you it will work!!! You and your child will be better off.

Amy - posted on 12/22/2009

i need the same advice my daughter is 19 months old and she is still waking up around two times a night.

Deborah - posted on 12/06/2009

wat i started doin with my daughter who is nearly 19 months i started to give her a snack closer to her bed time and it worked now she sleeps right through the nite except for nites when she is teethin

Lisa - posted on 12/05/2009

I asked the same question for months. One month ago I finally did what I was told over and over again. Let her cry. I know it sounds cruel, but I promise it works. One month ago, I finally did it and two nights later she slept through the night until 8:00 AM!!! My daughter is also 18 months old. She used to wake up 2-3 times a night for a bottle. I feel like a different person now that I also get to sleep through the night! What I told myself to be able to let her cry is that I was undoing the damage I had already done to her. We are supposed to teach them to fall asleep on their own. By always getting up when she cried, I never allowed her to do that. I promise it works. I took Benadryl to make me really drowsy, so it wasn't as hard to lay their and listen to it(not that I recommend it). Remember when you were little and your mother said "this is going to hurt me, more than it hurts you," now we get to understand what they meant. It killed me to listen to her cry. I promised myself in the beginning, that if it didn't work after a week I would find another way. It only took 2 nights. Just don't go in the room at all - or you will be sending mixed signals. It works and you won't regret it! Good luck! I was you 1 month ago!

Krisstyn - posted on 12/03/2009

Thanks so much for all the advice! I have taken to trying water instead of milk and found that she will only take a couple of mouthfulls before she hands it back to me wanting her dummy. She settles alot quicker now and goes back to sleep but still wakes numerous times throughout the night. We are slowly getting there though. Thanks again.

Sonya - posted on 12/03/2009

i tried doing that sarah jugan but my daughter gets hyperventalited andd won settle grips u as u settle her back down .she has a hole in her heart so i have to be careful. so ill be watching this post.usually i feed her bottle in her bed and either leave the room or sit with her depends how tired she is..she has a dummy too but she is actually fallin asleep on her own with out it now. i get up couple of times but lately i havent had to go in the room she falls asleep on her own at bedtime if she wakes just crysi leave her for a bit and she goes back so i think eventually some kids do it themselves.good luck as i have to try to give her her bottle before bed soon next year im potty training at mo and its ok she knows when she wees

Emma - posted on 12/03/2009

Quoting Michelle:

Ive read and tried that save our sleep book, i have always had routines with my children, tried the books one, but no change, i have two others who slept thru from 8weeks, so this time is a big shook, she has never slept.

Our second has never slept well but she had silent reflux as a baby too and certain foods still disturb her from around 10pm until I give her Zantac. If your daughter is waking many many times it could be worth checking with the doc if she suffers from this too, as the antacid definitely did help reduce the number of times she wakes through the night.

Emma - posted on 12/03/2009

I came online to start almost the identical thread! It should make me feel lots better to know I'm not the only one suffering this, but it just makes me feel sorry for all the other mums too!
Our 19mth old has what I've been calling the 4.30am Squawk - she wakes crying and calling for her dummy but quietens down as soon as I go in, even though she won't go back to sleep right away. I've taken to lying on the floor beside her cot to help her settle back down (no talking, no eye contact, just pass in the dummy and the teddy) and it works sometimes (I can also go to sleep with a pillow there!), but just as often she spends the next half hour checking to make sure I'm still there and if I leave before she nods off she cracks it and screams the place down!
It gets light at 5am and I know that if she's still awake then she'll think it's time to get up so I've taken to giving her a small bottle of milk and just leaving her with it in the cot, as she puts herself back to sleep all alone that way. I too am worried about tooth decay (not to mention hating RE-relying on the bottle when she's been weaned for 7 months now) but in the interests of sleep myself (and not waking her older sister) I don't know what else to do. I don't think there's any foolproof solution (if there was I would bottle it and be a millionaire!) except to keep trying all different things and crossing your fingers.
If you can't lose the dummy perhaps try going in before you go to sleep and replacing the dummy beside her hand, and do the same if you get up for the loo yourself in the night. That has helped my little girl some nights.
I hope for your sake that it's just a phase and that she will grow out of it soon! (and mine too....)
:)

Nedaa - posted on 11/27/2009

Oh god my 18 month old boy is killing us, I'm not exaggerating when i say he slept only two nights on his own and he was drinking his bottle which i don't want him to get use to because of fear of decay and all, i've tried letting him cry through but he got used to sleeping between us !!!! i don't know what to do !!! sorry i know this is not a helpful respond :S

Michelle - posted on 11/27/2009

Ive read and tried that save our sleep book, i have always had routines with my children, tried the books one, but no change, i have two others who slept thru from 8weeks, so this time is a big shook, she has never slept.

Michelle - posted on 11/27/2009

Oh gosh ! so im not the only one! i have a 18month old daughter too who wakes ohhh i cant count how many times... im beside myself with what the problem is. so i will be keeping an eye for help or suggestions.. she has a dummy, a bottle before bed ( only ) and goes to sleep but from 9.30pm onwards she wakes crying, is hard to settle and this happens all night

Christine - posted on 11/21/2009

omg i thought i was the only person with an 18 month old that doesn't sleep through the night. it sucks but now i feel a little better knowing im not alone

Melissa - posted on 11/19/2009

Try the book "Save Our Sleep" By Tissie Hall. It has routines that u can follow that are designed to help your baby sleep through the night. It saved me!

Jessica - posted on 11/16/2009

i agree with the previous poster. I did it with my son when he was about 18months (who's now 2 1/2) and yes after a few nights he did catch on.. If you dont think shes entirely ready though do it one at a time, Id say getting rid of the bottle 1st and to help keep her dummy, you can buy SHORT chains that connect to the end and clip on to their shirts. Its not long enough to choke them either. I dont know where you live but In Australia you can get them from big W, Kmart sometimes woolworths, coles and other large supermarkets sell them to.

Sarah - posted on 11/16/2009

I don't know if you let her go to bed with it but if you do, don't give it to her and let her cry through it. after a couple times she probably won't miss it at all. My son wasn't wanting to go down for naps and I would let him cry through it. I would go in every 5 min. pat his back for a sec. and leave. eventually he didn't need that anymore. Maybe if you do this she won't wake up wanting it.

Emma - posted on 11/16/2009

I don't have any advice but if its any consolation, my son is also 18 motnhs and still wakes at least 2/3/4 times plus a night!! So shall keep an eye on this post to see the tips, although my son has no dummy nor bottle but is B/F!!! Your not alone!