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Worst sleeping habits ever!

Hannah - posted on 08/01/2009 ( 3 moms have responded )

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Okay so my son is almost 18 months old and doesnt sleep through the night. It's not his fault at all. We tried to teach him good habits but it seems like everytime he'd start to sleep all night, we'd go on a big trip or something and everything he learned gets thrown out the window. So here's the situation. He's still nursing so he nurses himself to sleep when taking naps. He's never liked pacifiers or anything like that, so basically that's my job until I can figure something else out. Then at night we do his routine bath music book etc. But as soon as he hits his crib he gets up and just starts freaking out! And he wont cry himself to sleep anymore. He will cry for hours! And then if I do the going in after 15 minutes thing, he gets even MORE hysterical and can't calm himself down. So then either me or my husband finally pick him up and rock him to sleep then put him in his crib again. That used to be enough for him to sleep all night but lately he's been getting up at around 3 and wont go back to sleep until we "rescue" him. And at that time we're so tired that we just give up and bring him in the bed with us (sometimes in our sleep!). What can I do?? He really won't cry himself to sleep!

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3 Comments

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Sarah - posted on 08/01/2009

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My son is eighteen months too. When we went on a trip last week he came home with the same bad habits. I would go in and make sure he is not thirsty or in need of a diaper change, kiss him good night and leave. When he would wake up again or if he kept crying after that it was usually only because he wants me to hold him. So I would go in but not pick him up. I would make the noise "shhhh" and lay him back down and rub his tummy while I made that noise. Then after a while I would leave. That way he is kind of getting me, but not the whole charade of rocking and holding. He eventually learns that he is not going to get picked up and he needs to go to bed. I also don't believe in letting your children cry for hours and hours, but I also don't think it helps them to always pick them up to sooth them because they do need to learn to do it themselves. This is the middle of the road and it really works for me. Good luck!

Casey - posted on 08/01/2009

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hi! So my advice would be to put him in bed with a bottle and toy so he can amuse himself until he falls asleep. And the crying thing, rock him till he is almost asleep and and then put him down, so he falls asleep on his own. he WILL eventually fall asleep on his own, even if you have to pick him back up repeat. i think being on a bottle will help enourmously because he can feed himself. and stop the putting him in your bed thing, because my sister still has issues with that and her four year old AND two years old are in her bed by the end of each nite. worst comes to worst put a mattress in his room and lie down beside the cot until he falls asleep and then go back to your bed (if you aren't asleep already) so he knows no matter how much he screams he's not going back into mummies bed at nite time. Hope this helped some!

Mandy - posted on 08/01/2009

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i dont believe in crying to sleep. he associates going to sleep with breastfeeding, so he expects it and needs it to fall asleep.

be patient. my son was put to sleep in my arms until he was two, and now goes to sleep by himself every night.

i an currently reading Dr Williams Sear's book the baby sleep book and it touches on toddler sleep. it might be worth looking at. he pretty much helps achieve a healthy attitude to sleep.



hope that helps.

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