I have an 18 month old who still does not sleep through the night. HELP!!!!!!!!!!1

Amber - posted on 10/12/2009

As a parent you need to make the decision on what is best for YOUR child. My oldest son has NEVER been a good sleeper; it's his temperament. However, my youngest son is a pretty good sleeper; it's his temperament. Never let anyone make you feel like a poor parent because your child isn't doing what s/he "should" be doing. I read the book, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child," by Marc Weissbluth. It worked wonderfully for my youngest son...he just wasn't getting enough sleep to sleep through the night. However, for my oldest son, none of the three tactics in the book worked. We found that Dr. Sears' sleep approach worked best for him and didn't work well for our youngest. I wish you the best of luck and give anything you do try a good month...and keep in mind, sleep habits can be changed:-)

Julie - posted on 10/12/2009

If it's any help my 3 1/2 year doesn't sleep through the night either he still wakes at least twice a night. Sometimes he's nice and only wakes once a night. Each child is different he's the only one that has done this too me. I'm hoping he stops it soon!

Jennelle - posted on 10/12/2009

Here it is in FULL detail! My daughter started sleeping through the night at about 4 months, When she slept, she slept good. But at about 8-9 months she started waking up at around 12-2am. The first 2 nights, my hubby and I went in to see what was wrong with her. There was nothing. I changed her diaper just in case, gave her a sip of juice and lay her back down. Well she still cried so we got her up and let her tire herself out. So the next night it was the same thing. On the third night, I told my husband "NO" I told him there's nothing wrong and we have to let her know that just cause she wakes up, she's not getting out. So she started crying, then screaming, and screaming louder, and screaming so loud and hard she made herself throw up. He went in, took her into the bathroom while I cleaned up her bed. He put her back into bed after everything was cleaned up and she cried again. At this point our hearts were broken as well as our spirits and when we were gonna cave, she was quiet. We held our breaths as we watched on the monitor to make sure she was ok and she was! She was passed out!! The next night she cried for 40 min, then the next it was 30, and the next was 20, then it was over. Now if she wakes up, she just hangs out and talks to herself or her bear. And then goes back to sleep. Even in the morning she won't cry. She'll just talk, sometimes very loudly :) till someone goes in and gets her. It was the worst night of our lives, but now we have the best sleeper ever. She goes to bed fully awake between 7 and 7:30pm and doesn't wake up till 8:30am. She is almost 18 months. So you just need a lot of dedication the first night. Oh and every once in a while she'll be awake for a really long time at night and I know she's probably wet. So I'll go in, still with the lights off and change her. She gets all excited and yells "mama!" but I just hug her and whisper "night night I love you", lay her down and walk out. I wish you the best of luck. She was very fussy the first few months and nothing would make her stop crying so I know lack of sleep...... but now it's bliss. :)

Amber - posted on 10/12/2009

have you tried a little bit a baby cereal and a warm bottle that always helped with my daughter and she would sleep through the night. hope this helps

Krista - posted on 10/12/2009

My son is two and just recently started waking back up. Milestones can make a difference in the quality of sleep. My son is a late talker and is now starting to talk a lot more. I attribute his lack of sleep to this, but who knows?

Chantel - posted on 10/12/2009

There is a book called "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" that saved my life. My daughter was up every 2 to 3 hours when she was still 4 or 5 months old and there was nothing wrong with her. She'd had colic, but the Dr. said she would be over it by then. She had just developed bad sleep habits. A fellow mother recommended the book, and though it is extremely dry and very packed with research, I read the parts that were applicable to me and used the suggested strategy. The first night was hard with crying for well over an hour, but my daughter went to sleep and slept for the rest of the night. It only took two or three nights, and each night was less tear-filled, and she started lulling herself to sleep! It was amazing.

KAREN - posted on 10/12/2009

Hi, My son didn't sleep through the night until he was two and even then he still woke up alot and then eventually it was a few nights a week and then one night and then now (he is five) he usually doesn't. So, the best thing to do is try to slowly wean (spelling??) her off. For about a week, you continue the normal routine, then when she cries, go in and maybe rub her back and stay with her until she almost goes to sleep and tell her that you will stay for a little while but you have to go to sleep too. Try this for about a week or so and then the next week, you try to stay a little less and so on and so forth until she does it on her own. This will help teach her to learn how to fall asleep on her own. Also, if she doesn't have anything et, help her find a favorite blankie or stuffed animal etc, that she can have for sleep time that will help give her comfort!

Justine - posted on 10/12/2009

I think you also need to be certain there is no underlying reason why your child wakes.. and then you can solve the problem

Justine - posted on 10/12/2009

my 3rd child is 3 next month and still does not sleep thru the night, whereas her 2 older brothers didnt start sleeping thru the night till 12 months.. from one sleep deprived mother to another, I feel your pain and lack of sleep too...

Sherry - posted on 10/12/2009

If a child knows the parents are confident enough and secure enough to take care of them then they will go to sleep on their own...my children are confident and independent and they know I love them with all my heart and would do anything for them!

Candis - posted on 10/12/2009

My daughter, now 18 didn't sleep thru the night until she was 4, now she wants to sleep all the time. I let her sleep with us that helped and I really believe in the family bed. I just don't understand why parents want to put their little ones in a room down the hall and let them cry, that's not why I had children.

Sherry - posted on 10/12/2009

Keep checking her less and less...Let her cry until she realizes she is too tired to cry any more and falls asleep....if you don't you will be sorry! She will evenutally figure it out!

Lisa - posted on 10/12/2009

It is going to be hard for at least a few nights, maybe a few weeks, but she has to learn to fall asleep on her own. That is going to be the best way to ensure that she can get herself back to sleep when she wakes in the night. I had a rough couple weeks with my son recently... he is 11 months, and I ended up making the mistake of letting him lay in bed with me for a while and he would wake repeatedly. But I quickly stopped that after a night or two, and he cried in the night and I just let him work it out and he would always go back to sleep. As long as she is not hurting or in danger, it is okay to let her cry herself back to sleep. You can check on her if you like, even pick her up to sooth her, but always put her back in bed and let her go back to sleep on her own. My son is typically a good sleeper and this had worked for us. The only time he really seems to have trouble is if he is teething or when he had an ear infection. Depending on how willful your daughter is there could be a rough bit of time, but I promise if you stick to this it will work and best of all, she will learn how to put herself to sleep (ie self-sooth), which is the best gift you can give her. She will not have to rely on other people and things to go to sleep! My son sleeps with his blanket and his stuffed monkey and that is it! Hope this helps and good luck... hopefully you will have a good nights rest soon!

Krystel - posted on 10/12/2009

trust me! go in once and give her kisses and lay her back down. do not i repeat do not pic her up or else the tantrum will ensue. you are going to have to bear it for about a couple of days maybe a week but you are going to have to let her cry and cry and cry and cry. you will thank yourself later.