help for ideas to get 18 mo to sleep through?

[claribelle]

Okay...18 mo and still waking up 1-5 times a night! Any ideas what to do next?...have stopped bfing until after 5am. He wakes up a few times before that and dh goes to shh him and he usually goes back to sleep easily.
When we put him to bed at night, he is awake and I just sit in the doorway until he's asleep. If I try to leave and he notices, he cries so I stay.
Oh how we would love to sleep all night! It has happened a few times - it definitely helped to refuse bf's. Am going to wean completely soon and refuse that 5am feed. Maybe that will help.
Anybody found a solution that worked?!
Gratefully appreciated!

[RuthChan]

It sounds like the problem is that he can't go to sleep on his own.
It is quite natural for him to wake up during the night (we adults do that too) but he, unlike us, cannot get himself back to sleep.
He thinks he needs your company for that and therefore cries until you or your DH comes.

Although he cries when you leave the room when putting him to bed, I suggest that you still leave. You may not like to do 'controlled crying', but it sounds like it may help him.
He will find it tough for a couple of nights, but you can go back every 5 minutes or so and reassure him that you are still close by.
Eventually he will fall asleep.
The first night will be the worst, but it will get easier from then on and the length of time he cries for will rapidly shorten.
In the end, he should be able to fall asleep alone without your company.

Once you have achieved this, you will probably find that you are disturbed less in the middle of the night because his new-found skill will help him to sleep alone then too.
(It'll also make putting him to bed easier and quicker because you won't have to stay with him until he falls asleep.)

I don't think the weaning will make much difference to be honest, apart from losing the 5am feed.

I hope this makes sense and I hope it helps.
Good luck.

[claribelle]

Thanks for your help.
I was thinking along those lines, not really wanting to do cc but maybe a very mild version of it, going back every minute or something.

[RuthChan]

I can understand your not wanting to do CC.
The first couple of nights aren't really fun, but it's worth sticking it out. Your DS will learn to go to sleep by himself in only a few days and then life will be far easier for both of you.
Just remember, you are not hurting him, either physically or emotionally.
No matter how much he cries in the evening, he will still greet you with a huge smile in the morning and will act like nothing ever happened.