I am putting this here becuase i don't know if its a sleep thing or a behaviour thing but i would like advice please.

[TitsalinaBumsquash]

DS2 is 2.9 he sleeps (haha) in a room with DS1 4.11 they have bunk beds thier romm isn't big enough for anything else.

Anyway they have to go to bed an hour part otherwise they go nuts if thier in bed together and trash the bedroom. So becuase of this we have been putting ds2 to bed at 7 and ds1 to bed at 8.

DS2 is still waking several times a night and is still having milk everytime he wakes up. This is from a cup ot was killing me doing all the night shifts bfing so we switched to a cup, this was whn he was a year and a half old.

DS1 is a great sleeper so no worries there,

Anyway, DS2 wakes up at 6am to start his day, sometimes earlier but he has to stay in his room until 6.

He is desperate for a nap mid day still but if i let him have one he wont go to bed well, if i dont let him have one he screams all afternoon and will fall asleep on the floor or standing up if need be.

Its a horrible cycle, he sleeps in the day then wakes all night which makes him a nightmare as he is grumpy all day, he is drinking a pint of milk everynight and wont take water. I need help breaking this cycle.

Any advice please? I would like to stop the milk but don't know how without nights of tantrums!

[NoGoodNicknamesLeft]

ooh, feeling for you. i think you'll have to keep the nap for the mo, but try incrementally getting him up out of it earlier and earlier.

He'll be getting a lot of energy from the midnight milks, so either try slowly cutting down on the amount milk during the night, or give him a drink at 7 and then very firmly deny any further milk until wake-up time (this is what I would do, but it means a horrible period of nighttime tantrums, which you specifically didn't want). Then extra bananas or something during the day for the energy. or yoghurt/cheese for the calcium.

My little sister only ever needed 6 hours sleep at night, my parents nearly fell over dead of exhaustion until she learned how to go downstairs and turn on the TV. Does your son need less sleep than everyone else or is he getting the same amoutn (just more spread out?)

best of luck.

[nannyL]

agree

give him bed time milk before bed and nothing else til morning.

a child who is nearly 3 does NOT need milk at night.

You will probably have a night or 2 of strops BUT it wont take him long to realise that thats it and he should stop waking for it.

maybe while he learns he could sleep on a ready bed in your room?

[3peasinapod]

TitsalinaBumsquash
I have a DD 2.7 mos, wakes in the night due to ear problems and more than likely habit. So i know what your going through. Also doing my best not for her to map during the day as it can be a nightmare to wake her and then won't go to bed and would wake more in the night.

I would agree in giving less milk feeds at night. Does he eat well during the day?

[TitsalinaBumsquash]

He eats hardly anything and always has, he is happy to eat an Apple or Toast and that will be it for the day, i guss that may be due to the milk aswell, he is a decent hieght but really skinny, he is all bones like DP.

I am well aware he doesn't need milk in the night, we left him with it for a while as he had no other comforter, no dummy, teddy, blanket ect but now its to far, DP is on early shifts this week so we shall start milkgate next week.

[quirkychick]

What about substituting milk for water and put it in a water bottle that has a valve so he can help himself if he is thirsty but not disturb you. We did this with dd and told her that milk after you have brushed your teeth is bad for your teeth so we can only have water now .

It is horrible when they start to drop naps, they can get really grouchy but it stops them sleeping at night. Could you get away with a nap for maybe 30mins and then wake him or is this still too much?

[TitsalinaBumsquash]

Its not to much for 30 mins but wakign him from a nap is a eath sentance he screams and shouts for the rest of the day. He wont drink water but i suppose if i put his cup in his room with water in it i know he wont get thirsty.

I think were going to have to go cold turkey on the milk next week.
The worst thing is when he ewakes up and wants me in his bed, sleeping in a toddler bunk bed is killing my back!

Thanks for the advice.

[3peasinapod]

TitsalinaBumsquash
I know its hard, think we all go through stages with LO and you do think " will this ever end " I am convinced this is the hardest stage of toddlers. DD2 is a nightmare.

This problem was going on with my friends little boy aswell. She cut down on milk (she also had the problem of him wanting the bottle not a cup) he started eating more. My first was a none eater drove me crazy cause i though you should be eating more. But she eat what she wanted (which was very little) and not she is going on 4 she eats all before her. LO will do as they please and i dont think we can do alot at times to change it.

Its hard getting little sleep at night, i know cause i am down to 4-5 hours a night now. Go easy on your self and do what you feel is right.

[beesonmummyshead]

could you not water down the milk, one night 70% milk, next night 60% etc. we did this with dd (almost 2 as the night wakings were killing me, and hers was from a bottle, whole other kettle of fish) she eventually rejected the milk and asked for water, for a few nights we had a bottle of 30% milk and one of water, and she would inevitably choose the water.

now (4 weeks in) she wakes once at around midnight for a drink (a big drink) of water, still from a bottle, still administered by me or DH. so not ideal, but far, far better than she ever used to be.

oh, and if she wakes at 5 (as she very occasionally does, i do give her milk then a she will often sleep for another 2 hours or so, as hunger doesn't wake her )

HTH

[Sophiale01]

no milk at night. It will work quicker than you think. A few nights of hell but worth it. Do it over a weekend so the whole isn't exhausted with work school etc. And plenty of warning ie "tonight, no more milk until morning etc"