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Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler.

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler.

Sleep

Does giving water work for non self settlers?

20 replies

peardroplets · 05/04/2016 08:45

My 8 mo breastfeeds to sleep on every waking in the night (on average every 2 hours). She has on the very odd occasion drifted off on her own but that was after breastfeeding lots and lying cuddled next to me.

I have seen a few people advocate giving water not feeding in the night. I'm not sure though how this could help if she generally needs a boob in her mouth to fall asleep.

Does it actually work for those babies who can't settle themselves? Or will I end up giving water and then having to feed to sleep anyway? I will probably just try it but am after any tips on how best to do it...

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Coolchic12 · 05/04/2016 10:02

Hi Peardroplets, I have the same problem with almost 6 month old, but unfortunately am also after a solution. She is breastfed to sleep, usually 6-7 ish and sleeps until 11-12 for a feed then every he or 2 until morning.

I've been trying water with no success yet, she chews on either bottle tear or beaker spout, until I give in and breastfeed.

I would like to stop night feeds but she is so used to falling asleep while breastfeeding. I hope there is someone out there with a magic solution!

TeaBelle · 05/04/2016 10:04

I stopped feeding dd overnight at 15 months. Giving her water made her so angry that she woke up properly whereas with boob she would doze back off quickly. Night weaning hasn't stopped the night waking though :/

thereareworsethingsicoulddo · 05/04/2016 10:05

Place marking in desperate hope of someone coming along with of a magic solution.

thestarryeyedsurprise · 05/04/2016 10:06

In exactly the same position with DS 8 months. Would love to know the secret

Haggisfish · 05/04/2016 10:08

It's not a popular opinion, but I think the secret is genetic! I'm not a great sleeper and one of my dc is a rubbish sleeper, too-she still is at 5. Other dc sleeps much better and always has. Dd doesn't go to sleep until 10pm and is still up at 7 for svhool, with no ill effect. I couldn't bring myself to do controlled crying or anything like it. Sorry!

peardroplets · 05/04/2016 11:11

Haha you have all confirmed my worst fears! I thought it sounded a load of bull. I might still give it a try but I just don't want her to fully wake up as it's far quicker to just bf her. Haggisfish i think you are right. Both me and DH are rubbish sleepers too!

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splendide · 05/04/2016 11:19

It sort of worked for me at a similar age, I started giving water then snuggling up and he went to sleep next to me although it certainly took longer than boobing to sleep at first. I wore a high necked top! He would take a dummy though so that maybe helped.

After I night weaned he still woke up but it was less often and soon after that I started managing to settle him in his cot by holding his hand till he dropped off. I still hold his hand at bedtime till he goes to sleep now at 18 months but now he sleeps through about 75% of the time and often settles himself back off if he wakes in the night.

splendide · 05/04/2016 11:21

I'm super soft by the way and would have fed him if he'd got upset. It was easier than I thought really, he pawed at my chest in an irritated and puzzled sort of a way for a bit then gave up and went to sleep.

Purpleboa · 05/04/2016 12:27

Place marking too! Another one desperate to know what I can do. DD is 9 months, and an extremely strong willed boob monster! We co sleep I have no choice so it makes it harder as she can smell the milk I guess. Just hoping it will improve soon....

Coolchic12 · 05/04/2016 15:37

Sorry to hijack, but can I derail and ask how much food do your babies eat during the day? I'm wondering if my dd is not getting enough. She'll be 6 months next week and I've started weaning casually from 4.5 months. She now sort of eats 2/3 very small solid meals a day.

Haggisfish · 05/04/2016 15:43

Ime it was a combo of eating really well from about 2 years old and LOTS of exercise that resulted in (occasional) all night sleeps. I honestly think a lot of it is genetic and very common.

splendide · 05/04/2016 15:47

Oh yeah the exercise makes a huge difference. Mine basically started sleeping through (mostly!) when he started walking, which wasn't until 16 months :(

He used to eat a bowl of porridge as a supper which probably made no difference really but seemed to help the night weaning.

peardroplets · 05/04/2016 16:00

Coolchic that's loads more than my dd was eating then. We are doing blw so at that are she managed to gum a tiny bit of broccoli but most went on the floor. Now at eight months she can eat most stuff including toast, pasta and meat etc but I don't find it has made any difference to sleeping. Roll on walking! My dd is a bum shuffler and I read they usually walk later...oh well. Might try the porridge and water tonight. Will report back tomorrow!

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peardroplets · 06/04/2016 09:35

So I tried the water last night on three of the eight or so wakings. She just got annoyed and batted it away and i couldn't get any down her. I also gave her some porridge before bed but to no avail. Oh well.

OP posts:

Haggisfish · 06/04/2016 09:44

Can you get dh to give it?

peardroplets · 06/04/2016 09:57

I hadn't thought of that. DH only comes in with us at the weekends so we could give it a try xx

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AnotherStitchInTime · 06/04/2016 09:57

Not until they are older ime. I had success with Dd1 with water at night from 12 months old when given by DH. It took 3 days of screaming and I built up so only between 12 midnight and 6am at first then extended to 10pm-6am then all night.

Porridge before bed can help with earlier feeds, but didn't really stop the middle of the night waking that I was trying to avoid. Also cows milk from 12 months given before DH went to bed around 11pm helped with my ds. Mind you he still isn't sleeping through consistently 2.3. None of my 3 did before 2 ish. Mainly I find he is woken by his wet nappies, if I pre-empted and changed/fed before I went to sleep I was more guaranteed a straight stretch of sleep.

Haggisfish · 06/04/2016 11:16

We had some minor success with giving bottled formula from dh -if I went in dd smelled my milk and would not settle for anything less! She still smells my neck now and says 'mmmm, you smell of mummy milk' at five!

Coolchic12 · 07/04/2016 17:56

Well Peardroplets, by meals I really mean 1 or 2 tablespoon of veg or fruit purée or cereal. I have started to offer water with meals now and she drinks a bit from a beaker so hopefully she'll take it at night when I've gathered courage to try again

Nan0second · 07/04/2016 22:19

I think it's easier if you to teach them to self settle first before you start to night wean to be honest. I'm biased as that's the route I chose though! Teaching to self settle (gently) improved night waking stop twice a night and we gradually weaned those down very slowly over a 2 month period (stopped at 9.5months)...

Although Google jay Gordon for night weaning techniques for the opposite view!

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