Toddler wanting milk in the night

[JDD]

This is a straight forward WWYD in this situation.

My 2.8 year old DD used to be a bad drinker. Since we stopped bottles she refused most cups and used to get dehydrated and have constipation. I finally found a cup she likes (a Nuby soft spout insulated cup) but it's become like a bottle to her so she wants it all the time for comfort and as a habit. During the day I can get her drinking out of other cups a bit and at nursery (4 days per week) she drinks water out of an open cup but night times are a problem.

She won't go to sleep unless her cup is in her cot and she wakes in the night wanting refills. She is also wetting her bedding because of it even though she is potty trained and used to be dry at night.

I should add that she wants milk in the cup but as I don't want her drinking pints of milk I water it down.

So, WWYD?

I know taking the cup away cold turkey will really upset her and I'm a bit reluctant to do it going in to the summer when I want her to drink plenty.

Or would you just do a strict no cup in bed rule?

I think we'll have several nights of crying if I take it away so I need to be sure I'll be doing the right thing.

We had the same but with bottles of milk. First we stopped it in the day, then we stopped refilling it in the night with anything other than water. Then we bribed him into stopping the one at bed time by giving him a small car every morning for a week. We did it slowely, over 6 months. It only took a week though for him to stop waking up and asking for it in the night.

Can you up her fluids in the day too? Offer her things like jelly, melon, soup, broccolli and cauliflower, homemade ice lollies etc.

How much milk is she having in the day? Is she eating enough? Could you up her fat and protein? So instead of offering fruit for a snack offer her some cheese and a cracker.

I'd try to switch the cup for a sippy cup at night, one that she can operate herself.