My son (13 months) has been a terrible sleeper from day one, then, like magic, just before 12 months, he started sleeping and napping significantly better, and averages 1-2 wakes a night now, compared to his 3-4 at 11 months. He still only sleeps around 9.5 hours a night, with 2 day naps for as long as possible. Usually around 45-60 minutes each (previously 3+ 30-minute naps).
This does, however, mean I'm terrified of changing routine. He's had the same routine since 3 months, just bringing it forward slightly as he's aged.
7PM: Bath, teeth, change into pjs with Dad, then join Mum in his bedroom for cuddles, a song, and a bottle of warm milk with the nightlight on (other than his nightime bottle, he was BF, and most naps I avoided feeding to sleep, so bottle is very heavily linked to nighttime sleep). Settles himself in the double bed in his room (won't settle in cot) and transitioned with little fuss. Usually asleep in his cot by 8PM.
I know he needs to either stop the milk or brush his teeth after, but he can be a bit difficult with teeth brushing, and the routine we have at the moment ensures he brushes his teeth, and he actually goes to sleep. So, I'd prefer to just transition his bottle of milk to a cup of water and keep the routine the same.
My thinking was moving warm milk to a cup, then a cup of warm watery milk, then a cup of warm water. So he would keep his routine but end the night with a cup of warm water instead of a bottle of warm milk.
Does anyone have advice on:
What cup to use? He has a sippy cup at his grandparents and at nursery, but just drinks from an open cup with us in the day. Would a sippy cup be an appropriate 'cup'? An open cup while cuddling in the dark seems like an exceptionally bad idea.
Has anyone transitioned milk > watery milk > water, and if so, how did it go?
If we did go down the milk, then teeth-brushing route, how do you settle them after teeth brushing, or how do we keep teeth-brushing a calming activity?