No sleep at 11 months - help!!!

[mrswoozer]

Hi, I'm new and in serious need of some help.
My youngest son is now nearly 11 months old and rarely, if ever, sleeps through the night. I know this is partly my fault as I have given him an addiction to falling asleep with a bottle, but the problem is he shares with his older brother (3 years) and so I don't really want to keep JJ awake with the sounds of his baby brother's screams!
I would say an average night would mean him waking at 10-11pm and then at 2-3pm. The problem is I'm back at work now, and yes am lazy and tired when I get home and frankly just want him to shut up so I can go back to sleep - hence the bottle goes in.
I am however feeling like I need to take the bull by the horns, so if anyone has any tips, or know of any good books I could try PLEASE respond!!

The best advice I can give is to find someone to have your oldest son to stay for a couple of nights over the weekend when you try to sort it out. that way you will only be dealing with one of them and hopefully you will be able to take it easy after bad nights at the weekend.

That's not a bad idea, although I fear it will take more than a weekend to sort this problem out. And even with my eldest gone, how exactly do I try to sort it out?!
What do people think about contolled crying? Are there any 'gurus' tips that people recommend?

Controlled crying definately works. Takes seven days though and there is often a dip at about day five just when you think thing are improving.

I think you need to explain to your older child what is happening so that he is not surprised when it happens, even at 3 he hsould be able to understand.

Can you take a couple of days off work to get over the worst of it? I'm convinced if everyone in the family really wants it to work it will.

You could try the No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley - there's one for babies & one for toddlers.

Research suggests that contolled crying and 'gradual withdrawal' methods work equally well, although what works best for one individual child or family isn't necessarily what works best for another.

Agree with the others that dedicating some specific time to sorting it is probably best but also how about trying to use something other than a bottle that won't wake your elder son, like a quiet musical mobile or even (whispers) a dummy. We use a dummy with our 11month old to get him to sleep and we'll get rid of it when he is old enough to understand.

I found the No-Cry Sleep solution good too. I know its not what you want to hear but think you are just going to have to be tough - no bottles during the night, water only. It doesn't have to be controlled crying, you could stay with him. After a couple of days he will stop expecting milk and hopefully stop waking up.

thanks so much everyone for your advice - it all fits with what I consider to be my gut feelings. I'm only working Mondays and Fridays from this week so have decided that from tonight I'm going to be tough!! I ideally would not want to go back to dummies - he had one until he was 4 months and I got rid of it coz I was too scared of him becoming addicted. So I got him hooked on bottles instead!!! The main time he disturbs my 3 year old is when they're going to bed and he is trying to get to sleep so I think I'll do separate bed times and hopefully JJ won't get annoyed.
Will also try the No-cry sllep solution - thanks!