GETTING A 14.5MTH OLD TO SLEEP AT NIGHT

[Julz18]

Hiya, I am new to Mumsnet so apologies if I am not doing this the correct way. I really could do with some advice on getting my 14mth old ds to sleep at night. Currently, bad I know, he will have a bottle and fall asleep on my bed when I put him in his cot. He then wakes any time between 11 and 2 when I give him more milk to settle him and 9 times out of 10 just keep him in bed with me. I need to know the best way to break these habits. I have heard about Controlled Crying and Pick Up/Put Down. I know there are 2 issues here. One is he needs to fall asleep in his own cot and 2 getting him off his nightime bottle. Please help. I need to know where to start as I cant keep going on like this. Thanks,

Hi! I think it's important to establish a routine and then stick to it - come hell or high water (or screaming!!). My ds is 16 months, and every night he has tea at about 6pm-ish, then a bath at 7pm, and then straight to bed. He doesn't have a bottle as his last milk drink is at 5pm, but you could always give your ds a bottle just before/after his bath as part of the routine, but then grit your teeth and plonk him in his cot... You'll probably have a few nights of hell (time to go downstairs, close all days and turn the telly up!!), but he's bound to get the idea that after bath/bottle/whatever = sleep time. Lots of saying "goodnight" to everyone/everything (ds says "goodnight" or waves to his pictures on his wall and a couple of teddys!) to really fix the routine...

Go for it! Not so sure about the middle of the night stuff - he probably could sleep through and go without the milk, but again, it's probably about letting him cry.

No fun at all, but hopefully worth it when you start getting sleep through the night - good luck..! (and if anyone can tell me how to get a 16 month old to sleep past 5.30am I'd be very grateful!)

Julz, I hate this book , actually, but many people swear by it and it's a relatively kind way to do controlled Crying.

I hate the book because I found CC too difficult -- it feels horrid and I didn't find it very effective; I'd rather get up in the night, for now anyway (I also have a 14.5month old, and he's my 3rd child, so that's just my experience).

You can try Elizabeth Pantley's book , too; I think the Pickup/Put Down idea is from the Baby Whisperer(?). You might find all of these books in your local library, btw.

Agree with Dot about the bedtime routine. Having minor difficulties with DD at the moment due to a combination of holidays/illness that have unsettled things. Our routine is similar to Dots - eat at 6, then play, bath at 7, then milk (7 oz in a cup which she gulps down), teeth and 3 stories and in bed by 7.30 ish. If she doesn't settle straight away (she usually does but bear in mind that she is my second and this routine has been evolving since she was 3 weeks old!) I go and pat her bottom (she generally lies on her front) for a minute or so and then leave her for a while and then repeat until she is asleep.

Maybe you could start putting him in his cot at bedtime but stay with him until he is asleep. Once this is achieved try leaving him while he is awake and going back as necessary.