Still needing a night feed at 15 months?

[RockChick1984]

My DS has never been a fantastic sleeper. Thanks to a lot of advice from mumsnetters and HV, he is now settling down at night perfectly, and isn't consistently waking throughout the night. Unfortunately he has still been getting up at 4.30-5am then wanting to nap again around 8-9am.

When he woke this morning at 5am, just as an experiment I gave him a bottle of milk (he normally has a bottle at naptime and 1 at bedtime) and he went back off to sleep until 8am!

Is it possible to still need milk at this age through the night, he eats plenty during the day and drinks loads of water.

5am isn't really 'night'... more 'breakfast'. :)

Nooooo, I can't start my day at 5am cog

He tends to only have one nap each day now, but because of the nap being so early, he is shattered by 5pm!

A lot of babies start the day at 5am - 6am. It'll get a little later over time. I gave up trying to get DS to sleep in and used to get up and do things like the ironing in the three hours before we had to be off to work and CMs etc. Meant going to bed earlier in the evening but it's no great sacrifice.

My DS (now 22 months) was similar at that age. I figured I'd rather do a night feed (breastfeed) and then have sleep until a civilised hour than be up at 5am every day. He's your child, it's totally up to you what you do with him - do what suits you best! In our case the night wakings gradually got less and less frequent (they got down to about twice a week) and about three weeks ago they stopped altogether (touch wood...). So I feel vindicated in my choices! It worked for me anyway

My DD is 15 months and has a night feed. She goes down at 7pm and then wakes up somewhere between 12 and 4 and I give her a bottle. Then sleeps until 7 - 8am.

Every child is different and if it makes your life easier, and lets him have more sleep, I don't see why not. :)

Dd is 14 mo and still has milk around 4am and then sleeps to around 8am. She goes to bed at 9pm. I leave a cup of milk on a box on a bedside cabinet at the end of the bed and she reaches over the end of the cot and gets it herself most nights. If she knocks it rather than grabs the handle she shouts until we get it for her.

One feed?

[waves] and to k2togm1

RockChick1984 my 15 month old still gets a night feed. She's up from about 6am even with the midnight bottle!

I'm so glad I'm not alone!!! I definitely agree that it's easier to let him have a bottle so I get more sleep - now just hoping it wasn't a one-off and we go back to 5am bright and shiny awake!!!!

I have this exact problem with my 19 month old. Every morning at 4.30am or 5am on the dot. Yesterday he went back to sleep and I had to wake him at 8am. This morning he didn't want to go back to sleep. He has a bottle of milk when he wakes because it is the only thing that will settle him and he often then goes straight back to sleep for a couple more hours.

the early mornings are brutal - I have no social life as a consequence....

and yes you are definitely not alone. I thought I was though and people kept telling me to let him scream but it was silly and all he wanted was some milk and then often we will get another 2 hours sleep from him, so I figured my approach was better. I am told it will stop soon.... [fingers crossed]

Reading this has just reminded me of a phase I had totally forgotten about; DD must have been about the same age as she ditched bottles at 17 months, and went though a phase of waking about 5.30/6am. It was peak of summer and hard to get total blackout in her room.

on the advice of a friend we would get up and warm a bottle of milk for her, hand it to her in the cot and run away fast. She would go back to sleep for another 45 mins or so.

Cogito - your one statement has just put all my upset about him waking up into context, it really is no drama and I need to stop stressing about it. He's a good, easy baby who is in bed soundo by 7pm. Thank you!

OP - fingers crossed for a repeat success!!

I have a friend whose 18 month old still has milk in the night!

My DS is 16 mo and he is exactly the same, he's always had milk overnight, and now he wakes about 5 - 5.30 but with milk he'll go back down for another 1-1.5 hours. Much more bearable in my book!

I now put his bottle in his cot with him and then he'll help himself during the night when he wakes, although sometimes he finds it much earlier, and is still shouting for more milk come morning. In which case i just walk in, give him his new bottle, lie him down and walk out again.

I have just been thinking about whether I should try to get him off this feed. I already water his milk down half and half, and he only has 4 floz anyway. But it seems to be what he needs to get back to sleep.

And yes, I felt like I was the only one! Not helped that my closest friend with kids has a DD who has been sleeping through from about 5 weeks...!

I guess I'm too much of a lentil weaver, but this is how I look at it:
there is no way on earth I could go from 7PM-7AM without a drink - why should a baby or child?

We often have dinner at 6 or 7, I'll have several glasses of water/cups of tea before my bedtime AND I have a glass of water by my bed in case I wake up thirsty in the night.

Ds started needing milk at night again around 15 mo, having mostly stopped by 13 mo. But with a 10-min wake at 4 or 5 am to have warm milk, he'd happily go 7 to 7. Around 20 mo he started sleeping all night but needed milk ASAP in the mornings or he'd be hellspawn!
Actually he still does at nearly 4...

I would give the milk/ or water for an extra 3 hrs sleep! Plus if he's waking at 8am then he's likely not to need midday nap until slightly later ( 1-3 maybe), and can move bedtime to 7 instead of 5pm

Notcitrus you have given me hope!! Our 19 month old wakes for milk at 4.30am or 5am on the dot every morning recently. Has his milk then goes to sleep again for another 1-2 hours. This morning we had to wake him just before 8am.

I figure he is thirsty and wants his milk. He is in bed by 7.15pm most nights.

So hopefully he will grow out of it eventually.....