14mo waking up as much as a new born?

[Beautifulblue]

DD is 14 months (almost) & still wakes up 3-4 times a night, sometimes more. Bed at 7pm, usually wakes 9pm, 11pm, 3am & 5am. When she wakes up, sometimes the dummy works, sometimes the bottle works & if not she goes on the breast & that works. But after 14 months of broken sleep I am just exhausted & am concerned there's a reason she's waking up so much. Have I made a rod for my own back by giving her 'comforts' when ever she stirs, e.g - dummy, bottle, boob. She wakes up so many times she ends up in bed with me because in my sleepy haze I just don't put her back in her cot. But she still wakes up the same amount in bed with me. Am I being unreasonable to expect her to sleep through the night now? Did your DC's sleep through at this age? Any advice appreciated!

My dd was like that and I think it was around the same age that I decided enough was enough and did controlled crying. It wasn't nice but it fixed the wakings and she pretty much sleeps through most nights now.

I hate the rid for your own back saying however she probably is waking up for milk/comfort etc and in my experience the only way I solved it was going cold turkey

Do you go to her comfort as soon as she stirs or do you allow her to whine it out and wait till she actually cries? I found if I left my daughter to stir/whine and have a sit up, wriggle about she'd go back to sleep herself, I'd only tend to her if she was crying.

Is she in her own room? Just asking as I could only let my daughter do what I've mentioned when in her own room as dh snores and has to sleep with the TV on, so once dd woke slightly she'd be distributed by him and stimulated by the TV.

@Beansprout30 how did she take to that? Did she cry for a long time? Did she not cry after a period of days & just accept it was bed time? A few studies I've seen of babies who are ignored having less brain activity has just scared me with this one!

@ifoundthebread no I definitely don't go when she's just stirring! I listen out but I just know when the stirring goes on for a while/turns to crying she won't be going back to sleep with out intervention! Sadly we only have a 1 bed at present so she is in with me. But DP sleeps on the sofa (his choice doesn't like to be woken up) so it's just me & im very quiet, don't snore & definitely no TV poor you having to sleep with that lol!

I should add though she is a very light sleeper, I only have to creep into the bedroom & she starts stirring. It's like she's never truly 'asleep'!! Just resting her eyes!!

@beautifulblue first night of doing it, she cried and screamed and it was not nice at all, second night much less crying and by third night almost no crying at all. She's now two and as bright as a button and I don't believe it's had any negative affects on her. I wouldn't have done it any earlier though as I think she would have been too young and now if she does cry it's usually when she's not feeling well so I give her the comfort she needs