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Original poster

He has never slept thru the night, help

223 replies

shatteredmumsrus · 19/07/2006 19:13

My 18 month old son has never slept through the night.He goes to sleep on his own even says night night. But hes up around every three hours and always has done. Ive tried everything possible to get him to sleep thru. I even gave him phenegan as recommended by my doctor but that didnt work. Has anyone got any miracle advice. Ill do anything now, im so tired

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Smee · 27/07/2006 20:50

Poor poor you - and I do so remember those days. DS is now 2yr 3mths and now amazingly sleeps through about 50% of the time. Our problems started with colic, then carried on (I think) out of habit.
To get through, I tried all sorts and nothing seemed to work. In the end, I made myself chill out about it and ended up in his room on a makeshift bed on the floor. When he woke, I gently soothed him, and as I was there so quickly, he was asleep again almost before he was awake. Then I gradually stopped touching him, but just made gentle shushing noises. That way, he gradually got more used to not waking up and his whole sleep rhythm changed. After he'd got the hang of it, I still kept the bed in his room, but started sleeping in ours again. Now I'm back there full time and I get sleep.
Am sure there's those who'd read this and say I was mad, and yes it's totally contrary to everything all the books say, but it made sense to me, and though it took time, it felt kinder and anyway, who cares, it worked. Good luck - whatever you try next, trust me at some point your little one will sleep...

Original poster
shatteredmumsrus · 07/08/2006 13:56

update - i have seen the psycolgist today. currently luke wakes twice and has 5oz each time. he suggested loweing the amount of milk very gradually. so tonight it will be 4oz each time tonight.i will do this for 3 days and then lower it to 3.5oz for the next 3 days and so on and see how he reacts. going back to see him 21/8/06 to see how we are getting on. he should be down to 2oz by then....

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Marne · 07/08/2006 14:29

You have my sympathy, dd is 2.5 and has only slept through a handful of times. She wakes and asks for a drink once or twice in the night, we hav'nt taken her to the doctor but we have tried Phenergon (sp) which made her worse.

mellowma · 07/08/2006 14:47

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mumfor1standfinaltime · 07/08/2006 15:09

You must all be so tired!

Cant believe how many times an 18 month old wakes in one night. If ds woke I wouldn't go to him unless he really cried. Ds rarely wakes, if he does he winges, talks to himself for a while and then goes back to sleep.
Milk in the night time at 18 months? Eh?

But I did controlled crying at 6 weeks and have had a very quiet life at bedtime ever since, so maybe I shouldn't comment!

Marne · 07/08/2006 15:17

Its made night times hell in our house, i also have a 4 month old dd who wakes 2-3 times in the night. Dh sorts dd1 out and i do dd2 but it leaves us both drained in the day. I hav'nt had a nights sleep in 2.5 years . DD 2 has slept through once and seems to sleep better than dd1.

mellowma · 07/08/2006 15:22

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Marne · 07/08/2006 15:26

We tried controled crying and dd would make herself sick, now she's in a bed she just sneaks into bed with dh and i am now sleeping down stairs with dd2, dh does'nt even hear her wake up, she helps herself to her cup and jumps in bed. Some times she will drink a pint of water in the night.

mellowma · 07/08/2006 15:30

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brownie75 · 08/08/2006 13:59

Hi, just joined, need help on my son, he's 2.5 and he wakes all through the night. health visitor advised to stop his daytime nap which I have and yes he does go to sleep straight away but within 2 hours he is awake again!! He has NEVER slept well but I have had enough now. Once he has woken the first time he then stirs/wakes every hour and then by 2.00am he wakes every 15-20 minutes! The other day I was awake from 12.30am until 3.15am! HELP!!!!!!!!

Caris · 08/08/2006 19:53

Hi, I also just joined, need help with my son, he's nearly 8 month and he wakes all through the night.

Original poster
shatteredmumsrus · 09/08/2006 08:15

sleep deprivation is the worst torture ever! my 23month old went to bed fine at 7.30, ws up at 12.3 and 5 and had 4.5oz each time, as advised bythe sleep therapist!!! He said not to leave him to cry as it doesnt work for me, he is still screaming after an hour of ignoring him. it must seem strange tpo some of you to still b e giving milk at nearly 2 years old but it isnt by choice i can tell you.every other method has been tried and tested and i am on the last resort now of reducung him milk intake gradually at night. anythings worth a try....

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mellowma · 09/08/2006 09:08

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Original poster
shatteredmumsrus · 09/08/2006 13:05

i tried cutting my sons daytime nap out to and it made him overtired and ratty. i now only let him sleep for an hour. he isnt pleased when i wake him up but its tough.it wasnt warm last nite so it must have been something else.does he do that most nights?

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mellowma · 09/08/2006 13:35

Message withdrawn

Original poster
shatteredmumsrus · 09/08/2006 13:37

mines in bed too and gonna wake him up now then we are off to the park - busy, busy, busy

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jabberwocky · 09/08/2006 13:40

My ds was exactly the same. He has just never been a good sleeper. Even at 3, he woke me up at 4:30 b/c he had had a bad dream. The No-Cry Sleep Solution is a good reference to try. I am also presently reading the book Highly Sensitive Children, as that may be a contributing factor in our case as well.

Original poster
shatteredmumsrus · 09/08/2006 14:42

forgive me for being thick - what is the no cry sleep solution?

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jabberwocky · 10/08/2006 00:07

It's a book by Elizabeth Pantley. I did find it somewhat helpful, although unfortunately there is no miracle instant fix

mellowma · 11/08/2006 09:25

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PeppermintHippo · 11/08/2006 13:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
shatteredmumsrus · 11/08/2006 13:22

i think that sounds like a very good idea. Or even better send them both and you get a good nights sleep!!! Id try it, we all know that they dont need the water or the milk at their age but its just a routine that they are in and will find it hard to break. I dont know what stage your child is at, talking, in a bed, but if he understands you could keep saying no its time for sleep, no juice, all gone.Something like that. They will protest and make alot of noise but keep it up and they will get the mesage eventually. Or just completely ignore them Get that cotton wool in your ears and no matter how much noise they make ignore them. My son sounds like he is being strangled to death when I ignore him but after seeing him he is absolutely fine. They are clever things!Tire him out too, go to the park, give them tea, bath them and calm them down, then maybe a piece of toast with milk before bed.Ignorance is bliss!!!

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mellowma · 11/08/2006 15:38

Message withdrawn

Original poster
shatteredmumsrus · 11/08/2006 16:24

well since seeing the 'sleepman' and following his suggestions at lowering his milk intake he wakes up on average twice more! Fat lot of good that did me.He has had 4.5oz in his night time bottles for the last three days. Last night he went to bed at 7.20, had a bottle at 12.30am and 4.50am then woke up at 7, not bad. Its down to 4oz tonight tho, see if he realises its getting less and doesnt bother to wake up at all. Thats the plan anyway.Good luck for tonight. I know how hard it is to ignore but stuff your ears full of cotton wool, maybe a glass of wine would help too...Good luck!

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Original poster
shatteredmumsrus · 12/08/2006 08:33

Wee i hope your night was better than mine. He went to bed at 9! up at 12.30, 1.30 and 4.50. Had 4oz evry time but whinged and cried out til 6.30 even after another bottle of 5oz.That psycologist isnt up to much i can tell ya. He was only waking once and very occasionallt twice before i took his suggestions! I should have carried on with what i was doing. Dont know whether to persist or go back to my ways. How did yours sleep?Did you manage to ignore all night?

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