I'm creating another bad sleeper! Help!

[Anditstartsagain]

Ds1 was awful mostly because I gave him bad habits running everyone he moaned picking him up and feeding him every time he woke and bringing him in to bed when i said i wouldnt (i have a problem with my bad and would wake an hour later squashed and uncomfortable having to move him) finally at 11 months I had to go to work so night weaned he got better but didn't sleep through every night until 3. It was quite stressful because I had to break all the bad habits I had formed.

Ds2 is 5 months and I feel like I'm going down the same path but I don't know how to change. I've read books and websites but I never seem to be able to make it work. Ds2 is still getting 2 bottlee in the night but I'm 90% sure he doesn't need both bottles it's habit but I don't know how to stop one and I can't seem to get the shush pat to work and pick him up the other times he wakes. He wakes about 4 times a night in total. I don't want to leave him crying or distress him.

I don't know what I'm expecting really I just don't know how to do this right so he gets enough rest.

Sorry about the typos I have a new phone I've not quite got to grips with yet.

Have you tried a dummy?

It's not your fault - you can't create a bad sleeper! Tiny babies are not manipulative - they need what they need and they let you know it. It's very hard work when they're distressed at night but they don't have adult expectations of day and night - when they need comfort they need comfort. It's exhausting but as a parent we just gave to put their needs first.

I don't think twice a night is unusual at 5 months. Mine was up twice a night for milk much later than that. I always fed her back to sleep in the night, but tried to get her in a decent bedtime routine at about this age, and to get her to go to sleep without being fed. I introduced some music which I would play at bedtime to let her know it was time to sleep. I still use the same music now at almost 2 and she's great for going to sleep.

However, agree with the pp that you can't create a bad sleeper, some babies (and adults) just find it easier than others. I apparently was terrible as a baby and still struggle to fall asleep now, my sister has always been the type that's asleep the moment her head tocuches the pillow. It's mainly luck I'm afriad.

I don't think you are creating a bad sleeper at all with the habits you've described.

I have treated DS 1 and 2 exactly the same. DS1 is now 4 and mainly sleeps through in his own bed except when poorly. I demand fed him through the night but at 6 months he only woke me once and by a year he slept through. DS2 on the other hand wakes me all through the night most nights. He is a totally different personality but he is also teething badly whereas DS1 barely teethed at all. So I think it's a combination of teeth and comfort. I can't do anything different though as when he wakes he screams, if j tried controlled crying the whole house would be awake all night with me. He is 1 in a weeks time and I will continue to breast feed on demand at night and I'm absolutely sure that at some point before he is 2 he will start sleeping through.

I don't think you can create a bad sleeper either. All babies are different, some crawl early, some walk late, some are early talkers. I really believe sleep is the same. They do it when they're ready. Do what you need to do to get you through. I've co slept with both of mine to get the most sleep possible.

DS1 is 13 now and has no trouble sleeping. DS2 is 17 months and still sometimes wakes for a bf during the night.

I think at 5 months it's impossible to create a bad sleeper and you need to give yourself a break.

Maybe at 8/9 months you can give water instead of milk for one of the wakeups.

Mine is a great sleeper, but thats only happened recently at8 months