Night waking for bottles STILL

[user1488224831]

Hey all,

My little man hasn’t slept through for me ever. He’s now 18 months old and I’m feeling a little infuriated following a short break at my mums.

To give me a break he slept in the travel cot in my mums room and other than the odd moan or cough, he slept through.

Last night was our first night back, I ended up being screamed at for a bottle at 11pm and 2am which are pretty much the standard times.
I have tried everything, watering the milk down, leaving a really weak squash in the cot for him. Nothing seems to be working.

The few times I have tried to stand firm and leave him, he goes absolutely bananas and hyperventilates.

Does anyone have any tips? This is getting so silly, I thought he might have been hungry but I can’t fit any more meals into his waking day.

Any advice much appreciated

push

Last night was a complete joke! He took a bottle at 2am and drank it then demanded a second one once he drank it! I’m concerned bout the neighbours thinking I’m just not bothered when he’s screaming at night. I can cope with trying to let him cry it out.

I wouldn’t leave him to cry it out. I would offer water and cuddles. It’s normal for an 18 months old to want cuddles and reassurance durring the night. Also give wheatabix or similar for supper.

I would be getting him checked out. Does he drink a lot of fluids during the day - milk/water/squash????

If he was fine sleeping in your mum's room then you know it is just habit and he doesn't need it.

Personally I would either reduce the milk an oz at a time or switch to offering water and stand firm on the screaming. Loads of milk in the night is awful for teeth.

Don’t start offering squash. That’s really bad for his teeth.

Does he go to sleep in the evening directly after having a bottle??

This is likely to be sleep association.

Throw away the bottles and let him have milk out of a lidded cup is a good starting point. Sucking on a bottle is instinctively soothing to babies and young DC and he could be reliant on that to relax enough to sleep.

Jacks house: I have done everything possible not to leave him to scream. The minute I take him out the cot for a cuddle he fights me and wants to get down and start walking around the house.

Random mess: he’s been doctors several times over this past few months, he drinks/eats, naps all normally.

Orlande: I am thinking just habit, but I feel like by leaving him to cry to prove that is instinctively wrong. So I was looking for some reassurance that this should be the final push for victory of the night time will power.

Lovinglola: I have been made aware of the teeth issue, but if milk is just as bad I thought a change to squash might be worth it in the interim. If that makes any sense at all, but if I can stop the night waking for bottles he’s teeth will be done a massive favour, so it would be a means to an end (that doesn’t really produce any results for me anyway, it gets chucked across the bedroom when he realises it’s not milk anyway)

Random mess: this seems quite possible, he goes down like a little dream in the evening, sometimes asking to go to bed!!! But it just lulls the responsible adult into a false sense of security, because he will be awake 4 hours later screaming!

I will try the new approach with the sippy cup to see if there is an association causing the problem, he has a bottle before his nap and bed time without fail.

In the mean time, do you think it’s worth my while giving the neighbours a knock and explaining I am sorry but there might be a few nights worth of disturbance. I feel bad as her hubby starts work at 6am 6 days a week! I would go spare if it was me 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thank you so much ladies, if there are any more comments, I would love to hear from people who have been through similar and how any subsequent relapses were dealt with

Xx thank you xx

Do milk earlier in his bedtime routine - milk, teeth brush, story/cuddles then into bed.
Agree with switching the bottles for a cup now too.

I would just comfort him in the cot rather than picking him up. Yes he will cry but you can sit next to him and shush/sing and stroke his face or rub his back.

Is he still in your bedroom? It’s not very clear from your post. I ask because him spending time in your mums room and being fine makes me wonder if he’s doing it because you are there. Are you still with his dad? Could be an option to try and send dad in when he wakes if possible to see if he can be settled without milk by him.

A cup sounds like a good idea rather than a bottle and a decent snack before bed too like weetabix to try and fill him up.
Hoping you find a solution soon x

Definitely Ditch the bottles altogether in the bin and go to sip cup.

My other thought is for him to share in your room in the travel cot he may just like the reassurance of you being there. Perhaps he was far more tired than usual whilst you were away?

Hey ladies,

Tonight didn’t start very well but I might have made some progress.

He went down at 7 with a bottle.. and was demanding another by 8:30. I could tell from his crying it was a hungry cry, so I got him up gave him Half a tin of spaghetti hoops and let him sit for 10 minutes and then put him straight back down with a sippy cup of water.

He’s gone out like a little light.

As for sleeping arrangements, I am on my own with him in a one bedroom flat for now. I only have a few more months till I can move on but i have had to grin and bear it since splitting with his dad when he was 4mo.
So it’s not ideal but he is used to me being near by at night, whether that makes any difference. He’ll be able to climb out the cot soon so I need to get this pinned down.

He ate loads today btw, he woke up to sliced banana, bowl of cereal and a yoghurt. Then had egg on toast followed by pasta, with chicken and veg. Then he had his bottle before his nap and bed, as well as snacks like crab sticks and grapes.

No advice but I have an 18 month old that does the same. He has a bottle at 7pm, then still wakes for a 10pm bottle and sometimes wakes for milk at 1:30 and 3:30 too then is up at 6. He goes batshit if I don't feed him.
I'm hoping he'll grow out of it, but who knows. Anyway, solidarity fist bump from me and I'll be watching for any handy advice.

Fist bump back at you chick! I think I would have preferred a few years in Holloway to this at times ...

Hope we’re all catching some Zzzzzzs through the night soon.

And... nope! He’s awake again for a bottle!

He needs to learn another way to sleep - if you put him down with a bottle then he'll need one every time he stirs in the night.

Clean his teeth after his bedtime cup of milk and put him into his cot awake. Chuck all the bottles away and offer a cup of water in the night.

It's a very long time since, think 30 plus years, but my non sleeper was given custard for supper, it worked every time