Question:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> >Our 16 month old is waking at night (usually 2-3 times per night.) I give > >him a drink and he curles up on my chest and falls back asleep. It seems > >as though he just wants to be held. Does he just need reassurance that > >we’re there? We have tried to let him cry for a few minutes, but I admit > >it, I am a softy, and it is too hard for me to let him cry. I nursed him > >until 1 year, so he is used to being close to me when he falls asleep, > >could that be it? He is by nature a very affectionate and cuddly boy. > >Also, he has had a lot of ear infections & colds this winter, so I wonder > >if he has just developed a pattern of waking up. He is otherwise a very > >happy, healthy little guy. Please give us any advice you may have, we are > >SOOO tired and would love eight hours of uninterrupted sleep! Thanks for > >your help.
I found a brilliant little booklet called The Good Sleep Guide by Angela Henderson. Its quite short and will only take a couple of hours to read but as well as giving advice on how to break poor sleeping habits, etc, it actually gives you action plans to record progress, etc. Sometimes it helps to have something to fill in to chart your progress and give encouragement. You can get the booklet from Angela Henderson at ABC Health Guides, 12 Moor Green, Neston, Corsham, Wiltshire, SN13 9SG, United Kingdom. Their telephone number is 01225 812048. Iv’e read a few books on sleep and this is by far the quickest, easiest, inspiring one I’ve found… and my friends who have borrowed it tell me it works!
Response:
My wife and I have worked on getting our daughter to sleep through the night for the past 6 months (she is coming up on a year). We have used the let her cry technique many times, and its always worked until an illness of some sort throws a wrench into the works. Our mistakes have been to carry on middle of the night comforting (rocking, feeding, bringing her back to bed, etc) too long after the illness. We are quickly learning the best method is to put her to bed, close all the doors inbetween her room and ours, and let her cry. The more you get up, the more she will expect it and look for it. (We still give in occassionally, but things are much better since we adopted the Hard Line.) Good Luck. Chris
Response:
>Our 16 month old is waking at night (usually 2-3 times per night.) I give >him a drink and he curles up on my chest and falls back asleep. It seems >as though he just wants to be held. Does he just need reassurance that >we’re there? We have tried to let him cry for a few minutes, but I admit >it, I am a softy, and it is too hard for me to let him cry. I nursed him >until 1 year, so he is used to being close to me when he falls asleep, >could that be it? He is by nature a very affectionate and cuddly boy. >Also, he has had a lot of ear infections & colds this winter, so I wonder >if he has just developed a pattern of waking up. He is otherwise a very >happy, healthy little guy. Please give us any advice you may have, we are >SOOO tired and would love eight hours of uninterrupted sleep! Thanks for >your help.
I suggest you read Nighttime Parenting by Dr. William Sears. It first reassures you that you are not a softy, but a caring parent who is doing what comes naturally. It also suggests how you can cope with children who wake often. I’ve been told by lots of experienced moms that you will never see anything close to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep until the kids are moved out and you change the locks! 
Good luck! Elena, mom to Dana (16 mos.)
Response:
I have been where you are and know exactly how you feel. I am also a softie and hate for my daughter to be upset. I nursed her for 14 mo and she still likes to fall asleep with her body curled into mine and holding my arm and she is 3.5 yrs (I enjoy this also). I tried letting her cry, sleeping on the floor next to the crib, putting the crib next to the bed, letting her sleep in our bed (maybe the easiest) and now she sleeps through the night most of the time. She might wake up once a night once a week and needs a cuddle. Time will help, I believe Maria would have been at this point earlier but baby brother came along and she spent 6 months waking every time she heard him cry to be feed every two hours- that was a lot of time with no sleep! Best of Luck. Mom to Maria 3.5 and Sam 10 mo. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Our 16 month old is waking at night (usually 2-3 times per night.) I give > him a drink and he curles up on my chest and falls back asleep. It seems > as though he just wants to be held. Does he just need reassurance that > we’re there? We have tried to let him cry for a few minutes, but I admit > it, I am a softy, and it is too hard for me to let him cry. I nursed him > until 1 year, so he is used to being close to me when he falls asleep, > could that be it? He is by nature a very affectionate and cuddly boy. > Also, he has had a lot of ear infections & colds this winter, so I wonder > if he has just developed a pattern of waking up. He is otherwise a very > happy, healthy little guy. Please give us any advice you may have, we are > SOOO tired and would love eight hours of uninterrupted sleep! Thanks for > your help.
Response:
Our 16 month old is waking at night (usually 2-3 times per night.) I give him a drink and he curles up on my chest and falls back asleep. It seems as though he just wants to be held. Does he just need reassurance that we’re there? We have tried to let him cry for a few minutes, but I admit it, I am a softy, and it is too hard for me to let him cry. I nursed him until 1 year, so he is used to being close to me when he falls asleep, could that be it? He is by nature a very affectionate and cuddly boy. Also, he has had a lot of ear infections & colds this winter, so I wonder if he has just developed a pattern of waking up. He is otherwise a very happy, healthy little guy. Please give us any advice you may have, we are SOOO tired and would love eight hours of uninterrupted sleep! Thanks for your help.
Response:
When my first son was having trouble sleeping all night we asked our Dr. for tips. He told us not to give the child juice within 3 hours of bed time, the sugar in the juice (even real fruit juice) keeps them up. It worked great for us! Also you have to let him cry it makes yoiu feel really mean but after the first few nights he starts to understand your not comming running so i better go back to sleep. Hope this helps good luck. Kevin – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Our son is 11 months old and still wakes up for a bottle at night >(about 2/3 am). We feed him cereals, veggies or fruits around 8:00 >and give him a bottle right before bed but he still wakes every night. >Is this typical? Should we go in and try to comfort him without >giving him the bottle? Should we continue as is? Any ideas? Signed >Sleep Deprived in Morgantown. >PS He is quite irate when he wakes at night, lots of crying and >kicking until he gets the bottle. After finishing the bottle he drops >off back to sleep.
Response:
Our son is 11 months old and still wakes up for a bottle at night (about 2/3 am). We feed him cereals, veggies or fruits around 8:00 and give him a bottle right before bed but he still wakes every night. Is this typical? Should we go in and try to comfort him without giving him the bottle? Should we continue as is? Any ideas? Signed Sleep Deprived in Morgantown. PS He is quite irate when he wakes at night, lots of crying and kicking until he gets the bottle. After finishing the bottle he drops off back to sleep.
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