My 16 Month Old Son Dont Sleep Through the Night

My 3 year old son still doesn't sleep though the night. Some kids are just light sleepers, so when they wake up they need something. If you refuse to give anything in the middle of night, he'll get the idea in 3 days or so (that's 3 completely sleepless nights). That's the only thing that's helped me. However, even if I give him nothing he still wakes up 2-3 times a night. :)

Hi,

Well we have a almost 13 month old, and ever since birth, and before, she has slept with music on. She also uses a night light at times too. She gets one drink before bedtime most nights, but sometimes is so tired she just falls asleep. It comes down to discipline. Stand strong and after a story or whatever your routine, explain bedtime. You have to see yourself in the right light,authority figure. It is a game to your child, a battle somewhat, don't give in. Ultimately, you just have to start with one technique, and be consistent. That is so important! Hopefully this helps. Do you watch supernanny? They had an episode on this.

Hope this helps...

K

I had the same problem with my son when he was about 8 months! I would give him a bottle as he would wake up crying and it would satisfy him. He was hungry and I didn't know to put cereal in the bottle and it would satisfy his hunger better. Putting them to bed with a bottle or sippy cup makes them dependent on it to fall asleep. That's what he knows so that's why he demands it and if it's not helping the situation, which it's not, it has to go! So my advice would be to replace it with something else if he has to have a source of comfort to fall asleep, especially if he did have a good dinner. That is if it is hunger which keeps him awake. There is nothing wrong with taking out of bed (changing the routine) and giving him a snack with a drink out of his sippy cup done at the table. I know you really want to get back to bed, but this will target the suspected problem of if he is hungry or not. If he is, GREAT! Your son has a fast metabolism and you can modify how you want to address this. If it's not...it may just be that he is scared or cold or is having bad dreams. He can't speak in adult terms, so we dont know. But first and formost, Change the routine! It's a matter of trial and error and it usually will take about 30 days to change a habit with a child once he gets used to that routine, but you will get through it. also, I know this is not the traditional way to do things when it comes to how we sleep in the U.S., but for the sake of rest for the sanity of the household, make him a bed with you until he feels he is safe enough to sleep on his own, if it is fear which keeps him awake at night. It's difficult at his age to tell us what is bothering him and he doesnt know how. Try one thing at a time and stick with it for at least 30 days and try to be kind to yourself also and remember that he will not do this forever, even though it may seem like it now! Oh yeah and as always, call your pediatrician and see what they say. They dont charge for phone calls! Blessings!

I also thought of diabetes. I would have him checked out by a doctor first. If the doctor thinks he's fine then I would slowly start adopting a tougher stance on nightime beverages.

Man I totally feel your pain! I am a mother of 2 children now and my second daughter had a very similar problem with the bottle at night. It would seem I was up ever 2 hours to give her a bottle when she really didnt need it(she was about 10 months at the time). This continued for another month until I decided that the sleep I was loosing wasnt worth it. I always made sure that my daughter was cared for, but playing the game in the bedtime hours was no longer an option. It was not good for me or for her. Babies and children need 10-12 hrs of solid sleep a night. If your son keeps getting up in the middle of the night every two hours then he is not entering the deep REM sleep that he desperately needs to get rest. So what do you do? Make sure he's not dying and then leave him in the crib to cry it out himself. It probably will take anywhere from 3 nights to a week of that and he'll figure it out. Dont think you are punishing him. Think of it as you are teaching him to sleep on his own. And sometime the best way for a child to learn is to let him figure it out. Buy yourself a fan if you have to and put the sucker on full blast(high enough to drown out his crying, but not high enough to drown out full on screams). I know maybe this sounds cruel, but the truth is...what kind of mommy are you being during the daytime when he needs your full undivided attention?(At least at night they are in there crib and perfectly safe) Are you too tired to function? Do you find yourself more irritated at him than you should be? Trust me, if you can conquer this you will be a happier mommy, and he will be a happier boy. The first few nights are bad. I'm not lying to you....it's agonizing to lay there and listen to the crying, but just keep thinking to yourself that the outcome will be better. I never left my daughter any longer than 30min without checking on her, but I never got her out of the crib. I made it clear to her that it was sleep time... No bottle, no sippy cup, and no water...You can do it! I know you can. If I did it you can! Hang in there and hopefully you will find some more peaceful nights!
~A. Creppell

So it is true that extreme thirst is associated with medical issues. But you didnt really say if he is thirsty or just wants the cup. Alot of little ones get attached to the cup. What most concerns me is you saying you put milk and juice in it when he has it at night. A child should never have a sippy of milk or juice in bed this is the direct cause of baby bottle tooth decay which is not just seriously unsightly it is highly painful for children. The dentist bill to fix it is really high and the adult teeth that eventually come in after wards are usually very misaligned. If you have to give him a sippy at night make sure it is only water. This might also make him less interested in waking for it if it is only water.

Well, I think it sounds like you should give a call to your doctor. Usually you can call and ask to talk to an advice nurse. They might want to see if they have diabetes or something like that. I think that is one of the signs. But, don't freak out until you hear that from your pediatrician.

Hopefully he is just a boy that is thirsty. :)

JUST LIET HIM CRY...COME ON NOW WHO CARES!

JUST KIDDING SO TIFF THATS A GOOD QUESTION ARE YOU GIVING HIM WATER AT NITE OR NO? BECAUSE IF HE IS DRINIKING OUT OF THE CUP NO MATTER WHAT IT IS THEN KEEP TO WATER AT NITE AND IS GOOD FOR HIM...DOM DOESNT DRINK WATER AT ALL
PLUS THAT BOY CRIES ALL THE TIME EITHER WAY SO WHEN YOU HE GETS UP AT NITE TRY TO LET HIM CRY TAKE HIM TO THE OTHER ROOM SO HE DOESNT WAKE THE RANDY'S AND LET HIM WAKE UP LUPE AND RAY! HAHA WELL I DONT KNOW WHAT ELSE TO TELL YOU ABOUT YOUR LITTLE TERADACTALE BUT MAYBE GETTING ON A SCHEDULE! BATHE THE BOYS BEFORE THEY GO TO BED SIT DOWN WITH THEM AND READ THEM A STORY TRY TO HAVE LIL RANDY "TRY" TO READ A STORY...YOU KNOW AND I KNOW IT WILL BE HARD ....I JUST HOPE YOU AND FIND A BALANCE SOMEWHERE!
LOVE YOU GUYS!

Yes, you can stop him from drinking at night. I know it's hard but you have to be super strong and stand firm. I haven't experienced your exact problem, but something similar. My son cried and screamed for about 4-5 nights, I had to stay with him the whole night, comforting as best as I could. He would sleep a little and then wake up demanding to be nursed. I did not give in and after those 5 days he got the message and stopped crying to be nursed. It was hard to do and I didn't get much sleep, but it was worth it in the end. Good luck.

OMG! I WENT THRU THE SAME THING A FEW MONTHS AGO. THE TRAINING CUP IS THE SAME THING LIKE A BOTTLE. TRY CUTTING HIM OFF OF THIS. WHEN MY GIRLS CRIED FOR THEIR CUPS. I ASKED THEM IF THEY WANTED A CUP OF MILK THEY WOULD DRINK FROM A BIG CUP IN THE KITCHEN WITH ME. THEY GOT TIRED OF THIS AND STOP ASKING AND CRYING FOR THIS. BUT DONT GIVE IN. THIS WILL EVENTUALLY STOP., IT TOOK ME A MONTH OF THIS DRAMA BEFORE THIS STOPPED. HANG IN THERE

Hi T.,
I don't mean to alarm you, but sometimes extreme thirst and excessive urination could be symptoms of diabetes. You may want to have him checked by his ped.
A.

T.,

Do not let him have milk or juice before bed. A small cup of water is fine but let him know that if he guzzles it down that he will not get any more and then stick to your guns. He will test you. Milk can cause you to feel thirsty and if you have a juice that has sugar in it that too can cause dehydration.

This sounds like a habit that needs to be broken for everyone sake.

Stay strong

L.
Nutritionist
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