My 5 Month Old Son Won't Sleep Without His Bottle

My suggestion is to decide what you want and do it. Take the bottle away and just let him deal with it. My sister had to do that with her son, she just set out side his room when he cried so she knew he was ok. OR if you want to try filling it with water. Some kids will give it up if it has water in it not milk or what not. But my biggest suggestion is to just take it away and let him cry it's easier and fast that way. you can do it all at one time and be done. The other ways might work but they take longer and you go through hell while doing it either way.
I'll have to say i've been reading the other posts and i totally agree.. I'm amazed that these parents on here aren't wimps. Most parents think they should just bend over for there child and NEVER let them cry. Children have to learn to put themselves to sleep. Weather you want to do it now or later is up to you BUT the sooner you take that bottle out of the bed the better for his teeth. My daughter used to always sleep with a blanket on her head. It doesn't hurt them at this age. If they can't breath they will turn there head. Much younger children can't move as easily so you don't want blankets in there but by 6mo. they can and will turn their head.
The easiest way to get rid of the bottle is to go cold turkey. JUST take it away and let them go. Check on them every 5min. BUT NEVER PICK THEM UP and after you put them to bed. rub their backs, lay them down, wisper or sing to them but when you pick them up you are telling them they are right there is something to be upset about. Becuase if there wasn't anything wrong you wouldn't be picking them up. Right ok well good luck

Please don't put a blanket or bottle in the crib with your baby! Those are two major sids factors. I don't mean to scare you but I would hate for anything to happen. Use a sleepshirt/wearable blanket and put either a onesie or even pj's under it depending on how warm his room is.

I can understand your frustration. My son only breastfed but would only go to sleep when I nursed him and would sleep with my boob in his mouth if he could have. He didn't take a pacifier until he was nine months old but once he did that was a HUGE help. Does your son take one? Mine also would wake up when I laid him down and would want to nurse himself back to sleep. Finally, I just had to start letting him cry it out and learn to put himself to sleep. It was around the 6 month mark for him. That was the best thing I ever did. It only took a few days (of me standing outside of his room crying) but it worked! Just let him go for 3 minutes then go in DO NOT pick him up, rub his back lay him back down and leave (no music, no stimulation). If he starts again go 5 mins, repeat, 7 mins, repeat, 10 mins, 12 and so on until he goes to sleep. Eventually he will and while it may seem like eternity to you it really won't take that long. The key is to watch the clock b/c you will think it has been 10 mins when it has only been 2!

Sorry this is so long. If you need to talk feel free to message me anytime! I used to love to draw and paint too:) I am looking forward to painting with my son once I'm sure he won't just eat it!

S.

hi maybe try to giove him less formula each time u put him to bed then when it is time to switch to take the bottle away it might make it easier sounds like he needs sucking to help him sleep. Does he take a pacifer? Or also instead of formula give him water in the bottle so u don't need to worry about the decay as much but i wish you luck

I was always told to start diluting the bottle with water. Ever couple of days put more and more water in it until it is pure water. They will not want it so much!

Good Luck!

My 3 children are way past bottles now, but I found each child different. With my first I could not stand to hear him cry so I let him have his bottle til he was 1. the I had had enough sleepless nights and I let him cry. It only took 2 nights. My 3rd was stronger willed and I gave in until he was 2 and he took longer to break from the habit. You are in charge and the younger you do it the better and easier it is.
My middle child did not need a bottle in the night until she was 6 months as she slept through. When she started crying in the night I assumed she was hungry and fed her. At 1 I changed to cows milk and she stopped crying. Turns out she was crying because the formula from 6 months was giving her tummy ache - she could not process a protein. Feeding took the ache away but also gave her the runs!

The long and the short is that if you don't want your baby to have a bottle at night then don't give it one. Babies are clever and know how to get their way. Letting it cry won't hurt it and it will learn that mum is in charge after all!! The crying will stop, just be patient! Let your little one learn now that falling asleep is something that should be done independently. I know it is hard, I fell for all the tricks first time. Good luck and I hope you sort it out.

N. W

Put water in the bottle. It seems like a comfort thing, not like he needs to eat. Eventually he will figure out that it is not worth it to fight for water and at least water won't damage his teeth. With my son, we weaned him down, less one ounce of formula each time until it was only water. It took about a week with the water before he stopped asking for it. You may want to introduce a lovey, like a favorite blankie that smells like you that he can use in place of the bottle.

our God daughter is 3 this Fri and still takes a sippy cup with milk in it to bed...finally lately she hasn't been waking up asking for more...sometimes 1-2 more times a night..catch 22...but now it is just seems to be one with bed and finishes it and goes to sleep (comfort and about being full) and then is ok until about 6-7 am when she wants something to drink am...like all of us are thirsty when we wake up...we get dehydrated after all night. Share with me the ____@____.com

I'll have to be blunt, you've set yourself up for disaster. I would stop this now before it becomes a HUGE problem. I remember when my daughter was 7 weeks old and still waking up every hour & 1/2 all night long. I read the book "Baby Wise" by Gary Chapman. It changed my life. The basic part of it was to not let her nurse to sleep. The boob or bottle can become a crutch, a necessity, and they will never be able to fall asleep naturally. It worked. She was sleeping through the night within a week. I did the same thing with my son. Both of my kids would go down for naps or bedtime with a kiss and prayers goodnight. They didn't need any coddling or staying for an hour until they fell asleep. You will go insane if you let this continue. I had to let me daughter "cry it out" several times, and it was so worth it. I didn't like to hear her cry either, but I liked the sound of my crying less, so I dealt with it.
I pray that you figure it out, and get some peace with it. It's hard, but it will benefit both of you in the end to get him out of this routine now.

I don't have any advice about the bottle, but I would switch from a blanket to zip-up fleece night sack to ease your worry and ensure that he won't cover his face.

Good luck!

Unfotunately I am not a mother but I am a dental hygienist. This is a habit that should be nipped in the bud as soon as possible. There are serious effects that will occur if this continues. Try using water or maybe mix it with a bit of juice. Milk and juice contain straight sugars that bath the teeth, or soon to be, all night long.
Good Luck

I had a similiar problem with my daughter around 4 months. She wouldn't take a nap w/out either me lying there with her or rocking her to sleep. So, what I had to do is exactly what you said you didn't want to do. I had to let her cry. I increased my time of going in to check on her by 5 minute increments. So I would let her fuss for 5 minutes, go in & give her a binky or rub her back then leave, if she was still fussing after 10 minutes, i'd go back in do the same thing, then again after 15 min's etc until after about 3 days of doing this she went to sleep as soon as i laid her in the crib. Now she is so independent about her naps [she is 15 months now] that all i have to do is ask her is she ready for a nap & she'll run to her crib for me to put her in.

Good luck!

I tried using the bottle propped up technique with my son a few weeks ago when he wouldn't go to sleep with anything else my husband and I tried.... and we've been doing this ever since because he is attached (He's just 2 1/2 months now). He naps during the day without a bottle in his mouth after he has been fed and everything else checks out okay (i.e. diaper dry, clothes dry and warm, quiet in the house), but he really wants it at night. I was worried in the same way you are, but just two nights ago, I fed him a larger portion and he layed down in the crib and went right to sleep without any bottle or pacifier. He wanted the bottle again last night, so I think it's just going to take time and our vigalance to get him to quit the habit. I would say try something like that and maybe he will be too full to fuss! I also didn't feed him all at once. He got his normal amount, took a 45 min. break (he stayed awake), and then he got some more to eat and he went right to sleep after.