My daughter just turned 2 on 9/18 and we took her pacifier about 3 months before she turned 2. She was sleeping through the night when she had her pacifier, but now she wakes up at least twice a night asking for milk or juice. What can I do to get her to sleep through the night again? Help mom seeking rest!
DO NOT give the pacifier back. You have come this far, don't regress back. Good for you for getting rid of it. Just put the cup of water in the bed and tell her you will see her in the morning.
Stay strong. It's not easy being a good parent....it's hard work, and you must do it with very little sleep.
I suspect that when she had her pacifer she was waking up as she went thru her sleep cycles. She just used the paci to self sooth and went back to sleep on her own without involving you. An easy solution to your problem is to give her back the paci. My oldest had one at night until he turned four. Then the "bim-bim" fairy came and took the thing away and left a much desired toy. He never looked back altho for years I would check him at night and he would be sucking his phantom pacifer.
If you don't want to go back to the pacifer, then don't get involved in her nighttime waking...don't make yourself integral to her getting back to sleep. There are lots of books that can guide you. I like "Healthy Sleep Habits,Happy Child>" Weisbluth is the author. Good luck.
Give her the bink back. She will give it up when she is ready...if you take it too soon, she may develop other oral fixations. Two of our boys had them until they were three. When the started biting them and destroying them, we told them how many they had. When they were gone, they were gone, and we were not going to buy anymore. They both accepted the consequences fine and never had any problems since. They sleep fine and their teeth are just fine too. :)
Hope this helps...good luck and pleasant dreams!
I am a first time mom and my baby isn't even a year yet but...is it a terrible suggestion to leave a sippy cup of water with her in her crib or by her bed? Then she can learn a new grown up way to meet her needs and go back to sleep? Good luck!
S.,
I too am a new mom. I'm not sure how valid my answer would be but I suggest probably giving her something to drink prior to her going to bed, such as warm milk, and playing white noise in her darkened room to help her sleep. I heard nature sounds work.
Thanks,
S.
We let our boys have sippy cups of water - that worked well for us.
What if you put a sippie cup in her bed after she falls asleep. You should only put water in it though because giving her juice or milk and her falling back to sleep with the residue in her mouth will promote tooth decay. Put a small amount of water, enough to quench her thirst. She is probably just thirsty since she doesn't have the pacifier keeping her mouth closed or if she is a mouth breather. If she opens the cup and spills the water it wouldn't be a big deal. To help insure that she understands that there is a time for sleeping; Each time you put her to bed tell her "It's time for sleeping" or some other phrase you might use regularly. In her young mind it is the same as "It is time to eat" or "time for Daddy to come home". Routine, routine, routine.
So, the first few nights that she gets up, go in to her don't turn on the light, show her the cup and allow her to pick it up herself and drink from it herself to let her see that she can take it on her own. Since you have already established the "It's time for sleeping" phrase, tell her it is time for sleeping and leave the room. Spend as little time as possible interacting in the middle of the night. Keep your tone of voice low and non-fun. Don't pick her up, maybe just a hug. This will give her the idea that the middle of the night is all business. After a few nights of this don't go to her room when you hear her get up. Simply call out a reminder to take a drink and the time for sleeping phrase.
I used this tactic myself and we all slept like a baby. I hope it works for you too.
J.
find something else that will take the place of the pacifier?
what are you doing in response to her getting up? I am sure that when you did the no paci's you went to her and comforted her. Or maybe you started giving her milk to get her back to sleep. Whatever you did well, that became her paci. So, you need to eliminate your interaction, milk or whatever.
Make sure her bedroom is dark and music is playing on continous play. That will help.
N.
