Bob’s sleeping has improved. We now get three hours sleeps! I know this is not great by many people’s standards but it is fabulous by mine!
The main problem now is that she wants lots of milk overnight. Until she was one I excused this. By the book up to the age of one she was allowed three bottles a day. I cut out her afternoon bottle, as she was eating plenty, and I let her have her allowance at nighttime.
Now she should not need any. I know that many babies hold on to their bedtime bottle and I could cope with that but she wants a bottle every three hours! She eats so much in the day so the milk isn’t needed but she seems to be unable to settle overnight without it. This doesn’t make sense to me as she can go to sleep quite easily, without a bottle when she goes to bed.
I have started to give her a cup of milk and some toast for her supper and then I take her up to bed. After she has brushed her teeth, listened to a story, stolen the book off me and started dancing and laughing (?) she eventually settles and goes to sleep. She wakes a few hours later and I give her a ‘bedtime’ bottle. Maybe this is wrong as she may expect a bottle every time she awakes but, this way, I am sure that she is full, and I do not feel so mean when the tough love begins.
After three hours (you could literally set your watch by her) she wakes up and starts screaming. I comfort her, cuddle her, rock her and sing to her but nothing works! I be very brave and don’t give in. She falls in and out of sleep but she is very unsettled and cries on and off. (You would think she was starving!) Then, after about two hours she falls asleep for another three hours! She obviously doesn’t need her milk!
I am hoping that doing this will break her habit and hopefully, next week, I will be writing about her sleeping through! I also may be posting a news flash that pigs have been spotted flying over London!
Have any of you had to deal with anything like this? I’d love to hear your tried and tested methods!
*A little update. I wrote this post yesterday and last night he only cried for 30 minutes before settling. Progress! 🙂
Ahhh, bless you. Just stick to your guns and be consistent. At Bob’s age I would say its really unlikely that she is waking because she’s hungry or thirsty, it’s just habit of waking up and then wanting someone or something to soothe her back. I hope you can crack it soon for everyone’s sakes, and I’m sure you will if you stick with it. Good luck. X
Thanks hon. Lon the bright side she is much better than she used to be! We used to struggle to get her to sleep for longer than 30 minutes! Always look at the bright side. ;0) x
My lo will only sleep with a bottle, what I do is give him a bottle of milk to go off to sleep with then if he wakes he gets water but in his bottle. His bottle is his comforter at night. I have now started controlled crying when he wakes up in the night and not giving him any water as this became a habit. the past 2 nights he has nearly slept all night maybe woken once, I leave him for 10 mins then go check on him and go back 10 mins later by this time he has gone back to sleep, but it does depend if your ok with controlled crying as it is tough to do!
I tried using water. She just gets really frustrated. I am letting her cry but I’m with her as don’t like leaving her upset. She’s so stubborn and, even with me comforting her, she takes a long time to settle. I’ve tried leaving her in the past and she just screams and screams. Glad it’s getting better for you. Fingers crossed the improvements carry on here too! x
[…] I have already mentioned, Bob is now sleeping! Don’t get too excited! She still wakes up every few hours but it is much better than it was. […]
[…] I have already mentioned, Bob is now sleeping! Don’t get too excited! She still wakes up every few hours but it is much better than it was. […]