I cannot get my16 month old to sleep through the night still! Help me!?

Question

She has always had trouble with sleeping, and it isnt getting any better, I dont know what to do. My mom lives with my husband and I and she shares a room with my kids so I am sure that doesnt help either.

Answer 1

I could not cope with controlled crying but found another method that works.You have to work at it but it only takes about 3 nights.
when your daughter calls out or comes out,don't greet her.don't say anything, don't get angry, NO REACTION.It is damn hard to not be cranky after the 5th time, but you have to keep at it,jsut put her back.ignore the crying,tell her in a flat voice devoid of happy or cranky that you are putting her back to bed,it's bedtime and you are going back to bed.It sounds monotonous and it is.but it works. on the first night my doahgter was up about 16 times, the second night 5 and the third night once,after that she gave up as she wasn't getting the attention or raction that she needed.
I gave another mum on answers this advice last week and she wrote that it worked for her.good luck :)

Answer 2

Have a structured bedtime routine i.e dinner, relaxing bath, storytime, drink, nappy change, bed. Make sure night time is quieter, so she differentiates that everything is calmer and more sedate in the evenings. Does she have a song she likes, that you can hum or sing, something that calms or soothes her? When she wakes, do not give her much attention, just tend to her immediate needs- change wet nappy etc. When you've ascertained that she is physically ok, pat her gently as she lays in her bed, and quietly sing/hum a soothing tune. Don't do this for long, just long enough that she knows mommy is there, then say goodnight again and leave. She may well wake up again, just repeat the process, being quicker each time, not really singing to her, and leaving her a bit longer in between. Hopefully she will get herself back to sleep and realise that there is little to be gained in calling out- the night time is boring and mom won't "interact" with her the way she wants etc
As adults, we can wake multiple times in the night, the difference being we can also (usually) get ourselves back to sleep on our own. Babies need to learn how to. And some, like your daughter, take longer! Your mom being in the same room probably has little bearing on your daughter's sleep, and unless you can have her sleep elsewhere-which I assume is not the case- she could turn out to be your greatest ally right now, taking turns with you when you're really tired. Hang in there- it can and will get better. If all else fails, and sleep deprivation is getting on top of you, speak to a child health nurse at your local child health centre- they can be a wealth of information and I got many great tips from mine. It's a matter of working out what works best for you and your bub. Best of luck!

Answer 3

It definitely doesn't help that grandma is sharing the same room. She probably won't sleep as long as she knows grandma is there. Put her to bed before grandma goes to bed, then if she wakes up in the night, make sure to tell grandma not to make her presence known because you are trying to get her to put herself back to sleep. Try waiting it out 5 minutes or so, go in comfort her, then 10 minutes or so, comfort her (don't pick her up), and so on and so on. Also make sure she's had an active day and a nice warm bath before she goes to bed. That always helps. Good luck!

Answer 4

If you pick her up the second she starts to cry, then wait longer. Yes, it will interfere with your mothers sleep, but maybe she will consent to sleeping on the couch while you retrain your child. Sometimes just murmuring by an adult can calm a child down.
Or is the baby looking for playtime with grandma in the middle of the night, if so grandma must understand that that has to stop and the process of letting a child relax and go back to sleep by himself is only tough for a few nights and necessary to its development and independence. I wish I had a bit more information, but you get the idea.

Answer 5

Is she still on the bottle...I hope not but some people keep their kids on the bottle way too long. Is she sleeping too much during the day? Or going to sleep too early? It's gonna be hard to get her to sleep if she's being disturbed by other people. Try to set some bedtime rules for everyone and get into a routine. You have to be consistent with it though.

Answer 6

i think control crying is the way to go. the best way. it is NOT harmful to the child in any way.
say goodnight, put her in her cot. (she will probably start crying) wait five mins, then go in, DO NOT pick her up. just say something along the lines of 'mummy is here, it is sleep time now i love you' then leave the room. wait ten minutes, then go back in and repeat the phrase and leave. then wait 15 minutes, go back, repeat phrase, wait 20 minutes etc. keep going up by 5 minutes until she wears herself out and goes to sleep.
this may seem cruel but it is SO much better for her in the long run. she will learn to self soothe and will go back to sleep by herself if she wakes in the middle of the night. it could take up to three days (and it might take a couple of hours the first night but IT IS DEFINATELY WORTH IT!). they are happier during the day and they sleep better at night. if you decide to do it, stick to it... dont chicken out half way through because you will be back to square one. i promise it will work if you do it properly.

Answer 7

They will only sleep when they want too. You have probally tried everthing. Have you kept her busy, having a good run around outside for hours, a hot meal, warm bath, you can get bedtime bath to go in it, and a warm bottle of milk. Our baby was 2 before he slept, and now tries to sneak off to go and get in bed too early ! From one extreme to the other.

Answer 8

i know a lot of people wouldnt approve of this, but a sippy cup of warm milk or even cold will do wonders.

I would just make sure to brush her teeth really well as soon as she wakes up in the mornings.

Answer 9

My four-year-old has only recently been able sleep all through the night, so if you're unlucky too you might be in for some disturbed nights for a while yet...

Answer 10

Try giving your child a bath with thath johnson's bedtime bath before you put he/she to bed.