20mth old waking at 2am asking for milk, do we give it?

Question

Our daughter at one point was a great sleeper, and would sleep through the night. That is no longer the case! For the past month or two she's been waking up every night at least once, typically around 2 or 3am. She wakes up screaming for chocolate milk (which her father has gotten her addicted to), and keeps screaming until she's gotten it. I offer water, but that is quickly rejected. The last few nights she's woken up wanting to get up and play at 3am, and takes a good half an hr to an hr to settle back down. The only way to get her to fall back asleep is to give her a sippy cup full of chocolate milk. I'm getting to be pretty cranky in the morning when it's time to get up and go to work as I'm just exhausted, and I'd really like for this to stop. I just dont think it's a good idea to 'give in' and get her in the habit of having milk in the middle of the night but my husband doesnt think it's a big deal to give her milk... and she DOES go to sleep after. Should we try something else?

Answer 1

You have to put your foot down on this. You are vulnerable because you are tired...so until it passes, your husband and you should take turns on who is going to deal at night.

I would lay her down and tell her, "No milk till morning" and leave. That's it.

This is going to lead to her wanting to be up at 2-3 am. My sister went through a similar circumstance with her daughter and gave in- and it was very, very difficult to break.

Give her the chocolate milk before bed- and talk to her- no chocolate milk until the sun comes up. I would say it a few times...Toddlers don't have a clue about time- so use symbols- when the sun comes up, you can have milk. Or, when mommy is getting ready for work, you can have milk. Brush her teeth and put her to bed. When she wakes up, USE THE SAME WORDS, No milk until the sun comes up or whatever phrase you use. Lay her down and walk away.

Good luck!

Answer 2

I had the same problem with my daughter and let me tell you how much I wish I could have stopped it. My daughter would not give up the bottle first of all, then insisted on having 'chocolate milk' in the bottle for bedtime. I finally got her off the bottle at 2 1/2 and started giving her a sippy cup of water to go to bed with. As a result of the chocolate milk bottles all four of her top teeth started rotting and had to be capped. She's 8 now and has since lost her baby teeth and grew new strong healthy adult teeth (thank god) but I've never put any of my other children to bed with a cup or bottle since. I would buy her a nice new special girl cup and fill it with water for bed time. Good luck.

Answer 3

I agree with the others to NOT give in and give her chocolate milk at night.. The milk alone rots the teeth and adding the chocolate is just asking for trouble.. Water is a better solution or nothing at all. You'll have to tell her that the chocolate milk is for little one's that sleep and it will be there in the morning... Then have your husband- put her back down.. That will teach HIM, that giving in to her demands isn't the best idea. Good luck

Answer 4

I think as long as she goes back to sleep after you give it to her, then hey why not. I would just really try to get her to drink at least a little bit of water right after she has drank the milk just to wash it off of her teeth. I think that is the only reason doctors recommend not giving anything but water at night, so their teeth don't go bad because the sugar and stuff from the chocolate milk will sit on her teeth all night and could cause decay.

Answer 5

humorous, a million 3 hundred and sixty 5 days previous merely presently began doing a similar element between 2 and 3 rather much each and every morning. yet he's taking a pacifier yet merely at mattress time so all I do it bypass up and perchance exchange his diaper and then lay him down and supply him his pacifier and often he will bypass stunning back to sleep. yet i do no longer comprehend why he began waking up in the 1st place. i began out thinking that it may be because of the fact he's soaking moist. often while i bypass up I ought to alter him because of the fact he's so moist. possibly you ought to work out if it is the situation. possibly she does not like having a moist diaper on.

Answer 6

Milk has been found to be a good soother to make people sleep. So provide it to your daughter.

Also children don't follow a regular sleep, activity pattern as adults. Hence bear with it and give her what she wants. She would get into a different activity/sleep pattern or even to her regular pattern after sometime.

Probably she is also feeling hungry at night (due to increased physical activity) and wants to have her favorite food - Chocolate milk.

Also milk is good for health (unlike ice creams, cookies, soda) since it contains calcium and other essential vitamins. So provide it as much as she wants.

Try this - Provide her with Chocolate milk before she goes to bed so that she doesn't feel hungry at night.

Remember Children are diffcult to bring up. It's an art. You need to give up your sleep, patience, luxuries etc., to bring them up, but thats what the parenting pleasure is.

Answer 7

Please, let her cry, I know it sounds really cruel but rather than giving in, just try and be firm, go in and comfort her and tell her it's sleep time and leave the room.
Think of it this way, if you give a child chocolate milk and let her sleep afterwards, it will rot her teeth!
It's honestly not good for her.
Tell yourself that when you're feeling bad!
Oh, and Good LUck! ♥

Answer 8

TRY PUTTING YOUR FOOT DOWN. I know it seems cruel to not give in to her cries, but if she discovers she can get what she wants when she wants it by throwing tantrums, that is how it is going to keep going. First chocolate milk, then-whatever toy she wants. You have GOT to show her who is boss. If she is truly thirsty, that water is sufficient. If she rejects it, close her door, and let her cry herself back to sleep. She will not die.
If she starts hyperventilating(which toddlers only do for attention. My son learned he can't get the kind of attention he wants by doing it, so he doesn't do it anymore. He is 17 months.)anyway...starts hyperventilating, blow gently in her face. It will make her catch her breath and breathe normally again.
She has your husband wrapped around her little finger. He is only teaching her that it is okay to yell and scream to get what you want.
Best to you.

Answer 9

Just give her normal milk or formula. The sugar in the chocolate milk will do her teeth no good.
She won't like it but eventually she will get used to not having it again.

Answer 10

Sounds like it's time to stop her day time naps because she's getting too much sleep.
Cut the day time naps and no liquids 3 hours before bed time.