How can I get my 18 month Baby to sleep through the night?

Question

My baby wakes up crying and we have to give him milk to get him back to sleep. People say to let him cry but the crying lasts too long...

Answer 1

Your baby doesn't need milk in the middle of the night anymore. He should be eating enough during the day to hold him over through the night. Eliminate the bottle. Then when he wakes up go in and give him a kiss let him know he's alright and leave. At first he will cry. If you are comfortable let him cry himself to sleep, it may take 20-30 minutes or more! Make sure he soesn't have a wet diaper and had plenty of food during the day and otherwise you know he is safe, just fighting sleep. Do this for a few weeks and the crying will get less and less until he puts himself to sleep on his own if he wakes up. It is hard, trust me I know, I just went through it with my son. But with determination you can do if you are ready! Good Luck!

Answer 2

At 18 mo. I hope he's in his own room. When he wakes up, go to his room (without a bottle) Lay him down and sit by his bed. If he gets up, lay him down again. Don't give in to a bottle. Keep doing this until he goes to sleep. He should be sleeping thru the night in a few days. Sorry, but it takes a while. Is he on 3 meals a day? At that age he should be. He should also be off of a bottle. Give him a glass of water before bed, Not milk, as it tends to cause tooth decay when it stays on the teeth all night. Once he's down------------he's down for the night. Keep him up until about 7:00/7:30. Good luck.

Answer 3

You can start by stopping the giving of milk in the middle of the night. If he wakes up crying, go to him but don't take him out of his crib. Lay him down, comfort him with a rub on the back and tell him he needs to go back to sleep, then leave the room. If he cries again, lay him down and tell him he needs to go back to sleep. If he cries again, just lay him down and leave the room. Any subsequent trips to his room for crying should be met with you laying him down and leaving the room. It may take some time, but he will eventually get himself back to sleep without your help.

Answer 4

Do you give him a bedtime snack? I had a similar problem with my 15 month old. I tried letting him cry it out, but after two weeks; I was exhausted and he was crying more, instead of less. I finally gave up and gave him his regular nighttime feedings. He was sleeping through the night before he turned two.

Answer 5

Cosleep.