How do I get my daughter to sleep through the night?

Question

Ok, first she NEVER slept through the night and she is 20mnths now, I am going NUTS!!! She wakes like 6 times a night... I have been weaning her, she has refused to stop too, but now I have managed to get her to sleep without nursing and when she wakes, she no longer gets to nurse... but she is constantly asking and throws tantrums to get her way... HELP!! is it possible to get her to sleep and not nurse too? and any ideas on how to get her to sleep in the mornings I'm over getting up at 4:30/5am?

Answer 1

20 months and you are still breast feeding? Does she nap during the day? If she does I would keep her from napping during the day. Secondly try giving her warm mile with cereal before bed.. a full tummy usually makes them sleep better and nothing makes a full tummy like warm milk and cereal. Send her to bed with a bottle of water. And you should never cater to tantrums. The more you cater to them, the more they will happen. She wants to throw a tantrum let her, put her back in her bed kicking and screaming, shut the door, let her pound on it, scream and cry and go back to your room and shut the door also. Give her about 20 minutes, if she has not stopped by this time. ITs time to lay down the law. Go back in the room put her in her bed and tell her firmly that you will not tolerate this. tuck her in the bed under the covers and turn the lights out. Tell her she is not to get up from her bed, repeat it two more times before leaving very firmly "You are not to get up from your bed or do not get up from this bed" and leave shutting the door. You may have to repeat two or three more times during bed time but it will be worth it you will have full night sleeps before you know it.

Answer 2

Is she hungry because she's use to still being feed at night?

I use a air purifier for white noise, elminate any scary shadows and lights on the wall coming through the window and leave his door open at night. I've found all of these to help over time.

I also found my son had a lot of gas from certain foods he was eating during the day. I guess you could prob give a little
Baby Gas-X before bed.

I would go in every 10 mins to calm them down. I don't belive
in the old school way of letting kids "Cry it Out".

My son is also 20 months and he is struggling to communicate. Sometimes he throws fits because he wanted Dadda to hug him good night rather than mom :)

Answer 3

It sounds like she is hungry. Do you feed her other than nursing her? If you do not I would start there. Does she sleep a lot during the day? If she does you need to keep her up some more so that she is tired at night. If she is not in any pain I think that it is hunger that is keeping her up. Do not give in to her tantrums. Children learn very quickly how to get their way. Good luck.

Answer 4

stop nursing. Tell her no, and let her no that no means no. She is almost 2 years old. Give her a sippy cup and tell her that is all that she gets. She might throw a fit at first, but eventually when she gets thirsty enough she will take it. Sounds to me like she is just hungry? What do you feed her besides when you nurse her? My son has always been a good sleeper. He woke up twice a night when he was newborn and now he is 2 1/2 and he doesn't wake up at all unless he is sick or something is wrong. Could be that she is just hungry. I feel for you, it must be really hard. good luck!

Answer 5

Make sure first of all that you get her off of the breast before you try getting her to sleep thru the night. The BEST way I found for my daugher (8 weeks was the first time she slept thru the night) was starting a CONSISTANT bedtime routine. We eat supper, she watches TV for about 20-30 mins. Then we have family time (all 3 of us go play on mommy and daddy's bed for about 20 minutes), then it's bath, brush teeth, books and bedtime. Put her in the bed and leave the room. If she wakes up at night, give her a few minutes and go in there and don't pick her up. Try to soothe her without getting her out of bed. If all else fails (it will the first few times) get her up. But just keep on keepin on. Kids need routine, especially at bedtime. Good luck and after a week or so, things should be better!

Answer 6

OMG the same thing happened to me with my first boy he slept next to me till he was 2 but don't stress it s all up to you..you can change all that just be a little firm about bed time she has to get used to being in bed alone or at least on bed or crib near you to start with..then you can move her to a room by herself trust me it s hard ...but eventually you ll get there...i wish you the best of luck and about the weaning i just gave my son a bottle instead and not a fancy one just those normal ones they have long nipples and babies who breastfeed long they take those easily i am sure cos my 11mths old is taking them too again good luck..

Answer 7

I feel for you. I say put a fan in her room for white noise. Make the room as dark as possible so she will sleep in and not wake up as soon as the sun rises. I also would let her cry 15 mins. and then come in to let her know you are there, hug her and then wait another 15 mins. Eventually she will get tired and go to sleep. Its suggested that babies start to come off the bottle at 12mos...I waited until 15mos. and just took the bottle.

Answer 8

My son did the same thing. I didn't sleep a full night for 2years. Then I stopped giving him the bottle. I told him no and in a week he did not wake up in the middle of the night. Family gave me all kind of grief saying I am starving him and he needs the bottle for his vitamins and crap. They were wrong I was right and hallelujah we both sleep all night. I swear I think angels sang that first night. :)

Answer 9

baby oatmeal b4 bed works every time but i dont know about a 20 mnth old lol by that time i just had mine play all day so they were dead to the world coem bed time lol good luck

Answer 10

you just need two or three more years of this, then it will get better.