Crap sleep at a year

[tallybee]

Youngest is just a year old now. She's never been a great sleeper. She can self settle, and usually will go to sleep in her cot no problems in the evening, but she doesn't stay asleep. The HV told me about 4 months ago that "at this age and stage she does not need night feeds so you can start cutting them" but LO doesn't agree she wakes a few times a night and does want boob. If I try offering her anything else she bats it away and screams. I've tried formula in a bottle (she sometimes accepts this during the day but not at night), sippy cup with water (again she has no issue with this in the day but at night it is not what she wants). Last night she woke 3 or 4 times (I lose track from being so exhausted), that is probably average. The cot is still next to my bed and if I try to put her back in it when she can see me in the bed she stands up in the cot and screams.

I think she's just a light sleeper who has never needed that much sleep. She's generally a very happy kid it's just the sleep that's an issue. I need help

 

[zorak]

Can the cot be moved elsewhere? I can understand it being harder to deny feeds if baby can see you.

 

[upsy daisy1]

No advice but my lo is also a year amd wakes for 2-3 feeds a night. The hv told me she should be sleeping through and I should start watering her bottles down until she stops waking.i tried watering them down..she still woke.i even tried a bottle.of just warm water and she took 5 Oz of it! And them woke up after an hour wanting milk..I have tried just not giving the milk at all when she woke and just giving water.she will have a sip go bk to sleep but not settle, she just keeps rolling around crying.then stands up and refuses sleep. I wouldn't mind one bottle. But to wake for 3!!! I have just accepted she will give them up when she is ready..I Hope!! Sorry no advice but just wanted to reassure u that u r not alone x

 

[tallybee]

Thanks xx it's just really exhausting isn't it :/

 

[upsy daisy1]

It is exhausting..every morning I feel I havent slept as by the time I get up to give the bottle and get bk to bed,it then takes a while to fall asleep only to be woken again.i hope they start sleeping through soon!

 

[jessmke]

My LO is only 10 months but her sleep gets worse and worse the older she gets. On a good night (which is rare) she is up three times, on a bad night she is up 8-10 times. Boobs are the only way to get her back to sleep. We are attempting night weaning this week, tonight will be our first night! I noticed that she takes a full feed around 10/11 pm, but the rest of the night she just sucks for a little while, maybe drinks a bit, then falls back asleep. So after her initial waking for a feed my OH is going to go in to her with a small cup of milk. If all goes well after the first two nights he will then just offer her water in the night. If things don't improve after 5 nights we will concede that she is not ready and go back to me just giving her boobs in the night. Could your OH try to settle your LO at night instead of you? I think as soon as they see/smell mom boob is the only thing on their mind, so Dad might have a better chance of getting them to settle without a feed.

 

[Lumi]

Okay so hubby and I decided to cut out our sons milk of a night time at 14months, he is bottle fed. He was also waking up anywhere between 2-10times a night and the only way to settle him was a milk bottle.

When he was 14month we cut out the milk and bottle completely, cold turkey. I was extremely concerned about being able to get him to sleep as he hates being rocked/patted etc.

In the end it was the best decision we ever made, the first night was really hard but we just kept offering water in a sippy and sitting beside his cot until he fell asleep (there was a lot of crying involved but we were always there to reassure him), by the third night he was sleeping through(HALLELUJAH!!) and has slept through every night since for the last month, I am so relieved.

Key points I think are we made sure there was no milk in the house so I wouldn't cave and we were %100 set on seeing the transition through so he didn't get any mixed signals.

Hope this might help.

 

[upsy daisy1]

Thanks lumi it's reassuring to know it can be done!!

Jessmke did u try the weaning last night? My lo Is bottle fed so doesn't mind who gives her the milk. Last night I started reducing milk and scoops.she was drinking so much before that she was soaked through every morning.last night she only woke twice and had 4 Oz each feed. I hope she drops a feed soon.i don't mind the 11 o clock one as I'm still awake.its the other feeds that are exhausting me!