My son is 17 months old, and has been sleeping through the night since he was about 6 months old (with the occassional long night due to ear infection, etc.). We usually put him to bed at 8, and he gets up around 7:30. Two weeks ago, after we put him to bed, he woke up at midnight. He was asking for "juice" (he calls anything liquid juice), so we gave him some milk and he went back to sleep. He woke up again at 2:00, same thing. He woke up at 4 because his diaper was so saturated that his clothes were wet....from drinking the extra milk.
That went on for a week, and I took him to the doctor. He had an ear infection. We got antibiotics and I thought that would do the trick. He's finished the antibiotics, no runny nose, no fever, etc., but he STILL wakes up at midnight and 2 am on the dot crying for something to drink. He also wants to be rocked while he drinks it. I went along with it while he was sick, but now I am afraid we have started a pattern with him. He stands at the foot of his crib crying, expecting one of us to come in, rock him, and give "juice."
What should I do? How do I break him of this? Or should I actually be getting up with him given that he's so thirsty?
So last night I took a lot of your advice. Protein before bed (peanut butter crackers). Used a sippy cup with water, showed him where it was. He woke up at 1 a.m. and I went in and pointed out the cup to him. He continued screaming, raising his arms up for me to get him out. I handed him the cup, and he continued to scream. Tried to pat his back, but he wouldn't stop standing up. Pulled up a chair next to his crib and just told him I was there and he was safe. This went on for almost two hours--the entire time he was screaming and reaching for me. I left the room, thinking my being there was keeping him up--but, no, he went on for another 30 minutes. I finally went in, got him, changed his diaper, and held him. He was asleep in two minutes. Should I have let him keep going? It was soooo late and I had to get up early for work, that I finally caved. Some additional info: He is completely fine/content during the day, and naps just fine. Is not fussy and doesn't appear to be in pain.
Put a large sippy cup with water in it where he can reach it and tell him every night that he can get a drink when he wakes up and then go back to sleep.
Before bed, let him help you fill it up as part of his bedtime routine, and let him place it next to his bed.
Several of my grandchildren do this in case they are thirsty in the night.
Sometimes it takes more than one round of antibiotics, and/or different antibiotics, to knock out an ear infection. But even if that's what's going on, once the infection's cleared, he may still be in a pattern of this kind of waking. I know it's not what you want to hear but...you'll have to tough it out until his body gets past the pattern, which you can help him do by not removing him from the crib when he wakes and giving him only a sip of water --not milk (awful for his teeth in the night).
Also, he may be having a growth spurt as others said; try giving him a regular, high -protein snack every night before bed because protein at bedtime helps kids (and adults) feel fuller and "last through the night" without as much waking. Try a boiled egg, or peanut butter on crackers, or whatever high protein works for him. And do it last thing before bed BUT do brush those teeth afterward. This may help with the waking because he won't be hungry in the night. What he thinks is "thirsty" may be hunger instead; milk is as much a food as a drink, so that sates his hunger.
Do get the ears checked again as well, and try the high-protein bedtime snacks. But I would definitely not let him get out of bed unless he is distressed as if he's had a bad dream. I am NOT a "cry it out" fan at all, but at his age, if he's up because he's gotten into a cycle of waking for a drink and to check you'll come -- do come, but don't take him out of the crib. For a time you may have to stay in the room and maybe sit next to the crib with a hand on him so he knows you're there, but don't take him out or talk to him at all beyond an initial "I'm here" or "It's OK." I found that that technique reassured my daughter that I was there and would reliably come to her, but also that she was supposed to be in the crib when it was nighttime. The periods that I had to spend in her room in the night did grow shorter and shorter and then stopped both because her sleep pattern changed and because she felt reassured. It's not fun for the parent but it WILL pass.
I, personally, would go in & rock him giving him some milk.
He could be going through a growth spurt since it's not due to his ear.
OR his ear could still hurt even though he's through the antiobiotics.
I know most moms will say not to go in but I would do it because he's still
young, obviously needs some comfort & might be hungry. This is just a stage (my son went through it b/c of a growth spurt & was hungry) and it won't last forever. Maybe 2-3 weeks at most.
Hang in there, do what works for your little one for now & know that this will pass quickly! Then onto the next stage w/it's trials & tribulations.
I've gone through these & am now onto others. :)
Btw, could his ear infection not be gone yet?
For my oldest, it was best to let him cry it out. He would quit about 20 minutes in, and pass out. My youngest was completely different. He wanted to be held, and nothing would shake him from it. So I'd go in, rock him, and put him back to bed. It won't last forever. I do suggest not letting him into your bed, because that is a habit that is even harder to break.
Someone else said it, and I think it's good advice: the ear infection doesn't always go away when the antibiotics are done. The fever and runny nose are gone, but there is still pressure on the ear, and possibly drainage down the throat. The drainage may be uncomfortable, and that's why he's thirsty. Also, sucking helps with the pressure.
I suggest water instead of milk, unless you are brushing his teeth when the cup is empty. Milk is good, but not at night, when it sits in his mouth with the sugars on his teeth.
Good luck!!
Good Luck! I have a 21 month old that wakes up at 2:00, 4:00, 5:00 and wants to nurse. I haven't had a full night sleep since he has been born. I know he has gotten used to nursing himself to sleep, so I don't think at this point it would do me any good to try to stop him. My first born was the same way - he was scared to go to sleep on his own. I got to the point where I just made a bed for him on the floor next to our bed and that is how he slept for about 8 years. Sometimes you just have to do what works for you, not what the experts say. I made a bed for my 21 month old next to mine and when he wakes, I just get on the floor and nurse him and he is back to sleep in 5 minutes. If I let him cry, it could go on for hours. I get more sleep if I do it my way. I know he won't be sleeping in my room when he is a teenager, so I don't worry about it.
Whether or not you CIO or not is completely up to you. And I mean that without any impertinence. If you don't want to do it and would rather rock your son down, do it.
What I did with my kids (ages 3 and 16 months, both have gone through a stage like this) is I would go in, pick them up, cuddle them and tell them I love them, then put them down again (no rocking). I would do that every 15-20 minutes to reassure my child that I am there and I am caring for them, but in between, they cry. It took both of my children less than a week to realize I wasn't going to rock them down anymore (exceptions are made for illness and nightmares, of course). But you can rock your children to sleep until they are four years old if you want to! My mother did, and I assure you I turned out okay, even if I've decided to take a different route. ^_^ CIO is a personal decision.
Just an added caveat: the technique I told you about above will not work if you rock the baby to sleep for naps and at bedtime. It is only effective if you have already taught your son to go to sleep on his own without rocking during normal bedtimes. Good luck.
DEFINITELY comfort him if he cries for you, who cares, he needs it emotianlly, if anything, and that's important too. BUT it sounds like ear infection to me. My son had very recurrant ear infection at that age even while on therapy with antbiotics. The ped just didn't give him enough for the infection to clear up completely and he kept waking up 4/5 times at night crying and suffering. I finally found a good ENT doctor who treated him with the right kind of antibiotic and long enough to clear it up with no ear tubes. After that he never woke up once at night. It was waay deep in his ears, poor thing. Good luck!
like others have said. I would definitely go in and check on him if he is crying but don't take him out of the crib. give him water instead of milk in a sippy cup. you could get his ears checked again just to make sure the ear infection has gone away. if he seems to be in pain. a little acetaminophen or ibuprofen might help.
You're right on - you have created a pattern! Its understandable when he was sick, but you are right on that you now have to nip this! We have always left a small sippy cup of water in my son's crib/bed since he was using them. This way if he wakes up and needs a drink, he has one. I know sometimes I wake up thirsty! Point it out to him before he sleeps and if he cries at night, I would show him where it is ONCE and then ignore the cries. He has to learn to re-establish good sleeping habits. And forget the rocking while drinking anything at night - this is going to be a doubly bad habit to break. He's just come to expect these things and a few nights of retraining should do the trick quickly and efficiently!
Sickness or not, we have found my son went through various phases where he would try to resist sleep. Only consistency and a little bit of will power has allowed us to keep our wonderfully rested child happy and healthy!
