Waking in the Middle of the Night - "Don't Give Him a Bottle"

It will take at least 3 days/nights (usually) to change a routine. Since giving him the bottle is the new routine, you'll need to break it. It's going to be hard and you are going to want to give him the bottle. But, don't do it. Try to soothe him like you did, maybe give him a drink of water from a sippy cup. Tell him that "it's not time to get up yet, it's time to sleep", and leave the room. Let him cry a little before you go back in, because he might need just a minute or two before he goes back to sleep on his own. I know it's tough. You might want to save this for a weekend or for when you will have help the next day. Good luck!

make the bottle less attractive - gradually make it less oz of formula and more of water until it is only water. Also decrease the oz altogether.

Or go cold turkey and just ignore that waking. Either way will work.

If it were just me, I'd go in there, say it's time to sleep, tuck him in, etc- and go right back to bed and let him cry it out. That's what I've had to do with my 6 month old, and he's doing MUCH better. I got in the habit of nursing him in the night and then he expected it. Even after just a few times of me doing what I described above, he was way better. Now if he wakes up, he is asleep within 5 minutes.

I agree with Karin on just taking away the bottle - he will cry for probably two nights, then be done. My oldest never had sleep troubles (we were spoiled by this), but my youngest had similar problems around 8 months old - and I'd nurse/rock her back to sleep.

When I finally got tired of getting up with her at night (she'd been healthy for 2 months), I just let her cry one night. It was a sleepless night, but that was it. The next night, it was over. And now she's quiet as a mouse unless she's teething.

C.,

I agree with everyone here, stop the bottle. However I also recommend making sure you are giving him protein or fiber right before bed. Making sure he is full and has some slower to digest food may help ease the transition. At least then you can be sure he's not hungry as they do go through various growth spurts and need more calories (age 1 is usually one of them). So make sure he's filled up before he goes to bed.

Good luck.

I agree with Nora. I read the same advice in one of those millions of baby books I've read. I think it's the nicest and easiet way to go. Give fewer and fewer ounces or dilute with water more and more until either it's all water or hardly anything there. Good luck.

It sounds like it's become a habit. Make sure he does/doesn't still have an ear infection. If he does, I would give him motrin when he wakes and see if your doctor could prescribe pain relief ear drops. The ear drops work within minutes and then the motrin takes about 20 minutes and lasts up to 6 to 8 hours. So when a child is sick I would go in there give him the medication and then stay with him until he is calm and until the medication starts working. I would suggest not to pick him up if possible, but to lay him down and to rub his back until that time. If he isn't sick I would go in calm him down (again do this without picking him up), lay him back down, rub his back for a few minutes and then leave. If he cries go back in there after 3 minutes do the same thing. Then continue to repeat the same thing and continue to add 3 minutes each time you go back in there. The first night you may be going in and out for an hour. I know this sounds hard and like it's a lot but a little tough love goes a long way. Each night the time you have to go back and forth will diminish, usually by night 4 he has learned he won't be getting a bottle. In order for this to work you have to stay strong and not pick him up only say Time to go Night-night. And extend the time each time.

My son just went through all the ear infections and fluid in the ear. We just had tubes put in...yuck...anyways...I know it is very hard...but I go in and soothe my kids without picking them up...rub their heads ect...I do not speak, I guess I do to the older ones b/c it is rare that they wake. But I let them cry it out eventually. It only lasts a day or 2 and the first night they cry a lot but I promise the next day is half is much and then the next a few minutes...this will teach your little one to soothe himself and put himself back to sleep which is a very important skill.
Good luck

I'm in the process of getting over an illness here with an 11 month that is waking around 3. I've been nursing her, but soon, in a day or so, I am going to just offer water. She sometimes fights it, other times not. Typically she then just stops waking for the water. If not, after a week or so, I will just go in, give her a quick hug and tell her it's sleep time, to go back to sleep.

Giving him a bottle may be making his earaches worse. If he's lying down while drinking fluid can get into his middle ear. Also I was at a WIC appt the other day and they were saying earaches can be caused by a food allergy. Have you started to give him a new food he's never had before?