What to Do Since My Good Sleeper's Gone Bad...

Huge fan of the Weisbluth book, so I would try giving it another read. You don't indicate what your child's whole schedule is, but I'm wondering if he's not getting enough sleep (could be a cause of the night waking) and yes, there may come a time when you just have to back off. It was probably around a year or so when we TURNED OFF THE MONITOR. If he really needed us for something, we would have heard it (we have a small place, but still). I did not want to hear every little small waking and they need to learn to fall back asleep without intervention. I knew if I heard more of an "emergency cry" which would be much louder, then something was wrong. But at 14 months my son was going to bed at 6:30-7pm waking around 6 am, and around that time we started transitioning to one mid-day nap (2-3 hours). If your son is being put to bed at 9pm and not getting enough daytime sleep, he may be perpetually underrested and not able to fully "turn off" at night, hence the night wakings....

My pediatrician told me that babies three months and older should be able to go through the night without eating. So even more so your little guy is able to go through without eating. I do believe that it is due to weaning and he is longing for that bonding time he used have during nursing. Find a different activity that you could do that would foster the closeness of nursing and give him that snuggle time. He is thinking if he isn't getting it during the day he's going to try it during the night. I think if you layed down with him and snuggled and read some books along with not picking him up at night, calming him down, laying him back down and rubbing his back until he's drowsy but not asleep and then leave the room. He will most likely start to cry let him for a few minutes then go in and do the same stuff listed above. Again leave but lengthen the time you allow him to cry. Continue to repeat this pattern. The first night you may have to do it until you get to one hour but after a few nights he will be fine. I know this sounds crazy to do but I'm telling you it works and you will not have a problem with it after you do it. Your consistency and ability to stay strong and not waver with determine how successful you are with the crying out method.

We have a 14 mo old...I would try and get away from any eating or bottle at bedtime. They associate the soothing bottle with going to sleep. Our little guy gets nothing after dinner, around 5. He goes to bed around 7 and sleeps til at least 7 if not later. I nursed all 3 of mine. Our bedtime routine was nurse, bath, read, prayers, rock, bed...put in there awake.

Good luck!

I have little advice but I can let you know that you are not alone! My daughter (who is now 14 months old) was waking up multiple times every night up until about a month ago. I read "Healthy Sleep Habits", too but my baby didn't seem to agree with his theories LOL. I NEVER in a million years thought that I would let her cry it out and refused for well over a year. Funny thing-the night that I decided that I couldn't take it any longer and was going to just let her howl, I sat up ready to have a tear-filled night myself. That night she never let out a peep!! She has been sleeping 8-8ish ever since. My point is that it will work itself out eventually. I know that it is so hard but hang in there...it WILL get better!

Try not putting the cereal in his bottle right before he goes to bed. My first one didn't mind that but my second hated the cereal right before bedtime or so it seemed. He wasn't a very good sleeper to begin with but I did notice a difference when I took away the cereal at night. I usually gave it to him at dinner time and then a normal bottle right before bed. It is worth a try!

I agree with Christine. Mine were in bed at that time and nap transitioning. When I kept an early bed time, I had such happier children. I would give the Weissbluth book another try or the Baby Whiperer. I enjoyed Weissbluth, but I think we all have to remember that both books are "guides" to help us learn about our babies. Each baby is it's own person and doesnt' live in the controlled environment these theories are based on. I have found that I have lifestyle issues (3 kids, traveling to preschool, a tempertantrum 2-year old) that aren't addressed and there will ALWAYS be something your child has to adjust to. The point they both make is to teach your child how to achieve healthy sleep during these transitions so that everyone is happy!! Good luck and hang in there. Some how it all gets worked about for about 2 weeks and they change something on you again!!

Hi J.,
We used the Weissbluth method for both our daughters, now 4.5 and 6.5. Try backing up the bedtime and hour. To this day when we face behavioral/sleep issues with either of our girls, putting them to bed a little earlier seems to help. Also, I know doctors are big on the no food to 16 months/allergy warning, but by 14mos. both our kids were eating baby oatmeal(they hated rice cereal) made with milk and a tad of natural applesauce mixed in at least once a day. that's the other thing, the rice cereal you're putting in the bottle could be very binding and giving him gas, causing him to night wake.
good luck.