Hello moms! My 1 year old has been waking up more frequently at night, usually taking a bottle and then going back to sleep. By this age, how long should he be able to sleep and what suggestions might you have for getting him to sleep longer? It seems like he sleeps great for the first 5 hours or so, but then wakes up. We tried letting him cry himself back to sleep, but it just gets worse until we get up and give him a bottle. The pedi said to get him to eat breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack and we have tried that but he's not always hungry. We also just started yesterday to transition him off Enfamil Next Step formula over to whole milk, so I'm hoping that may help too.
In addition to the sleep issue he has been coughing a lot - mostly at night and especially after a bottle! I am thinking it could have something to do with the milk in the bottle because after a while he stops and just coughs on occassion. He has no other symptoms and just coughs occassionally throughout the day. My husband has asthma and I am afraid that this could be the start of that as well...anyone had experience with this? Thanks in advance!
Thanks for all of your responses! I got a full night's sleep last night! I think that overall the sleeping is due to him waking up hungry...I gave him more bottle with some cereal in it last night (same thing I have done every night before bed, just added more formula) and he slept all night. I think we just have to adjust to his new schedule and feed him more solid foods throughout the day. It's just another one of those schedule adjustments that he is training us on :)
As for the coughing, thanks for the advice there too. I will look ino the reflux more. I didn't think that reflux could be the problem because I thought it was associated more with spitting up, which he rarely does any more. I will research that and talk to the dr. about it. I'm not sure that it could be the whole milk just yet - he seems to be adjusting to that okay...the coughing started before we introduced him to the milk and we have only done about 2 ounces at each bottle. I am trying to switch him over to sippy cups during the day also, rather than bottles....that's a whole different topic :)
Thanks moms! I love this web site -it is so helpful!
I feel for you! My son started sleeping through the night at 6 weeks old. My daughter didn't sleep through the night until she was 3 or 4!! I think they each have their own little schedule on how they are going to do things.
Hi S.,
Has anyone mentioned reflux? A pediatric pulmonologist that we saw for my daughter said that coughing after a bottle (especially if they are layed down for sleep) is a sign of reflux...some cases more serious than others.
As for the sleep/waking.....each child is different! I have five children ranging from 9 yrs to 2 years.......they all have sleep through the night at different times. My first slept 8 hours starting @ 7 weeks old! My twin girls just turned 2 on Sunday, and we have only been sleeping all night for a couple months! Try what you are comfortable with...what you can tolerate. It will change!
Hello S.!! My son did the same exact thing when he was that age and he is now 2 and is doing well. As far as him waking up and getting a bottle is fine but to slow it down and eventually stop that we gave our son yogurt before he went to bed. but if he is coughing after he drinks a bottle it could be sometimg like acid reflux, and that could be why he is waking up in the first place. Even if hes not spitting up or vommitting that could be the case, as it was for my son. He now takes medicine and i always but a pillow under his bed to prop one end up, so that hes not laying flat. This could be something to discuss with his doctor if it continues.
Some people consider 5 hours to be sleeping through the night...I think he's probably hungry.
Maybe the coughing could be due to a milk allergy?
K. Z.
My son started doing this at the beginning of 7 mnths.. & it took me awhile too re-sched him.. he was sleeping thru the night (well most of the nite @ 3 mnths) however.. there's like a few days thru the month he may get up for a bottle @ nite.. i give in and get it for him.. and when i get fed up and start saying.. i'm not getting up that's when he usually goes back to sleeping thru the nite (i chalk it up to a growing spurt).. but at 7 mnths he kept getting up.. and i'm thinking .. no there's no reason for this.. he wasn't eating as much thur the day b/c he was use to getting that bottle thru the nite.. but yes.. i think ur pedi is right.. brkfst, snack, lunch, snack & dinner.. since my son is a little younger his 'snack' is usually 8oz of formula at nap time.. but i haven't had a prob since.. i let him cry it out for 3 days.. i would check on him.. wouldnt pick him up and just told him it's nite nite time.. & would walk out.. then i would shut my monitor off! sounds horrible i know but the more u go in there the longer they'll cry the next time knowing that you will eventually come in.. now my son only gets a bottle at night.. thru the day he's on sippys or nuby cups or one's with straws.. he sits with us at every meal & pretty much eats what we do..except cut up very small.. i hope this helps.. it's an adjustment but you'll notice them eating more thru the day b/c they wont get that bottle at night.. good luck
S..
Good luck! If you find something out, please pass it along. Our 3 year-old is a horrible sleeper, always has been. His 18 month-old sister has always been a much better sleeper.
When we've spoken with the pediatrician, he says that they go through different adjustment periods, and it's natural for their sleep habits to change.
I would recommend speaking with your child's doctor to make sure it's not something else (like an ear infection) that they can't explain to you at this time.
Best wishes! Hoping you get a good nights' sleep soon.
D.
I don't think the whole milk is a good idea... especially if he has started coughing. Cow's milk is too hard on the system of a child that young and can trigger asthma symptoms. Try adding a little cereal to the formula to make it more substantial (to fill him up) but still thin enough to drink from a bottle. You may have to open the holes of that nipple a little.
Your baby should NOT need anything at night. My 10 month old has been sleeping for 12 hours everynight for at least 3 months. Unfortunatly your little one is old enough to know that if he crys, you will come and get him...and if he crys louder and longer ....you will STILL come get him. You have never taught him to sleep at night because you have always come in. I would let him CIO. He is old enough to not need a bottle. It sounds more like a habit than a need for a bottle. It will probably take a good 2 or 3 nights of screaming to break him of waking up. Before doing this, you might want to bring him into the doc for the cough just to be 100% sure he is not sick before you sleep train him.
Good luck.
