15 Month Old Waking up Hungry at 3-4Am??

Updated on March 11, 2011
C.R. asks from Hebron, KY
5 answers

My 15 month old eats dinner around 6pm with the family and goes down for the night around 7-7:30pm depending on baths and story time. But for the passed week she's been waking up around 3-4am and saying Cracker (which during the day is her letting us know she's hungry). I've been getting her up and feeding her toast or crackers and some juice or milk, then putting her back down and she wakes back up at her normal 9am. She has one nap during the day (usually around 11:30-1:30) and is up till bedtime. She eats breakfast, then has a nap, lunch, snack, then dinner. Could this be a growth spurt?? I remember her waking up more at night for feedings when she was younger when she was having one, but I don't know if they act this way when they have them at this age. Maybe she's not getting enough food during the day?? Or should I be making her drink more milk during the day?? ANY advice would be Greatly appreciated!!!! I am expecting again here in about 5 weeks and waking up for two growth spurts will be difficult......

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More Answers

C.B.

answers from Kansas City on

it's possible she's hungry, of course...but considering she only sleeps about 7 hours before she wakes up "hungry", it's possible it's just a bad habit. most 15 month olds sleep all night without waking up hungry, and usually thats 10-12 hours. i would be inclinded to think this is just a habit she has gotten into. you know your baby, so i could be wrong. but if it was "me" and "my" child i would try to break this habit. there's likely no need for her to eat in the middle of the night. she isn't going to like being told no at 3 am, so it might lead to some battles. but it's one i would find worth fighting, to get a good night's sleep while you still can. good luck!

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K.K.

answers from Austin on

Try feeding her a small snack right before bed.

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E.C.

answers from Boston on

My daughter woke up at about the same age for about a week and had a yogurt in the middle of the night. I understand the tiredness because I was also prego with #2 at the time but if I didnt feed her she just cried so I gave the snack and she went back to bed. I told my friend about it and she said her daughter did the same thing when she was that age to and wanted oatmeal for like 2 weeks and she was prego at the time too. I think I would give a little snack and put right back to bed and see what happens or maybe give her some crackers or something right before bed and see if she makes it through the night. Good Luck and hopefully you can get some rest before the new baby is born.

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S.H.

answers from Cincinnati on

I remember my kids getting extra-hungry right around that age. We'd put them to bed, and they'd come downstairs unable to sleep because they were hungry. I thought at first that it was a ploy to stay awake longer, but I think they were genuinely hungry.

You may want to try offering a snack during bedtime stories (maybe a banana and some milk? or a yogurt or string cheese?) and then brushing teeth afterward. That final snack may be enough to tide her over, especially since she sleeps such an incredibly long stretch at night. I don't know many adults who go 14-15 hours without eating or drinking anything.

You could also try offering a heavier snack during the day (morning or afternoon) to see if the extra calories help fill her up for the day. Peanut butter, yogurt, banana, or avocado are all healthy but heavier in calories. Protein also tends to keep you full longer than fruits/veggies. I know that with my oldest, she seemed to sleep better and not wake up hungry if she ate a decent amount of meat and bread/pasta/rice with dinner.

Hope this does the trick for you!

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N.K.

answers from Madison on

It can definitely be a growth spurt. You can try feeding her some/more protein before she goes to bed (peanut butter crackers, yogurt) to keep her full through the night.
When she wakes up and asks for Cracker, I would just give her some milk in her bed not to disturb her sleep that much and encourage her to go back to sleep as soon as possible.
You can also try giving her some water when she wakes up, maybe she is just thirsty?

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