17 Month Old Son STILL Not Sleeping

I can totally relate. My son, at 18 months, was still waking several times a night for bottles. I didn't have the boob attachment problem (he self weaned at 7 months), but I was terribly sleep deprived. I had given up on trying to have him sleep in his crib, because he just didn't sleep. We just naturally moved to co-sleeping, and that was the ONLY way I got any sleep whatsoever. And just before age 2, my son miraculously stopped all the night time waking. That's not to say he never night wakes, but not 4 and 5 times a night.

I guess I don't really have any suggestions except to try the co-sleeping and see if he eventually sleeps better with less waking if he can sense you next to him. And hopefully, that way, he'll grow more secure in his sleep habits, and be more able to sleep and stay asleep.

Best wishes... I've been where you are.

It's really quite simple: he can't sit in your lap and squeeze your breasts if you don't let him. He can't drink bottles all night unless you fix them for him. Don't stand next to his crib, or put your hand in, or pat his back. Put the child in his crib and let him cry until he goes to sleep. If he has a tantrum, let him have a tantrum. When he learns that you won't eventually give in to him, he will stop fussing. It won't hurt him to cry or have a tantrum. What is bad for him is learning that his mother is not in charge.

My 19mo wakes at least twice each night. Both of those times it had consistently been because of hunger and because of wet diaper. He is hypersensitive to surroundings so any little voice (usually mine) or his brothers will wake him up. When he wakes the 2nd time for hunger, I give him a cube of cheese and some water or a tbsp of pnut butter and water just to hold him over until breakfast (may not be the best for some, but it works for now with this child). He is attached to the breast too and I am desperately trying to wean him but like you nothing is working. I find he is a warm cozy guy and so he tends to like the warmth of me and smell, loves to give hugs,etc. I find that when I stand up, put him on my shoulders, walk around or give him some warm milk before bed, he will settle down. I didn't have this problem with my first so every child is different and based on their personalities. Do what works for you. It may seem frustrating to have him wake at night, but we are the caretaker and if something isn't working quite right for them, we are all they have to fix it. I was so tired this am and here he comes walking in - at the point of holding one eye open and rushing him back to bed, he said he did #2, so try to find out what is causing him to wake up and hopefully he is just not ready to sleep all night and it will pass in time. I cosleep with mine but he also sleeps alone, w/ his brother and on his own bed...Try to sleep with him in his room, then slowly wean him from you being there and see if that helps. Good luck.

My oldest didn't like her crib and co-slept with us until she was 19 months old. That's when we got her a twin bed and a rail. It didn't take her long to love her new bed. We went with the twin instead of the toddler bed because I figured if I was going to end up sleeping with her I was going to get something I would be comfortable in. She's 3 now and most nights she, the baby and I end up on the bed in the baby's room, but we do occasionally get a full night of sleep from her. She was never much of a bottle baby, so I can't really help you there. Instead she used a pacifier at night and most of the time when she'd wake I could give it to her and she'd go back to sleep. I nursed her until she was 16 months, and at that time she did occasionally eat at night, too.

You have some good suggestions for him still being facinated with your breasts, I don't have anything to add to that.

I understand where you are right now, I actually have 2 waking several times at night so most days I feel like a zombie. The only way I get any rest is by co-sleeping.

Hi, I'm going to say something you might not want to hear but the option that works is to let him cry. I had the same problem with my little one when I weaned him, he was 10 months then and we read the Ferber book and applied it with our own twist on the interval of times so I would feel comfortable letting him cry and it worked. And we have had a great sleeper since then. Mine is going to turn 2 this month and we are happy to say we sleep through the night since we let him cry. It only took a week of crying and it was the WORST possible thing, I'm not going to lie saying it was easy, but it worked and if it's for only a week I think it's worth it, especially because its good for them to be able to sleep all night, not only for us. Good luck!!!

Bottles at night we did until age 3, and then it was sippy cups at night. We're talking the BIG ones for both bottles and cups (16-22oz). My son was a fast grower... he needed the nutrition.

As far as your breasts go... he needs a lovey. A lovey that is not either of your breasts.

A blankie may work well. Because you can cover yourself with it for a week so he's got the blankie AND your breastesses (just make sure to transfer the blankie into the crib with him). Then you transfer more and more to just the blankie. Make sure to find one that is SUPER soft and he can rub it on his cheeks and hands. A stuffed toy could work as well, but would just be a little more awkward to put between 'the girls' as you transition him.

Does he have a lovey? If not, get him one that he will like or chooses himself. From 6 months old, my son gravitated to a stuffed cow, his lovey, and he'd hug/rub the cow.... especially the cow horns, because it is like a breast nipple....
Let him sleep with a t-shirt of yours that has your smell on it.
My son, wanted bottles too.... and even if was empty, he'd 'twiddle' the nipple of it.... like a soothing thing for him.
Your son sounds tactile... and likes touching things to self-soothe... my son is like that.

A baby/child, likes 'bottles' because it has a 'nipple' on it... and it is instinct in them, because that is where "milk" comes from.

Or, to get him off bottles, just put water in it.... and then he may not like that.

Or just co-sleep.

Many kids this age, still wake at night.
Maybe about 2 years old... then then, naturally, start to sleep all night.