My Son Wakes 2 Times in the Night and Cry,need Help.

Parenting is a 24/7 job and joy. Why would someone actually ignore their child just because it's night time? And, since when is taking care of your child when they need something a bad habit? If he is waking, it is more likely that he needs something. Even if it is just to feel mom near him. My daughter didn't start sleeping all night until after 2 years. And, even at almost 3 years, she still gets up sometimes. Can you start with a cup of milk and over time dilute it until he's on straight water? And, even though you are giving the Motrin, it still may be his teeth. Just because those bottles say 6-8 hours, doesn't mean the meds actually last that long. It could be starting to wear off and he is getting uncomfortable. This will pass, it just make take a little longer.

Please do not take this the wrong way, okay? I have raised 2 children and am raising the third one now.
I had one who whould go to bed about midnight and sleep very nicely until 9. This caused problems because I had to be a work at 8. This same child gave up morning naps at 9 months. To this day she is a night person, night a day person. No, she did not sleep in my bed unless she had a nightmare or something.
Then I had one who got up at 5 got a drink went back to sleep until 7 then got up and ate a large breakfast. By 2 years old he started getting up at about 2 a.m. for a drink and then went back to bed and slept until about 6:30 and then he was up until his nap time in the afternoon. He was still getting up in the middle of the night for a trip to the facilities and a drink when he went into the military.
No, he did not sleep in my bed.
The youngest one would get up every night at about midnight for a drink and then go back down. Things have changed a little for him, he now stays awake until about 11 or later every night and the last thing he does is get a drink and then he is good until about 6:30 a.m. when he gets up. The first thing he does is get a drink. And yes, he would get out of his bed about 2 a.m. and climb into bed with us. My husband died and he started climbing in my bed earlier at night until he was about 9. No, he did not start out sleeping in my bed.
This is normal for some people. Not all babies or children sleep from 10 to 7 or any other type of schedule like that.
Do you trade out during the day with water and juices? If not you need to start doing that to make the middle of the night drink something normal for him.
I know it is rough but this isn't abnormal for some children or adults.

Hi Lakwhwinder,

Your baby sounds pretty normal to me. When mine were that age they always woke up at least once every night to nurse. He is still pretty young. I think he will sleep through the night when he is ready. It's frustrating for us moms when we need our sleep too...since you are at home with him, maybe you can take a rest if he naps during the day.

Good luck, and enjoy your little one! Before you know it he'll be a big teenager!

K. Z.

I would just try giving him a healthy snack before bed. He might sleep longer with a full tummy.

Try giving him pediasure before bed. It is a little heavier than regular milk so that will potentially keep him full through the night. Another cheaper alternative to pediasure is the Carnation breakfast essentials powder. You can just add that to regular milk.

Try patting his back or belly and see if you can get him back to sleep without the sippy. Not only do you want him sleeping better, but it's not good for his teeth to have the sugar on them after you've brushed his teeth before bed.
Is your husband/partner in bed as well? Sometimes mommy isn't the best person to try and break night-time waking habits.

Your little one should be able to sleep throughout the night at this age without needing to eat or drink. Since he is 15 months, it most likely has become a habit. He knows that all he has to do is cry and he will get the sippy cup or the attention he is seeking. It's a learned behavior! It's hard breaking habits once they start (I learned the hard way with my first son). If he wakes up crying, he needs to be ignored as long as nothing is wrong with him. He will eventually learn that he is not receiveing the attention he wants and will hopefully start sleeping through the night. It might be rough the first few nights, but he will get the hang of it. In the end, those few rough nights will pay off if in fact your son is sleeping all night long. Also, maybe putting him to bed earlier would make a difference. Perhaps, he is overly tired when he goes to bed. I have two boys, age 4 and 2 and they are always in bed at 8pm. Just a suggestion! I wish you the best of luck with your little one!!