Friday, July 15, 2011

14 month old and sleep please help !!!!!?

My son was the same way. He was up one to two times during the night until between 11-13 months (when I then changed his routine). That's when I had to make a strict schedule for him and that seemed to help A LOT! First, let her decide what bedtime works best for her. If you try to force a specific bedtime that young that does not work well with your child, you will make both your lives miserable. I put my son to bed at all different times for a while and found that 10 PM works best for him. He goes to bed at 10 and usually does not wake up throughout the night. Also, I started giving him a snack before bed (never did before, always thought it wasn't healthy) and I made the rule if he gets up before 8 AM, he's not allowed to get out of bed until at least 8 (that's the earliest time I've found that he can get up and be well rested enough to last until nap time. Then, I figured out what nap time works best for him too (not too early or late in the day) and started giving him the same nap time every day (1 PM). He usually sleeps for three hours at nap time and then is rested to stay awake until bedtime again. It really improved his sleeping habits majorly and helped a lot with his constant desire for a bottle. I never thought a strict schedule for a child was that important, but found it really is. Just try different times and let your child show you what they prefer best and go with it. If 9 PM isn't a good time for her, maybe try 9:30- 10 or so. It may be later than what you want her going to bed, but if it causes her to get a full nights sleep, you both will be better off.

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