Using me to sell soothe at night

SweetSyren

HEllo. My son recently turned one and I still BF in the evenings and before bed and all weekend I work F/T during the day. However, I think he has gotten into the habit on "needing" to nurse in order to go to sleep. He goes down just fine at bedtime but he gets up 234 times/night and will not go back to sleep until I nurse hi. He used to suck his thumb and he was sttn when he was doing this, now he stopped sucking his thumb for some reason and uses me to get back to sleep. Getting up several times/night is starting to wear on me. I do cosleep sometimes but when we do, he is litterally latched on all night and moves from side to side all night so we get even less sleep this way. Any advice on how I can retrain him to not depend on me to get back to sleep?

Soon2BMrsN

If you're looking for a less extreme suggestion, try Googling the Jay Gordon method.  I think several people over on the AP board have had luck with it, so you may want to XP there.

hillek5

Can you try limiting the amount of time he spends nursing when he wakes up?  For example, start with letting him nurse for 5 minutes, then 4 then, 3, etc?  That way you're weaning him without going cold turkey.

Do you let him nurse to sleep when you put him down for the night?  If so, I would recommend putting him to bed drowsy.  Try changing up your routine a little by either reading a book after nursing and then putting him to bed or nursing and then cuddling for a few minutes before bed.  Either way, try to put him down awake so that he begins to find a way to sleep without needing to nurse.  That way, he may be able to get himself to sleep in the middle of the night without needing you to do it. 

Also, does he have a lovey or a favorite blanket?  These were helpful with getting my DS to go back to sleep on his own.

mylittlesunshine

wife07mom09:

put him in his own room.

time to ferberize .  best wishes it is hard but time. 

Agree!

We did Ferber when DD1 was around 8 months. BEST DECISION EVER! She hardly ever gets up in the middle of the night and if she does, she puts herself back to sleep. We fully plan on doing it again with DD2 when she is a little older.

bellelamb

Is he going to bed hungry or growing?? I know my middle son would get up to nurse at night when he was growing around a year and then for a bottle of wcm around 16 months. I started giving him a snack before bed and then he slept better.

ncbelle

wife07mom09:

extreme? for a 1 year old? babies can STTN around 6 mo

Can and do are two different things.  And even "Ferberized" babies will have wakeful periods after 6 months.  "Extreme" because there are many things to try between all night nursing and cold turkey night weaning with Ferber.

OP - I'd check out both the Jay Gordon method and the No Cry Sleep Solution for toddlers.  Both offer a more gradual approach (and therefore easier and more long lasting IMO) to night weaning and to having baby in his own bed if that's what you want.  Good luck!