How to make my baby sleep the whole night?
Answers:
Here are a few things that I did to get mine to sleep the whole night.
*I make sure that the little ones are full before they go to bed. We have dinner around 7pm and then they are in bed by 8pm. I have a three year old and a 20 month old by the way.
*I stopped picking them up in the middle of the night when I weaned them from nursing. Even then I would only pick them up if I thought they were hungry.
*If they cried and wanted me to pick them up, I would gently lay them back down, pat their butts and sing a little song to soothe them. I told them it was night-night time and mommy was tired. I said I love you and left the room. If they continued to cry, I would repeat this process every 15 minutes or so until they gave up and went to sleep. If they tried to stand when I was making them lay down, keep laying them down and gently hold their little butts down so they can't stand. Keep soothing them and singing or just talking to them, but then leave the room.
They will realize after a few nights that no matter what, you won't pick them up. Of course, being your baby is 16 months old, they may not be in a crib anymore. If that's the case and he/she keeps climbing out of bed, then gently keep putting them back. Do not let them dictate to you what they will or won't do. If you let them get their way, then you will have no control over your children at all and when they hit the teen years you are in for a ride.
I've never had to do anything more than gently put them back in bed a few times and insist that they WILL go to sleep and stay in bed.
Now all night at that age should be about 12 hours. Not all children are the same, but it should be close to that. If they child is getting up in the middle of the night to play or get attention, or be rocked, then you just have to gently and insist that they will stay in bed. You have to be firm. You are the parent. They have to know that you are more stubborn than they are. Do not give in. Be gentle. Console them and tell them you understand, but they will not get out of bed until morning.
Start this routine with the next one at about six months old and they will learn faster. The longer you wait the harder it is. I made the mistake with my 3 year old and at 18 months I was still getting up with her once or twice a night for a minute or two. I started the routine with my little one at about six months and I typically don't have to get up at all during the night with either of them, unless one has a bad dream or the other can't find her pacifier. Neither want to get up and play anymore. Thank God for that. I need my sleep to be a good, even tempered, patient mommy.
Read the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." This book is a God send!! This will get you on the way to the baby sleeping through the night. I used these techniques with my son and he would happily skip off to his naptimes and bedtime. To this day, he is a great sleeper. Sweet dreams. :)
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