2 yr old drinking milk at night - Eating Problems Discussion Forum

My daughter is almost 2yrs old. She still wakes up 3 times during the night to drink milk. I weaned her from breastmilk when she was 1 year old and started on sipper feed. How do I stop this habit of hers ? I think its time she had a continuous sleep. maithreyi replied. Hi Moms,
My daughter is 26months old. Even i had the same problem when she was in your kids age. We shouldnt ignore their hunger. Instead, feed them 4 or 5 times and with nutritious food. Giving milk by 9.30pm is the best way for restful sleep. But dinner should be given by 6.30-730.pm. Vasudha replied. Dear Mrs.Uma,
By now, you have got may suggestions. Some of them which I tried are:
1. Dont stop immediately..gradually dilute the milk you give and finally give only water. Drinking milk at night could develop dental problems for the child.
2. Allow the child to play well in the evenings. Give her a whole food like curd rice in the night or even cerelac is fine.
3. At 9.30 give her warm milk or junior horlicks
4. Dont put her to sleep. WHen usleep, switch off lights and let her sleep on her own. Give only water when she gets up. I am sure she will leanr to have a continous sleep as days go by.

Hope this helps and all the best

krunalkulkarni replied. Hello

i am telling u my experience i also have a baby of two years i make her eat my 7.30 and then around nine - ten i make her drink her milk with ovaltine which is heavy then she gets up in the morning around six for milk morning milk is still in bottle which i have to remove
krunal gayathri replied. hello all moms,

i would like to throw my opinions here whether this may work out or not .. lack of sleep during night and asking for milk at night could be due to lot of reasons.. they may take lots of naps ( too much sleep during day time ) or insufficient food during dinner time or temp problem ie room is so cold or hot ... what i do with my dear daughter who is 18 month old she used to sleep only 1.5 to 2.5 hours during day time and after that she is walk around whole the house and she is tired after playing and have her dinner at 7.30 to 8.00 pm and had her milk at 9.00 pm and sleep whole night and gets only at moring 7.00 am.. ( touchwood )

i do have much problem when she was sick .. as sia told , when they cry and ask for the milk u should just ignore them for the first few days and slowly they knew that mommy will not offer anything and they will go back to their sleep on their own .. i do have problem like this and after so many times ignoring she went back to sleep on her own .. i knew if we dont get enogh sleep during night how we will be tired on next day ???

moreover feeding milk during night is not good for babies ..

hope this has helped you in some ways .. priya replied. My daughter used to do the same thing - she would wake up 3-5 times in the night and cry. When I gave her milk she would sleep. But then I was ending up with no sleep at all! So I decided not to give in to her demands...and refused to give her milk in the night, till it was early morning. Everytime she woke up and threw a fit I would ignore it for a while, and then calmly tell her to go back to sleep or pat her. Another thing that also helped was moving her into her own room. I noticed that she used to get all the more aggitated if she saw us in the room and were not really responding to her wants. I hope this helps some of you. My daughter now wakes up in the morning around 4 at times... but I convince her to sleep till the its dawn before she gets her milk. It seems to be working. Gijo replied. Hi-

I have a 2 year old son, that get's up 2am and then 5 or 6am every night and insists on milk. He will cry till he get's it. I am open to any ideas!!! Aarti replied. Hi Uma,
Even I have the same problem. my son is 16 months and still wakes up 2-3 times during the night for his feeds ( i am not feeding him). I tried substituting milk with water. But even in his sleep, he can differentiate between them and refuses to take water.

Try giving water to your daughter. If she takes it, then her habit will gradually diminish.

I am really concerned as to when my son will sleep at a stretch.

All the Best
Aarti

2005-09-12

Name: maithreyi
Subject:

restful sleep

Hi Moms,
My daughter is 26months old. Even i had the same problem when she was in your kids age. We shouldnt ignore their hunger. Instead, feed them 4 or 5 times and with nutritious food. Giving milk by 9.30pm is the best way for restful sleep. But dinner should be given by 6.30-730.pm.

2005-07-08

Name: Vasudha
Subject:

Sleep for babies

Dear Mrs.Uma,
By now, you have got may suggestions. Some of them which I tried are:
1. Dont stop immediately..gradually dilute the milk you give and finally give only water. Drinking milk at night could develop dental problems for the child.
2. Allow the child to play well in the evenings. Give her a whole food like curd rice in the night or even cerelac is fine.
3. At 9.30 give her warm milk or junior horlicks
4. Dont put her to sleep. WHen usleep, switch off lights and let her sleep on her own. Give only water when she gets up. I am sure she will leanr to have a continous sleep as days go by.

Hope this helps and all the best

2005-05-03

Name: krunalkulkarni
Subject:

2 yr old drinking milk at night

Hello

i am telling u my experience i also have a baby of two years i make her eat my 7.30 and then around nine - ten i make her drink her milk with ovaltine which is heavy then she gets up in the morning around six for milk morning milk is still in bottle which i have to remove
krunal

2005-04-23

Name: gayathri
Subject:

reg 2 yr old drinking milk at night

hello all moms,

i would like to throw my opinions here whether this may work out or not .. lack of sleep during night and asking for milk at night could be due to lot of reasons.. they may take lots of naps ( too much sleep during day time ) or insufficient food during dinner time or temp problem ie room is so cold or hot ... what i do with my dear daughter who is 18 month old she used to sleep only 1.5 to 2.5 hours during day time and after that she is walk around whole the house and she is tired after playing and have her dinner at 7.30 to 8.00 pm and had her milk at 9.00 pm and sleep whole night and gets only at moring 7.00 am.. ( touchwood )

i do have much problem when she was sick .. as sia told , when they cry and ask for the milk u should just ignore them for the first few days and slowly they knew that mommy will not offer anything and they will go back to their sleep on their own .. i do have problem like this and after so many times ignoring she went back to sleep on her own .. i knew if we dont get enogh sleep during night how we will be tired on next day ???

moreover feeding milk during night is not good for babies ..

hope this has helped you in some ways ..

2005-03-21

Name: priya
Subject:

Cold Turkey

My daughter used to do the same thing - she would wake up 3-5 times in the night and cry. When I gave her milk she would sleep. But then I was ending up with no sleep at all! So I decided not to give in to her demands...and refused to give her milk in the night, till it was early morning. Everytime she woke up and threw a fit I would ignore it for a while, and then calmly tell her to go back to sleep or pat her. Another thing that also helped was moving her into her own room. I noticed that she used to get all the more aggitated if she saw us in the room and were not really responding to her wants. I hope this helps some of you. My daughter now wakes up in the morning around 4 at times... but I convince her to sleep till the its dawn before she gets her milk. It seems to be working.

2005-07-09

Name: ramanita
Subject:

hi!!

priya U should not try to ignore ur childs hunger u should give ur child before they go to sleep

2005-07-09

Name: ramanita
Subject:

hi!!

Uma this not the correct way to treat ur child. U have to give her atleast fruits or glass of milk at night. This will help her to go to sleep and have good dreams. I dont treat my son this way as u do that very bad

2005-03-31

Name: Mrs Uma
Subject:

tried many things

Thnks for your replies. I tried many things like giving her late dinner or water or even glucose water. but she can differentiate. Patting her is working before she goes to bed but not in the middle of the night. She creates a big fuss even if I am few minutes late getting her milk. Probably if I take her to a long walk in the evening she might get tired and sleep . but I am not really sure.

2005-03-18

Name: Gijo
Subject:

2 year old needs milk throughout the night

Hi-

I have a 2 year old son, that get's up 2am and then 5 or 6am every night and insists on milk. He will cry till he get's it. I am open to any ideas!!!

2005-03-15

#10

Name: Aarti
Subject:

Same problem here

Hi Uma,
Even I have the same problem. my son is 16 months and still wakes up 2-3 times during the night for his feeds ( i am not feeding him). I tried substituting milk with water. But even in his sleep, he can differentiate between them and refuses to take water.

Try giving water to your daughter. If she takes it, then her habit will gradually diminish.

I am really concerned as to when my son will sleep at a stretch.

All the Best
Aarti

2005-04-06

#11

Name: Sia
Subject:

Be Adamant

Here is a trick that my sister in law tried -Diluted milk. As each day progresses keep increasing the quantity of water till its all water. Hopefully at one point your baby will realize she is not going to get milk and go back to
sleep.

- Last resort is the FERBER method. Just let them cry themselves to sleep. You have to be firm with this and it works in most cases. First day they might cry long but as each day progresses it will decrease. Do read up on this method on the net.

GOOD LUCK! Do let us know if any method worked with your child.

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