I'm at the point where I'm trying to wean my son from "feeding to sleep" so that he'll get comfortable with self-soothing before bed. He's a TERRIBLE sleeper to begin with, but I have to start somewhere. My question is, how much should I be feeding him before bed? I'm still trying to get him on a sleep schedule. Today he took a 2 1/2 hr nap (that's the longest nap he's taken in MONTHS). So it's 7:30p and he's still awake. I fed him at 6pm (he had about 5 oz of beef/carrot puree and then a 7 oz bottle of formula) because that was his scheduled feeding time and he was hungry. If he starts acting tired around 8p, should that feeding at 6p be enough to last him until the morning? (I should add that he's only got 6 teeth and although I've attempted to feed him some table food, he still refuses it.)
My son had milk before bed until he was a little over 2.5. He wasn't feeding to sleep, but it was story, milk, lights out, bed. I think that they need a little "smackeral of something" (to quote winnie-the-pooh) before bed for quite a while. Just give him something in a sippy cup instead of a bottle.
My son eats dinner around 5:30pm and I give him a small snack before bedtime - usually it's some grapes (cut in half) or yogurt or cheerios, etc. He has this while we read a few books together then we brush his teeth, talk about his day then he's in bed. I would keep trying the "table food" - just offer it to him while you are reading a book - he will start eating it sooner or later!
I'm not sure what the problme is with him still being awake at 7:30. Most toddlers are awake for a couple of hours after dinner. At his age, he doesn't need milk feedings anymore, drinks should be a beverage with his meals. It's been much too long since I've had a baby (11 yrs) to remember what 5 ounces of babyfood is like, but if he's getting more milk than food, it's time to switch that ratio around. It's fine for him to have a small healthy snack (food) before bed and a little milk in a sippy but I'd say that it's time to ditch the bottle "feedings."
That should be fine... kids at this age don't tend to wake up due to hunger (unless they really don't have enough to eat). If they are waking, it is due to habit or something else bothering them. At this age I would give my kids a small snack drink shortly before bed (ie. milk in the sippy cup, a little yogurt, applesauce, cheerios etc.). Something to tide them over, but not a bottle to put them to sleep. Good Luck!
My daughter didn't feed to sleep either, so it maybe different. But we would feed her between 5 and 6 depending on what time she woke up from nap and had snack. With meals she only got water, and then at bedtime she got her milk. A few more ounces of milk won't hurt if he's acting up.
we aren't there yet, our first born is 6.5 months, but we used the Dr. Ferber sleep train method to help him sleep. if milk is the crutch you are looking to eiminate, there are several approaches, step down (i.e. fewer ounces per bottle, or step down by making it more dilute less milk more water daily, or go cold turkey. I've passed my copy of the book on to my cousin, but I think you would do "progressive waiting" for a few days until the baby gets accostomed to the ide.
good luck
I'm just wondering if your son might have what my daughter had.... which was undiagnosed acid reflux. She was a HORRIBLE sleeper until she went on the acid-blocker prescription medication at 18 months. (She would wake many times per night because she was in pain when laying flat on her back, but she didn't have the language skills to express this until she was much older.) Another sign was that she would randomly vomit her food (pureed) and refused to eat table foods until I started taking her to feeding therapy at a hospital at 16 months. I always blamed myself for not being able to let her cry it out longer (even though we tried it for 10 nights in a row...which all ended in vomit everywhere every night...with no improvement in her sleep), but in actuality she had a medical condition which gave her pain. Our pediatrician dismissed the idea initially when she was a few months old, but we later went to a great pediatric GI doctor who changed our lives dramatically!
My son is 14 months. He's been eating table food since 9 months, and hasn't had a bottle since he turned 1. I feed him btwn 630 and 7, with milk in his sippy cup (with straw). He takes a bath 30 minutes after eating. He gets in bed by 8:30. At that time I read him 2 books, while he sips a little water. He just started drinking water everyday (thank god). By 9, he's sleep. Maybe his nap should be shorter, or you should try giving him table food again to fill him up. Something like mashed potatoes, or something that doesn't require him to have chew as much. Good luck
I think from 6 to 8 is probably fine, but if you're not sure, I'd keep up with a cup a milk if it makes you feel better. We probably stopped my son's bed time milk around that age, but we eat a pretty late dinner, so it's not that big of an issue for us. I would say keep at the table foods too and maybe give him both table food and purees at meal times. 6 teeth is actually pretty good, so don't worry about that, he'll be able to eat the food. He's still within the normal range to eat purees, for boys I think it's more common to stop them between 12-18 months, but keep trying b/c the table food is so much easier!! You can also transition him to milk in a cup too. The longer you wait the harder it will be to get rid of the bottle. Even if he takes a long nap in the afternoon I would still put him to bed at pretty much the same time every night. Getting a routine will help both of you! Good luck!
