Help Please - 22 month old waking in middle of night for Milk-AHHHHH

[Natespug]

Hi Everyone,

I just found this board and have been reading all the great advice that you all have to give.  I am hoping you may have some advice for me!

I have a 22 month old son who has started waking in the middle of the night.

It was a gradual thing.  He went from sleeping about 12 solid hours (hardly ever heard a peep out of him) to waking a few times a night.  This started in Sept., when he was going to bed at 7:00pm (with no problems at all) and sleeping until 6:00 - 7:00 the next morning.  He then started waking between 5 & 5:30, would have some milk and go back to sleep until 6:30 - 7:00.  Once the early wakeups started, we moved his bedtime to 6:30pm and he went to bed without any problems.  He can barely make it any later than that - if we try keeping him up, by 7:00 he is asking to go to bed.

In the last couple of weeks (after a mild bout with croup), he is waking around 3:30-4:30 for milk and going straight back to sleep until 5am - 5:30am when he waking again for more milk.  IF it is the weekend he goes back to sleep until about 6-630, during the week he is up at the 5-530 wake up.  Some nights the waking starts at 1:30 (last night) and again at 4:00 (last night) and then back to sleep until 5:45 (which is when I am in the shower).

When he wakes, he wants out of his crib and walks to the kitchen, straight to the fridge.  He does not want to be held and will not go back in his crib until he has gone to the kitchen for his milk.  Once he has had the milk, he hands me the cup, wants into my arms and off to bed he goes.

When he wakes, he becomes hysterical if he is left too long in the crib.  He has even climbed out of the crib, so we don't like to leave him in there.  He isn't ready yet for a bed!)  Also it is much easier to get him some milk and put him back to sleep - at least one us (my DH or myself) still get some sleep.

His naps at daycare range from 1.5 - 2 hours and I am told that many days he is tired while there.  I can't change the nap times as he is in a daycare setting where nap time is set.

I hope that you will be able to help!

Thanks for reading, I look forward to reading your advice.

Nates Mom

[Wiki]

Will be interested to see replies in that we have a 23 month old doing a similar thing.
He was also waking WAY too early (4.30-5.30am) but we have mostly fixed that by getting his daycare to wake him at the 2 hour mark for naps (he will sleep 3+ hours in the middle of the day if left). Can't your nursery do anything around his sleeping to help you out?

C also wakes any time between 1.30-3.30am. He will ask to get "up" and then for either "milk", or "'beebies" (TV channel for kids in the UK). Its like he is totally confused as to what time it is, and thinks its morning (as its of course still so dark at 7am) and he goes mental and screams and throws himself around the cot if you tell him its still night-time. He is usually OK if we give him some milk in his cot, but last night he was still keen to get up afterwards.

We used PU/PD when he was little but not sure what to use now, other than I know we shouldn't give him the milk, but its the path of least resistance! He eats well in the day now so we know its not affecting him and he doesn't need it...