Wake-to-sleep... what are your methods for toddlers?

[GG]

Okay, so I'm new to the Toddler world.  I'm reading Tracy's BW toddler book but haven't found anything about wake-to-sleep yet.  I've been looking through the threads in this forum and seen many mentions of this. I'm curious to see how this is done with toddlers since I only have experience with a baby.

If you've ever used this method, what did you do?

[Florencia]

I've used it for both, night wakings and early wakings.

For night wakings, was when ds was around 13 months and started to wake at 12 and 2 am and each waking was taking up to 1 to 2 hours of hysterical crying to resolve. Then i started sleeping on a mattress next to his crib and he'd still wake at 12 and 2 but seeing me next to him would get him back to sleep. If i attempted to leave the room before 4 am he'd freak and would be restless checking on me to see if i'd still be next to his crib. So i thought this is too much and just like that one day i went into his room at 11 pm rubbed his back and tickled him till he sort of whined and protested and then patted/shshed him and off to sleep he went. Then at 1 pm i did the same to prevent the 2 am waking. Did it for 4 days and he stopped waking for a week and then back to his old habits. Increased the pain releif dose before bed (by then i'd seen a molar popping in) and we forgot about the wakings... FOR A WHILE LOL...

So in that case i couldn't say if he stopped waking due to the wake to sleep or the pain aid or a combination of both.

Then with the other 3 molars which decided to pop all at once, a couple of months later, he'd be waking at night and waking SUPER EARLY in the mornings. I resolved the night wakings with the mattress thing (i couldn't increase the pain releif more ) and the early waking i did wake to sleep but it wasn't working till i realised ds was STARVING by then, so i started doing like a dreamfeed 30 mins before his usual early waking. I still do it  now cause if i don't, he wakes extra early and grouchy. I just go into his room, sip a bottle and he drains it in his sleep in 5 mins or so. He sleeps for a good extra 2 to 2.5 hours.

HTH!

[sacmommy]

I've used wake-to-sleep twice, once when my dd was about 11 months and again when she was about 23 months. For three nights I went in exactly 1 hour before her regular wake time (in her case, she woke up about 5:30 this most recent time, so I went in at 4:30). It's important to go in at the 1 hr before mark, so if you can't wake yourself, use the alarm. Gently resettle your lo (when she was younger I pretty much got her up and then put her down, this time I just very gently resettled her, otherwise she would wake for the day at 4:30!) Do this for 3 nights (4 max if there doesn't seem to be a change by the third morning), and see if it works. Good luck! It has definitely helped us.

[GG]

I resolved the night wakings with the mattress thing (i couldn't increase the pain releif more ) and the early waking i did wake to sleep but it wasn't working till i realised ds was STARVING by then, so i started doing like a dreamfeed 30 mins before his usual early waking. I still do it  now cause if i don't, he wakes extra early and grouchy. I just go into his room, sip a bottle and he drains it in his sleep in 5 mins or so. He sleeps for a good extra 2 to 2.5 hours.

Same here!!    I, too, have found that, when ds wakes up between 2:30-4:30 am and gets some milk, he goes back to sleep right away for a few extra hours as well, so I don't mind if he wakes up.

I've read that I probably shouldn't give him something to drink because it'll teach him to wake up every night but he only wakes up on random nights and at different hours each time, so I know that he's truly hungry.  Besides, if he's thirsty/hungry, how can I honestly let him cry without giving him something?

[Florencia]

Yep i've read that a lot too but according to Tracy you've got to do what's best for your family. Whatever is ok with you and trust your insctincts. Books are great help but every lo is different and no book can tell wheter a child is hungry or thirsty better than his mom.

In my case, I HAVE to do the early bottle thing. I tried everything to extend his night sleep and that was the only thing that worked for me. Besides the medical explanation i got from the ped is that ds's reflux makes him experience some heartburn after long periods without meals. SO besides the hungry it was the pain that was waking him. How can you let your lo be in pain just because it's the "right" thing to do? doesn't feel right at all ah?  it's so a matter of trial and error that each one has to find his own ways and methods.