How to get 18 months old to sleep through the night (tips)

Read this if you have been scratching your head about how to get 18 months old to sleep through the night

An 18 months baby can wake up 2-3 times per night crying and screaming and the baby will not calm down until you come in and rock him/her again to sleep.

This can be tiring, stressful, and boring at the same time especially when you’re tired from work and all you need is take a well-deserved rest by sleeping like a child through the night.

Fortunately, there are ways to go about this and have both mum and her 18 months old bundle of joy sleep through the night.

Read on to find out how to get 18 months old to sleep through the night (little tips and tricks)

How to get 18 months old to sleep through the night

So below is how to get 18 months old to sleep through the night (Tips and ideas to help make him or her sleep like they used to)

 

Introduce consistent bedtime routine

When it’s at night (and time to sleep), you probably don’t just hop into bed in the clothes you wore all day and turn out the light.

Instead, you likely usually follow a certain routine like brushing your teeth, washing your face, and changing into pajamas before switching off the lights.

Now, just like you, your baby can benefit from a consistent and predictable bedtime routine.

So you need to make a bedtime routine that signals to your baby that it’s time to wind down and go to sleep.

The best routine should work well with your family’s schedule….

For example, you can always start by giving your baby a soothing birth, dressing him/her appropriately, and finally speaking a few parting words (craft a sweet gentle massage) just before going to bed.

 

Reduce baby latching habit

Reducing his or her dependency on latching to sleep can be another helpful way to get an 18 old to sleep through the night.

You, of course, want to do that gradually and gently.

For instance, at the start, you’ll be unlatching the baby right before your little one falls asleep.

Then, you start doing it earlier and earlier until the baby gets used to unlatching and falling asleep without breastfeeding.

 

Try CIO (Cry it Out) or Ferber sleep training method

This can make you feel somewhat guilty but letting your young one cry it out until they fall asleep works (I should say for some situations).

It’s a form of sleep training and you literally let the kid “hustle” for sleep on their own (as long as you’re sure they’re comfortable).

If you feel that you cannot just bear to just abandon your baby entirely (it can get teary), try the more compassionate Ferber method.

Here is how it works: When your baby cries for a couple of minutes, you drop back in and soothe him/her for 1-2 minutes.

You slowly increase the interval you let her cry by herself (without any intervention)- you can do it at an interval of 5,10,15 minutes  then finally zero minutes!

Creating a conducive sleeping environment for your kid

We all know this: A baby should sleep in a room that is quiet, dark, and with slightly cool temperature.

In addition, it’s good to dress your baby in sleepers so that you don’t need a blanket to cover the baby- that’s because many babies hate to be covered and this can make the baby keep waking up at night.

Also, covering the baby with too many blankets may make the baby sweat a lot which will distract baby’s sleep at night.

 

Limit food and drinks before bedtime

Foods high in fat like chips, crisps, or ice-cream should be avoided before the baby sleeps since fat takes a long time to digest and can keep the body awake for longer.

Besides, foods with caffeine and sugar are a no-no before bedtime for obvious reasons- they stimulate the brain!

But others including dairy products and green leafy vegetables have a contrasting effect..

They have tryptophan – an amino acid that promotes sleepiness and relaxation.

Set rules that can help put an 18 months old to sleep through the night

There are certain rules that you can use on your child and make the child sleep through the night.

I will be putting the rules down here to guide you on how to make your child sleep all night without waking up in the middle of the night when both you and the child need to be sleeping.

The rules include:

·   Establish a rule that the child cannot leave the bedroom after you have taken him to sleep

If your child starts screaming, shut the door to his bedroom and say politely: “I am sorry but I have to shut your door. I will open it when you are quiet and not crying anymore.”

·   Create a rule that you won’t allow them to climb to your bed at night

You may be woken by the sound of your kid climbing into your bed in the middle of the night…please don’t welcome her (unless the baby had a nightmare).

In short, return the baby to his bed as soon as you discover his presence.

·   Learn to praise your child for sleeping alone through the night

Learn to praise your kid for learning to sleep by their own  all through the night – kids love praises and this can make the baby want to go to bed alone more and more each night and sleep till morning.

How to get 18 months old to sleep through the night – final words

It might be hectic trying to put an 18 months old to bed all night without waking up 2-4 times per night but with the above tips, things will go right with time.

All that you need is to be patient with the baby and understand that things won’t just work out all of a sudden.

Good luck to all mothers!

 

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