Night weaning the high-needs, possibly ASD toddler who doesn't sleep, and neither do I!

[QueenOfThePride]

Any advice? We need some sleep! :yawning:

DS is almost 15 months old, and I don't want to wean completely, but we have to do something about night waking. DS has a really intense personality, so it's not going to be as easy as just rocking him back to sleep. I'm single, so I don't have a partner to get up with him.

I need a plan, or just to hear stories of what other families have done...
and

[wombatclay]

Big hugs (and I'm gonna lurk here a bit).

We're in a similar boat... dd2 has some sensory issues and doesn't eat a lot of "solid" food so I don't want to cut back too much on the nursing since it does make up a big chunk of her calories. But I did a few sleep logs (a la No Cry toddler) and on a good night she wakes 11 times in 8 hours and needs nursing to get back to sleep 9 or so of those times. Which probably explains my constant lack of energy, and the way in which colds/flus that everyone else bounces back from stick with me for weeks.

It took us 2-3 months to night wean her older sib (who still day nurses at 3.5yo) and I'm betting it takes at least twice that long with dd2. But other than using some of the No Cry ideas I really don't have a good plan. My goal is to be down to 2-3 night nursing sessions by the new year.

So hopefully a BTDT mama will swoop in and let us know what worked for them!

[scrappingmom]

ATM I"m offering Hugs .. being a single mom with a ASD/pos ASD? Child is rough as it is! Mine is now almost 12.. i'm going to think back and hopefully be back with some ideas for you!

Have you tried just having him sleep and nurse as needed? or do you get up? I know for me I find it slightly less taxing having them in bed whee we both can doze at least... easier for LO to remain latched for the night though..lol

have you tried having a sippy/bottle of water available and maybe give that in the night wake ups? My son with ASD I know is EXTREMELY thirsty all the time and takes a 2 liter soda bottle to bed with him which he ahs in the freezer fro the day as he likes his drinks ICE COLD and drink most-all every night. Maybe your LO is just thirsty?? Maybe the drink could lead to a shorter time nursing and HOPEFULLY he'll catch on he can have that drink himself(if in the corner of the crib???) After Ethan I always provided a cup of water at night(I'm a very thirsty person as well) a couple kids have drank it consistantly when waking at night and go back to sleep others dont bother, others want mommy only..lol

ok.. off to think ... feel free to PM me if you dont hear anything... i tend to lose posts i want to get back to

[kohlby]

Based on past experience, I wouldn't. I would put some restrictions on it so you get more sleep - like only so many minutes of nursing at a time. I started the nightweaning process when my sensory quirks child was 18 months. I finished it at 22 months. It took a while, especially to drop the last middle of the night session. (That one took 2 months to drop!) Then, for the next 14 months, he woke up asking to nurse every single night! He even began the night in his own bed at 22 months but would end up in our bed since he wanted to nurse. I told him no and gave him a sippy and snuggles - but he still woke. I finally gave in when newborn DD was being woken up by his asking. He was just about 3 years old then. He nightweaned easily at about 4.5 years old. He simply wasn't ready the first time. I wanted him nightweaned to get my fertility back - and then during pg to make it more managable. It would have been a lot less work to let him nurse.

I know he's the exception since I've never heard of another child waking every night for over a year asking! If it weren't for my DH and DS turning into a daddy's boy, it would have been a lot tougher. There's no way I could have stuck to it if I were single.

On the flip side, my daughter day-weaned herself when she dropped her nap around her 2nd b-day. She now nurses 3-4 times, all at night. I'm in no rush to cut her down since she's easy to nurse at night, much easier than DS ever was.

[QueenOfThePride]

Thanks everyone, I could definitely try leaving a sippy of water in his crib. Co-sleeping never worked much for us. We both sleep too lightly. (I have AS too.)