16 month old sleep time issues?

Question

My step daughter i 16 months old, and very attached to her father and me... i've had her since she was 4 months old, anyways, she has always gone to bed fine, we give her a bottle and when she falls asleep we move her to her crib, but lately every time we move her she wakes up and starts hollering and then doesn't even want to lay down in our bed she just wants to be hugged and she wont sleep for a while just have her eyes closed... how do i change this?

Answer 1

She must be realizing she's not connected to you both. I think this would be the best opportunity to get her to sleep in her own crib. With my son (now 4yrs old) we would bathe him and give him his bottle. After a cuddle and a kiss I would out him in his crib and if he cried I would pick him up and cuddle him, but put him down as soon as he settled. Repeat. It may take a while but it will work and it will get easier. He slept with us at first so we was fighting against that. I hope this helps.

Answer 2

Well I think what you need to is start a new routine of putting her to bed (w/out a bottle) at her usual bed time in her own bed.  You can make a nice time out of it, such as a relaxing bath, maybe a bottle while you read her a book...however you decide to do it, I'm sure you get my point. But then put her to bed while she is still awake.  Your step-daughter needs to learn how to put herself to sleep.  It won't be easy, nor will it happen right away, but it WILL happen.  Just be consistent and persevere.

Good Luck!!