Category: Breaking The Nightly Bottle Habit

Saying Bye to Bottles: Transition Tips for Toddlers - A Parents Guide

8/14/2024

Saying Bye to Bottles: Transition Tips for Toddlers A Parents Guide

When to Ditch the Bottle: A Guide for Parents. As a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, one of the most common questions I receive from parents is about when to transition their child from a bottle to a cup. This milestone can be both exciting and challenging. Understanding the right age and reasons for making this change can help ensure a smooth transition for your child and support their overall health and development.

The Recommended Age
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that parents start the transition from bottle to cup at around 12 months of age. By 16 months, most children should be fully weaned off the bottle. This timeframe is not only ideal for encouraging developmental milestones but also for preventing potential health issues associated with prolonged bottle use.

Why Make the Switch?

Dental Health
Prolonged bottle use, especially with milk or sugary drinks, can lead to tooth decay. According to a study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, toddlers who use a bottle beyond 12 months are at a higher risk for developing cavities. The sugar in milk and juice can pool around the teeth, creating an environment for bacteria to thrive.

Oral Development
Extended bottle use can affect the development of a child’s oral muscles and palate. The sucking motion required for bottle feeding is different from that used for drinking from a cup. A study from the American Dental Association highlights that long-term bottle use can contribute to issues such as misaligned teeth and improper jaw development.

Encouraging Independence
Transitioning to a cup is a significant step towards independence for your child. It encourages the development of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Using a cup requires different muscle movements, which are crucial for speech development and overall motor skills.

Nutritional Balance
Children who rely heavily on bottle feeding might consume excessive amounts of milk, which can lead to iron deficiency anemia. A Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition study found that toddlers drinking more than 24 ounces of milk daily are at a higher risk of iron deficiency anemia. By transitioning to a cup, you can help ensure your child is receiving a balanced diet with a variety of nutrients.

Bottle as a Sleep Prop
Many parents use bottles as part of the bedtime routine, which can turn the bottle into a sleep prop. This dependency can interfere with the development of independent sleep skills. Eliminating the bedtime bottle encourages healthier sleep habits and self-soothing techniques.

How to Transition

Start Gradually
Begin by introducing a sippy cup with water during meals. Allow your child to explore and play with the cup to become familiar with it.

Reduce Bottle Use
Gradually decrease the number of bottles offered, starting with daytime bottles. Replace them with cups during meals and snacks.

Offer Positive Reinforcement
Praise and encourage your child when they use the cup. Positive reinforcement can make the transition smoother and more enjoyable.

Consistency is Key
Be consistent with the transition. If you decide to eliminate the bedtime bottle, stick to it. Offer comfort in other ways, such as through bedtime stories or cuddles.

Lead by Example
Children often mimic their parents. Drink from a cup in front of your child to show them it’s the normal way to consume beverages.

References

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2017). Preventive Oral Health Intervention for Pediatricians.
Journal of Pediatrics. (2011). Prolonged Bottle Feeding and Dental Caries Risk.
American Dental Association. (2019). Impact of Prolonged Bottle Use on Oral Development.
Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. (2015). Milk Consumption and Iron Deficiency Anemia in Toddlers.

Author

Erin Neri - Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant and Owner of To The Moon and Back Sleep Consulting since 2016.

Proud mother of 2 young school aged boys who did not come into the world preprogrammed with independent sleep skills. 28+ years of training & experience working with children and families including her BA in Applied Psychology, Infant Mental Health Training, Early Childhood Education & Experience. Completed Integrative Feeding Specialist Certification in Oct. 2022.

Comments

Breaking the nightly bottle habit

6/15/2024

Comments

I get this question from moms all the time, so I thought I'd touch on it here.

“My 10-month-old goes to bed with a bottle and wakes for a bottle in the night. How do I break her of this habit?”

Good question! When you put your baby in bed at night, including the bottle in her routine is fine. You could start with a bath, pyjamas, her bottle, and a story or two.

You really want to avoid giving her the bottle until she falls asleep or putting her in her crib with the bottle. You do not want your baby to fall asleep with a bottle in her mouth because if she wakes up in the middle of the night, she thinks she needs that bottle again to sleep. If you come with her bottle and feed her to sleep or put it into the crib, she sucks herself back to sleep with the bottle.

Not only is that hard for her sleep strategies, but it is also very damaging to her teeth, which are coming in, so start the bottle earlier in your routine. You can have a bath, then her bottle, brush her teeth and then come back for some stories, but you should be putting her into the crib awake and without a bottle. If you follow gentle sleep training guidelines, I will give you some strategies to deal with the two weeks it will probably take to get her on track, learning a new strategy for getting herself to sleep.

You don’t have to leave the room; you can stay with her if you like, but she really does need to start connecting the steps that are involved in putting herself to sleep independently so that she is not relying on that bottle! Otherwise, she will most likely keep waking for that bottle. It could go on well into the second year, so you really want to make sure you break this habit now. Then, when she wakes in the night requesting a bottle, you’ll have to decline that request.

You can go in, you can stay with her and “ride it out,” basically, but she will learn a new way to sleep, and she will start sleeping a solid night, which will be better for her. It will be better for her in the sense that she is not falling asleep with the bottle in her mouth and, so, it may take about two weeks, but it is definitely for the best.

If you are having trouble dropping your little sleepers nightly bottle habit and you want a tailored plan and support to help you teach them independent sleep skills and strategies book your Free 20-Minute Sleep Evaluation Call to learn more about how I can help change your life into one where everyone gets the sleep they need.