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 Ask Dr. Jana
Vomiting at Bedtime | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Jana,
My 17-month-old daughter basically threatens to throw up in her crib when she doesn't want to go to sleep at night. Based on previous incidents when she has vomited, she knows that both my husband and I will come running to her, and she will get another bath and then be danced to sleep. When I put her to bed last night, she wanted to get out of her crib. I told her that I was not going to take her out and that she needed to go to sleep, and she looked right at me and started to gag herself. Help -we don't want her throwing up every night but also don't want her controlling us in this manner. She is extremely advanced verbally/mentally and has an incredibly good temperament otherwise. Thank you!— Frustrated Parents | | | ANSWER |
March 12, 2001 | | | Dear Frustrated Parents,
Dr. Spock himself addressed this subject specifically, since it is not an uncommon occurrence. See Sleep Refusal and Vomiting.
In addition to his overall approach, I suggest that you make your daughter's upcoming bedtime a predictable event each night. Stick to a very established bedtime routine (I recommend bath, pajamas, book(s), and a quick lullaby) and discuss your expectations in advance with your daughter. She sounds like she is quite bright, which means that not only should she understand you but she is likely to test you to see if you mean what you say.
While it can be quite disconcerting to have your child gag herself and intentionally vomit, chances are good that she won't bother to continue doing it every night if she realizes she can't control you. In that sense, what your daughter is doing is similar to tantrums, whining, and sleep dependencies--all behaviors that are very common in toddlers and don't last too long if there are no benefits.— by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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