My 17 month old is so dependent on her bottle for sleep?

Weaning from the bottle at this age is just not easy. Many of us parents have done it, but at some point in the weaning process your little girl is going to cry. Maybe warn the people you are living with, because I don't see how she's going to just happily transition.

You can try gradually at first. You can fill the bottle up with less and less milk each night, until eventually she's not getting any milk. Or you could try gradually adding a little water to the milk each night until finally it's just a bottle of water. If that way works then you won't really even have to wean her from it because water is not going to ruin her teeth the way a bottle of milk will.

There are several other ideas at : http://www.toddler-tips-and-tricks.com/give-up-bot...

Just remember that she's not used to going to sleep any other way so she'll need a little extra patience and love. But after about a week of no bottles at nap or night she'll be much better about not having it.

Introduce a cup, if you haven’t already. Ideally, you’ll have been giving your baby sips of milk from a cup by 6 to 9 months, but if not, start giving him different kinds until you find one he likes. (Some kids take to sippy cups right away, others prefer flip-up straws; some don’t care what kind of cup it is as long as it’s blue, or green, or has puppies or princesses on it.)

Eliminate the bottle, starting with lunch, the meal at which the bottle is probably least important to him. Instead, serve his milk in his now-favorite cup.

Take away the dinner bottle—once he’s used to having a cup at lunch, after around four to seven days (follow his cues).

Next tackle the morning bottle. Instead of handing your toddler a bottle as soon as he gets up, go right to the table for breakfast.

Finally, let the bedtime bottle go. As long as your child has had a good dinner (which is not as much food as you might think), he doesn’t need extra milk to make it through the night. You may even be able to just skip the bottle at this point, since he’s gotten used to doing without it during the day, but if he puts up a fuss, take a graduated approach: Begin to reduce the amount of milk in the bedtime bottle by at least two ounces every two days. When you reach the three-ounce mark, offer a cup of water instead of a bottle during his bedtime routine (reading, singing, cuddling). If you’re convinced that your baby has to have milk before bed, then work toward serving that milk in a cup, and brushing his teeth before he goes to sleep.

Give him fair warning. Let him know three to five days in advance that it’s about time to give up his bottle. Tell him everyday, at least twice a day, but pick a time when he’s not tired or about to go to sleep. Be calm, caring, confident, and positive.

During the period leading up to D-day, start minimizing the number of bottles he has during the day and reducing the amount of liquid in each. Some parents like to restrict the bottle to naptime and bedtime, or allow it only in certain rooms. When he’s in a bottle “mood,” distract him with a game or offer him another form of comfort.

Also beforehand, gather up any bottles that are scattered around the house (your child might like to help you do this), and stop stockpiling pre-filled bottles in the fridge.

Some parents like to tell stories about giving the bottles away to babies in the hospital, the recycling center, the Easter bunny (if the timing is right). That’s okay, but you still owe it to your child to tell him in advance.

On the big day, “officially” get all the bottles out of the house. Tell your child what you’re doing, and remind him that you’ve been talking about this for several days. Stay firm, and don’t waiver—even if he whines or throws a fit—but at the same time be comforting and encouraging.

Offer a special reward or treat.

Don’t be surprised if all goes well for a few days, and then your child hits a rough patch and begs for a bottle. Gently remind him that there aren’t any more bottles, and offer a kiss and a cuddle instead.

You should get her to drink the sippy cup about an hour before you want her to go to bed.This also helps with potty training. Then let her run around. After that she should be pooped. But whatever you do do not let her know you want her to go to sleep. Give her her favorite toy and leave her in her bed to play with it. Before you know it she will have gone to sleep.

i had no trouble switching because i cosleep so my kids never had a bottle in bed. my moms a dentist and she says that it doesnt hurt their teeth if you give her water in it. id give her sippy during the day and when she wants the bottle at night just make sure its water. its not hurting her to have the bottle, let her self wean.