10 Month Old Waking Up

I have a son the same age, and he's been doing the exact same thing! I think it's a combination of teething and new milestones. My son is crawling and pulling up and cruising and is so excited about his newfound talents that he jsut doesn't want to sleep. Time and patience have helped us. We do try to soothe him pretty quickly (before he gets all worked up) but that doesn't always work. If we've done all for him that we can (pain meds, snuggles, pacifier, etc.) and he still won't go back to sleep, we put him back in bed and let him cry for no longer than 15 minutes. Most times he'll only cry for 5-8 minutes and then falls fast asleep on his own. If not, we go back in and pick him up and rock him again. We repeat this as long as necessary to get him back to sleep.

Hopefully that helps!!!

A.,

I think your baby is just beginning a nightmare phase. I would go quickly in to the room, before he is raging standing and screaming. That is- if you are able to hear on the monitor that it is happening. Then soothe him back to sleep, repeating in a calm quiet voice, "you're always safe with mama." over and over. Hopefully it will pass soon. Be careful not to start a habit of this night-time visit.

In my opinion, I think it is very important to communicate with your baby from a very early age. 10 months in not too young to verbalize what is going on, and that you will be there if he has a bad dream, but it is important that he get his sleep. This age of babies has a greater understanding of what you say, more-so than what a lot of people think. They may not be able to say back what they are thinking, but they have come to understand what they are told, and talked to about from loved ones.

I think overall- to let your baby know that you are nearby, and that they are "always safe with mama" will ease the nightmares. Moms know the difference between the various cries. You determine when to soothe the nightmare away, and when it is a "hey- let's visit again tonight mama"- and curb out the visits. Make sure it is not a poopie diaper and that he doesn't have a burp left- and have a belly ache.

You mentioned teething. Yes, teething can wake a baby. Many people say try the baby orajel. I found that to be helpful when that was the reason for any discomfort. Again, you will know the difference in what they cry is about. Communicate with your baby so he knows what to expect.

Good luck and God bless!

A.

he is more than likely getting more teeth...my son did the same thing.and changed up his sleep schedule from time to time. hard to get through but it will pass. i gave motrin right before bedtime and that seemed to help. also teethin tablets or orajel when he wakes up hold him for a few after you give that to him ( my son hates the initial effects) and after that kicks in he will probably be out like a light again like my son was :)

Try putting a pillow or blanket that smells like you or his Daddy into the crib for him to cuddle with. This solved the problem with my son. He just turned 1 and has been sleeping thru the night most of the time since he was like 6 months old. When he does wake up though, I go get him. I never let him cry it out. Babies cry when they need something. Sometimes all they need is a good cuddle. The other night my son woke up and cried. Usually when this happens I bring him to bed with me for a cuddle and he relaxs and goes back to sleep. Then I put him back in bed. The other night when it happened, I picked him up figuring he would need to come lay with me. He cuddled up to me and went right back to sleep. I stood there and rocked him for a minute and laid him back down in his bed. He slept the rest of the night with no problem. Good luck.

Hi, A.! Every baby goes through teething at different times. There is a huge possiblilty that it could be teeth bothering him -- especially when he is lying down. I would give him some Motrin and say a prayer that he goes back to sleep. I wish you luck!

I would recommend a book called "Healthy sleep habits, happy child" It has done wonders for our household. In there it shares that once we get a sleep routine down, our child will change it but that there are some main things to the sleep pattern that should not change. Having said that a brief summary for your child's age is 2-3 naps per day and going to bed between 7-9pm. Then wakes up between 7-9am. The first nap is within the first two hours after your baby wakes up and the second around 1pm. The book says not to go to your child (unless you think there is something really wrong) if they are crying before midnight but after 4am (or I suppose 3am dep. on when your baby goes to sleep) that they may wake up for a feeding or teething or developmental milestone that wakes him up.

Hope this helps! I would get or just look through the book...there is a lot more information:)

Happy sleeping!
Married to my soul mate and Mom of 7mo. old

I feel your pain, my 12-month-old's sleep patterns change on a regular basis.

I highly recommend reading The Baby Sleep Book by Dr. William Sears. They have several techniques other than "cry it out" that may help. Some baby sleep experts who study mother-infant sleep patterns in lab settings strongly advise against crying it out. I know it's popular, but it's more of an adult, Western social norm to expect babies to be able to sleep through the night every night. Unfortunately, sometimes our parenting styles are more reflective of adult cultural expectations than the biological needs of the baby. Another good book is "Our Babies, Ourselves" by Meredith Small.

Hi A.,
I know it is so difficult loosing your sleep. Childrens sleep patterns are always changing. What has seemed to happen to me is when I think I have the whole routin down pat....it changes. They are growing and changing all the time. Not every child will sleep through the night until they are older, at least this has been my experience.
Can teething be the issue, absolutely! Even though their may not be teeth coming up that you can see, there is still activity under the gums. Try giving him Motrin before bed and see if that helps. Are you brushing his teeth and gums? Continuing to do that will also help keep the plaque from forming a hard shell on the gums which will/can also cause discomfort if teeth are starting to push through.

Personally, I haven't been much a "let your child cry it out" kind of mom. In my mind, they are uncomfortable, or just plain old "need mommy" I know it is hard, but it is so worth it to be there for him.

A little about me....proud mommy of 4 wonderful children: 19 yo, 15 yo, 9 yo and almost 3 yo.

Blessings.

Yeah, CIO doesn't really work that well for most kids. Lots of people swear by it, but it's not a large percentage.
I'd assume he's teething and get some Hyland's teething tablets. They are homeopathic, so even if he isn't teething, they aren't going to hurt him or anything.
It could also be a growth spurt and he needs to be fed mid-night for a week or so and then he'll go back to sleeping through the night.

Leting him cry it out is a bad idea in my opinion. He is waking because he needs something -- even if it is just comfort he needs, give it to him. I would bet he is teething. Try Motrin at bedtime and see if that helps. It also could be a growth spurt maybe. That would change his sleep patterns too. My 9 month old has not slept through the night once. Most babies don't until a year or two old. Some mothers luck out and have good sleepers, but that is not the norm. Just hang in there and know that he will outgrow this. In the meantime, go to him and try the Motrin and see if that helps. Good luck!

The book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" saved my life.