Should My 6 Month Old Be Sleeping Through the Night?

No water, no cereal!! Try block feeding him, but it is very normal to be waking up in the middle of the night. By block feeding him, is start feeding him earlier than normal in the evening, and give him a couple more "meals" before bedtime, it would likely be smaller amounts than a normal meal, but I did it with the boob, not the bottle, so I don't have an ounce estimate. If he is sucking down the bottle, I would say he is hungry... you do not want to feed him filler like water or cereal that has no real nutritional value.

But really, one wake up at midnight, is not so bad... its the 3-4am wakeups that are the worst.

Not all babies sleep through the night at that age. Have you tried to give him baby cereal in the bottle (about 2 scoops of cereal to 8oz. of Formula) around 8pm. (just before he goes to sleep.) That should help him "not get hungry" in the middle of the night. Also.. With feeding him that last bottle it should help calm him down to go to sleep. Hope this can help you.

I was having the same problem with my son. I went to the doctors and the doctor told me he should only have 4 bottles a day and if I wanted him to sleep through the might I had to stop giving him a bottle at night because it is a habit and he knows that if he wakes up he gets what he wants. It took about 4 nights of letting him cry befor he finally started sleeping through the night. You have to be patient and let him cry, if you give in it teaches him that if he crys long enough he will get what he wants. I didn't think that it would work but it has and now my son sleep from 6-7 at night until 7-9 in the morning. Let me know if you have any questions on how to get through the first couple of nights. Good Luck!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA--

koff! koff!

Sorry. It's just that my children were still toddlers and not sleeping through the night. And you know that part in the books where they say that newborns sleep all the time?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA--

[wheeze][choke][gasp]

But if he actually ever did sleep well, he could be teething or going through a growth spurt. It isn't anything you're doing.

C.,

My son turns 6 months on Saturday. I was reading the responces from others. DO NOT GIVE HIM WATER. He is too young for that. The one thing you want to do is what your pediatrician suggested ... stop the middle of the night feeding. He probably isn't hungry, just used to the comfort of getting a feeding. My son goes to bed around 9P and gets up around 8:30A ... don't get me wrong, he wakes up a couple of times during the night. We usually just give him his pacifier and he goes right back to sleep. If you continue to give him a bottle, he will get used to getting up at that time and feeding. I would suggest weening him off the feeding. If you usually give him a 6 oz bottle, tonight give him 5 oz, then next night 4oz, the next 3oz and then a pacifier ... if you don't use a pacifier, then I would guess just holding or rocking him back to sleep might help. Now don't get me wrong .. it will take some time for him to get out of the habit of waking up, but eventually he will ... just don't give up and give him a full bottle.

One other thought ... how much are you feeding him throughout the day. Is he getting enough food and bottles during the day? I know it varies from baby to baby, but maybe you need to add more food to his day.
This is what my son gets every day:
Breakfast (830A) 4tbs of oatmeal cereal & 7oz bottle
Mid Morning Snack (1030A) one gerber stage 1 fruit
Lunch (1P) 2tbs barley cereal & one gerber stage 1 vegetable & 7 oz bottle
Dinner (5P) 2tbs rice cereal & one gerber stage 1 vegetable & 7 oz bottle
Before Bed (8P) 7 oz bottle

I hope this helps!
D.

Every baby is different & you need to listen to your moms intuition to know what is best for your child. Consistency is definetely the key! Pick one thing & stick with it for a week or longer to give it a chance to work. My son (now 20 months) slept thru the night at 3 1/2 months of age, but he hardly ever naped during the day (maybe once or twice a month when he was teething or not feeling well)! Of course he was a big baby- born weighing 10 lbs 12 oz. I agree with the mom who said a babies stomach is small & until they can get enough to make them feel full, they probably won't sleep completely thru the night. I definetely think size plays a part in sleeping thru the night. Routine also plays a big part in it. We always did & still do a modified version of the same bedtime routine with my son. He got a bath around 6:30pm, then we dried him & got him dressed in pj's. Next came rocking in the chair while he drank 4-6 oz of formula. Then we would say goodnight & put him in his crib with the lullaby cd & night light on. He was usually asleep shortly after & slept 12-13 hrs each night. He rarely cried, but if he did we would pick him up & rock with him until age 7 months, then we tried to let him cry for a minute or so. But if he got too worked up or was overtired, he would vomit, so we would pick him up & let him rock with us. Now that he is older & understands more, if he wakes up in middle of the night (very rare) & tries to get up & play or run around, we put him in the crib & say "these are your 2 options...lay in crib & go to sleep or lay on us & rock in the chair." It usually takes us putting him in the crib 2 times & letting him cry for a few minutes before he realizes we are serious. Though he eventually understands he must go to sleep & it is not play time. This only happens when he is congested or feeling some seperation anxiety (I am 8 months pregnant & it has been rough on him). My girlfriend swears by stretching the bottles out longer & longer until they are eating more at a feeding. Example- give bottle every 3 hrs, then 3.25 then 3.5 hs until you get to a period where they can go thru night without bottle. Of course this may take you weeks to do, as you would want to ween slowly- maybe 2 days of each time frame. Day 1 & 2 feed every 3 hrs, then day 3 would go every 3.25 hrs, etc etc. Anyway, her daughter started sleeping thru the night at 6 weeks (based on a book she read). I can get the title if you want to know...just email me. My best advice is to do what feels right to you, because if you are comfortable with it, the child will be too. They sense your tension/stress & so it will take longer for the process to work. Crying it out was very hard for us, but we knew the end result would be well rested parents & child, so it was worth the initial heartbreak it caused us. -S.-

Hi, Sorry to tell you this but I have a 12 month old that still doesnt sleep through the night!! I've tried everything to get him to but it just doesnt work.... you just have to wait it out and pray! good luck

I hate to say it but my boys (I have 3) didn't start sleeping through the night until after 6 months. My middle one was still up 3-4 times a night to nurse until about 8 months. My oldest who was bottle fed started around 6 months but we were putting rice cereal in his bottle because he had reflux issues. You might wanna try just a little rice cereal in his bedtime bottle. Also if you can get him to stay up just a little later it might help. I had to get mine to stay up just a couple minutes later each night. Eventually he was going to bed later and sleeping through. Hope this helps.

Hi C.!

Each child is different. My 1st child slept through the night by 8 months. However, my second child didn't sleep through the night until he was 18 months! I would try to get him to stop napping at 5. Play with him or keep him occupied. This may also help getting him to sleep longer. Whatever you do just try to stick with it. Good luck!

I would definately loose the five PM nap.
Maybe the last bottle of the night right before bed, add a little rice cereal to thicken it up so it'll keep him full longer.
My son is three now.
I really never had sleep issues till teething, that's when all hell broke loose.LOL

Don't worry you'll get a good nights sleep eventuallly.
Six months, remember it could be teeth coming in too if he's needing something to suck on.

Hi, I have two boys and I guess I was lucky becaus eboth mine slept through the night very early. My first slept through the night at 3 weeks and the second was 3 months when he started sleeping through the night. I really just put them on a tight schedule with feedings and kept them awake during the day. I also fed them a little more than usual at bedtime. An example would be that instead of the normal 5 ounces, I gave them 6 or 6and a half. My three month old was sleeping for 12 hours. Also, if you hold him to put him to sleep, try to cover his crib mattress with a t-shirt of yours at the end he sleeps on. It sounds crazy but one that you have worn briefly because he will think that you are still holding him because he smells you. I hope this advice works, I know it is frustrating when you don't get your sleep. Good luck.

My little ones didn't sleep all through the night til at least 12 months old. I think if he is hungry, feed him. Drs don't know what is best for your baby, you do. He is still growing a tummy, which is very small. 8 hours is a long time for a little person to go without food. I don't think little babies can be expected to sleep all night long. Some babies make that milestone sooner than others, but not every baby does it right away.
Take heart, these sleepless nights will be long gone sonner than you think!

LOL.I wish 6 month olds slept through the night.My advice is to get rid of that 5pm nap.Try and get him stimulated at that point.Blow bubbles, fun, reading, blocks ect...I would have him ready for bed by 7:30pm, and then no stimulation from that point on.You may massage him, read bedtime stories, and speak softley.I still sometimes have to go in and give my daughter a drink of water or milk in the middle of the night.I wouldnt want to go from 7pm-6am with no drink, and I wouldnt want to go hungry either.LOL.You do you what you feel you need to do.I think he is sleeping really well.Falling asleep on his own, well that took me longer than 6 months, so I have no advice for that.However when I did actually do it, I let her cry it out(but she was like 8 months at that point)and it wasnt that bad.

I have 4 kids and only one was a good sleeper. People have all kinds of opinions and advice to give, but I don't think it's unusual for your son not to sleep through the night. One thing that I know will help is his daytime activties. Cut down the time of the morning nap, and expand the afternoon nap. This may take a week or so to adjust him to the new routine. I'd put him down at 9:00 in the morning and make sure you have him up by 9:30. Do not let him go back to sleep before 1:00. Keep him engaged in activites, eating, etc. If he starts to fall asleep,wake him up. Put him down for the afternoon nap and let him sleep no later than 4:30. The idea is to gradually eliminate the morning nap. He still needs his sleep so this will take months. There will be no more sleeping at 5 in the afternoon. He will go down like normal at 7 or 8 and sleep past midnight. My kids would wake up at 2:00 for a bottle, but than would sleep at least till 7:00 the next morning. I hope this helps. L.

He might need less naps in the afternoon. That may help him sleep longer but I agree that 5 hours is basically sleeping through the night. If you want more sleep, cut the naps to 2 instead of 3. Hope that helps a little

T. :)

Every baby is different. I have found with my 11 month old that sometimes he wants to nurse at night, sometimes just to be held and know we are still there. I find it is easiest on all of us if I do whatever I need to for everyone to get back to sleep quickest. I know he will sleep completely through the night eventually and for me, it is not worth fighting it. Like everything else, a time will come when it will happen, either you can force it, or it will happen on its own without stress. I am more of a non-stress parent. If you think about it, how fast have these last 6 months gone by? Before you know it, you will be at his first birthday and wonder where the time went. So I guess what I am saying is, don't sweat it. If you can't handle the crying like me, just do what you need to do, and know it won't hurt anything and he WILL sleep through the night...sooner than you realize! High school or middle school kids don't wake up and need mom to get them a bottle now do they???
PS I also need to tell you that he most likely will sleep through the night for a little while, then go through a period where he is up a lot again. This is NORMAL. My son did that at about 8 months (waking up a lot again) but now mostly sleeps through the night. I have many friends who noticed the same thing.

Are you sure he is hungry? Did you try just giving him a bottle of water? He might just be thirsty. My kids go to sleep with a sippy cup still becuase they get thirsty in the middle of the night. I would try that for a night or two to see if maybe he is thirsty.

A five hour stretch of sleep is actually considered sleeping through the night for babies. We usually consider sleeping through the night on adult terms, 8 or more hours, If he is sleeping from 7-12, that is 5 hours. Maybe try to put him to bed a little closer to when you go to bed and he will get those 5 hours while you are sleeping too. That way you get a little more sleep.
My 2 1/2 year old still wakes up at night sometimes, just because she is alone and wants comfort. Babies are programed not only to need feeding, but they sometimes jsut need to know that you are closeby. Even if it not hunger, we need to respond to a baby's need for reassurance, that we will be there.

Have you tried mixing the rice cereal in his bottles at nite??

hi, C..

well, i have to say that i commend you on your patience. now...don't yell at me, but my daughter (who is almost 6 months old) started sleeping thru the night at almost 3 months old. until then, though, it was almost hell on earth for us. the way we got her to this point is by sticking to her nighttime routine. around 6:00 to 6:30 (sometimes a little later)comes the bath, then the bottle, then sleep. now we squeeze in a couple of books after the bottle. she's usually asleep before 8:30, but mostly before 8:00.

before she slept thru the nite, though, we used to put her to bed around 7:00 or 8:00 and get her up for another bottle around 10:00 to 11:00 and she slept til around 3:00 am when she woke for another bottle. this time always varied, but you get the idea. well, we decided when she was around 3.5 months old to let her sleep thru the 10:00 to 11:00 feeding. it worked out great! she slept til almost 9:00 in the morning (that first and only time). i guess it was just her time to sleep thru the night.

her naps now are much like your son's (an hour here and an hour there). i definitely give her a nap around 4:00 or 5:00 because if she doesn't get a nap at that time, she gives us hell!

she just started to wake up around 5:00 am recently and i can tell she's still wants to sleep (her eyes are closed and she's rubbing them and putting her fingers in her mouth), so i go in there and give her a pacifier and she usually sleeps til 7:00 or 8:00 or she's up and plays until i go in and get her.

i know some people don't like to give their babies a paci, but maybe you can try that during his middle of the night wakings or maybe water? i think whatever you do, you have to be consistant. don't try to stick to specific times of the day, rather try to stick to a routine. it took me a long while to get myself to think that way. i was always for sticking to specific times.

all babies have their own ways of doing things. my baby girl still needs to be swaddled for a nap or for bed. otherwise she is all over the place and won't sleep. i'm going to try and go swaddle-less (one arm free at a time...hehe) after she turns 6 months. wish me luck!

good luck and let us know how things go. i would love to hear about the night when he sleeps all the way thru! i know it was a great moment for us when our little one finally did.

I THINK THAT EVERY BABY IS DIFFERENT. I WOULDN'T BE CONCERNED.YOUR LIITLR ONE SEEMS TO BE DOING FINE, AND I DON'T SEE WHY THE PED WOULD OBJECT TO HIM HAVING ONE BOTTLE AT NIGHT. I'M SURE YOU WOULD PREFER HIM NOT TO WAKE AND I'M SURE IN TIME HE WILL SLEEP FROM 8 TIL 6.GOOD LUCK!

When my girl was 6 months(month ago) she slept through the night unless my son would wake her up or my daughter would have a bad dream, but it varies by baby also. I know she normally wants to breastfeed around 7-8pm and then will go to sleep normally around 8-9pm at night then wake up anywhere from 8am to 10am. I try to get her up by 10am on those long mornin's and have her nap at one maybe 2pm in the afternoon so she isready to sleep later that night and it seems fine but I also have to feed her before she will go well at least 85% of the time. she is 7 months and is 20.2lbs and 29 3/4 inches!!! I am soooooooo excited that she is following her daddies height.

D.

It sounds like he sleeps great. Waking up once is not bad. Some adults can't even go all night without food.

mine is 6 months also and doesnt sleep thru the night either. he gets tired at about 7:30 and sleeps until 12-1am, then hes up at 4am then at 6-7 (depends)then he plays in his crib for about 1 hr and i bring him to bed with me, where he sleeps 1-2 more hrs!

I have a 6 month old boy and he now sleeps through the night. He is only a cat napper durring the day. Our routine is about 7:30 I give him a bath and then give him a bottle. If he wakes up during the night I go into his room and pat him back to sleep. My son is a big boy, already 22 pounds and 30 inches long. It might be a good idea to feed him cereal and fruit before you put him to bed because that really fills them up.

Hope that works for you.

Hi C.,

You've received a ton of responses, so I'll just weigh in. My just turned 7 month old still gets up twice a night. He goes to bed between 9 and 10. He naps once or twice a day for an hour each time. When he wakes those two times in the night, I nurse him for 10-15 minutes and he's back down. I know he's up for good in the morning when he makes "rasberry" noises and is all cheery, usually around 7:30 AM. I'm learning to be "cheery" in the mornings too:)

Your baby sounds just fine, actually once would be heaven to me;)

Good luck,
N.