Sleep - Bradley,IL

I used dr. Ferber's book called something like "how to solve your child's sleep problems" when my kids were little. Sometimes solutions are counter-intuitive: I used to "top off" my kids with as much nursing as possible around midnight but that just meant their tummies were busy for hours and woke them back up. After age 6 months for most kids (depending on weight actually but I do not recall the weight) kids can sleep through the night but habits keeps them waking up. With my 1st child I let her "cry it out" which took 4 nights of me not going in to feed her at 2 AM and her crying for 4 hours straight and then she slept through from 11 to 5. With the 2nd I used Ferber's much more gentle method of going in at progressive longer intervals and not feeding. That took 2 weeks but felt better to me. However, now at 13 and 10 they have no recolletion of it and if I were to do it again I would use the crying it out method since it works so much faster. You may also want to only offer him a bottle of water (better of teeth too) since he may just be thirstry or decide not to wake up for only water after while. Good luck.

Dear Mom of 3

Some children and infants need total darkness to stay asleep throughout the night. There are research studies all over the internet that explains the melatonin production in infants during the first 3 years of life. Some infant and adults sleep with their eyes slightly cracked open which research claims may be the cause.

You are also right at the age of possibly introducing hard foods. If your baby has a fast metabolism the hard food will resolve the problem if it is really related to eating. It is best to start with carrot formula with the lowest amount of sugar content. You can also make your own if time allows.

There are many other ways to resolve this problem but it is recommended to start here.

If you still struggle with this problem please check back.

Good Luck

S. Litvak, DI Hom

i disagree with the ferber suggestion, and obviously if you share a room, that wont be possible.

the formula could be upsetting his stomach, or any of the foods he eats. some babies just are more sensitive. i assume you feel he is eating properly in the day for his age/size with breastmilk/formula/solids? is he really taking a full bottle 2-3 times at night? at his age, i wouldnt think he needs that since he should be getting enough in the day. a way to see if its hunger or comfort would be giving him a bottle of water. if he drinks the water and goes back to sleep the same time, it means it wasnt hunger. if he doesnt go to sleep or he wakes sooner, i would think he really is hungry.

if you rule out hunger, i would just try experimenting with room temperature, does he have blankets, is he sensitive to wet diapers, white noise machines, darkness levels. something might truley be bothering him. my youngest hated anything touching her, like blankets, other people, she just like to roll around and would get frustrated if she touched anything while sleeping.

Are you giving him solids, too? If he is ten months old he probably is pretty hungry for some other things. If you are, then he is probably just enjoying the comfort - so that's your call on how to handle that. You will have all sorts of mothers telling you not to give it to him in the middle of the night. I have been through the raising of my children and I will say the time really flies and it doesn't matter. What matters if you love your child.

Sleep is a habit. He will continue to wake, around the same time every night, until you break him of the habit. Eating is also a habit, and we become accustom to eating at the same time daily. Try offering water. He will protest, but after a few nights, he should stop waking.

i hope you didnt stop nursing because you thought hed sleep more. anyways he is most likely teething. had he been nursing the nursing action would have soothed his teething gums, its a natural pain reliever. now he may be waking more often since he isnt getting that relief. If that is why you nursed it is possible to get some milk back. Talk to a Lactation COnsultant