Help with Sleep??? - Sandusky,OH

At this point, he should not need to be changed (unless he's dirty) or fed when he wakes in the middle of the night. You can try the cereal before his last bottle in the evening. It sounds like its a habit.

We did the Ferber method to much success but I know that its not for everyone.

Most babies don't sleep through the night until about a year old. Just because other babies might sleep through the night earlier does not mean your baby should. My baby was still getting up 3-5 times a night at that age. It is perfectly normal and healthy. Don't let anyone tell you he should be sleeping through the night! Lots of moms on this site will tell you to let him cry it out. I don't believe in that method. I don't think a baby should ever have to cry himself to sleep! Just be patient. Keep getting up with him, and as he gets a little older he WILL sleep through the night. This is part of motherhood! You gotta get up in the night w/baby. Trust me, millions of other moms are up too in the middle of the night. Keep doing what you are doing, you are doing a good job! It will come, just know this phase will pass. Some day you will look back and miss this stage! Good luck!

Honestly, it's normal. Not all babies sleep 12 hours by 6 months old. There is a lot going on during that first year. LOTS of growth, lots of learning, lots of discovery. This all can translate into a HUNGRY, CURIOUS baby who is still trying to figure out his/her rhythm.

Trust me... I know what it feels like to not sleep. My daughter was 13 months old before she slept 12 hours straight. That first summer was horrible because she went through a growth spurt and wanted to PLAY at 3am!

Keep doing what you're doing. Make sure he is dry and has a full tummy. I'm not a fan of the cereal in the bottle thing... choking hazard. But, a little cereal before bed isn't a bad idea. Keep in mind, he may also just need that reassurance that you are there. And that's OK! :-)

When my daughter was a year old and I really felt that her night waking was more of a habit and she didn't NEED anything (she didn't nurse vigorously like she was hungry etc...) then I would get up with her, quietly tell her it was not time for milk, rock for a minute or so and then put her back in bed. I always offered comfort. It didn't take more then a week before she was sleeping 12 hours straight.

But again, I only did this when I was certain she was not waking up because she was hungry and she was old enough to know Mama and Papa were always there.

It's hard. I know it's hard. But, it is part of the package. It does pass... and now there are times when I do miss those middle of the night quiet moments alone with my daughter. She is on the go now.... rarely lets me cuddle her. Those were very special moments in the dark... all snugly together. I will never forget them.

Melisa is right. Just because a lot of babies your DS's age are sleeping through the night, it isn't his rhythm. He is still young enough to be figuring it out. You are his mom, and while we all know it is a challenge to be without sleep yourself, it is part of being a good mom. He will find his rhythm soon, and you will start to get more constant sleep. Trust in yourself, and love your son as much as you can stand in every way. Don't forget to take some time for yourself when you can get away. A mental break from an infant can be a godsend!

I try to stay away from these kinds of requests because the responses make my blood boil. I am appalled that someone would let their baby scream for 3 hours. That baby didn't learn to fall asleep on it's own, it fell asleep from sheer exhaustion and the knowledge that the 2 people who it depends on the most just deserted it. Babies have no other form of communication than to cry. If a baby is crying, that means it needs something-even if it's a hug or cuddle. Not to be left alone to scream. Contrary to popular belief, children DO NOT need to cry/scream themselves to sleep. They get there all on their own, just not on the parent's time table. Parenting is a 24/7 job. That means night time too. There is also nothing wrong with giving him a bottle at night. If your baby is hungry, feed him. If your babe cries during the day, what do you do? Let him scream? Of course not. You figure out what he needs. Why should it be any different at night? It's NOT a bad habit to care for your child when s/he cries-day or night. If your son is crying at night, take care of him. This will not last forever. Soon, he will be sleeping all on his own and you will have missed some great bonding time.

Sorry for the soapbox.

We never sleep trained. Our first slept through the night at 7 months when he started solids. The second was up every 1.5-2 hours until 9 months. I don't believe in letting babies scream themselves to sleep. I equate it to you being upset about something and your husband saying (in a language you don't understand) "suck it up and get over it, you're too old to cry anymore, I don't care what you're upset about" and then leaving without telling you when he'll be back. I'd leave my husband if he were that heartless! Babies deserve the same treatment we do, compassion and understanding, and soothing. They all sleep when they are ready, it sounds like yours isn't ready yet.
Try letting him cry for a couple minutes to make sure he's really up and not just in between sleep cycles, then go to him and comfort him and let him know that you care and that you are there for him when he's upset.
You can try "The Baby Whisperer", it's all about compassionate sleep training.
Good Luck:)

Try feeding him some cereal before his bedtime bottle. My ped. always told us not to put it in our baby's bottle, but to each their own.

have you tried a little cereal in that nighttime bottle?

Not to offer false hope but we used "the 90 minute sleep program" and it worked well for our daughter. However, like others said, it is probably not the norm. I can remeber a few nights feeding her back to sleep. Their stomachs aren't that big so she may need the food? I kind of let most things go for awhile and didn't expect her to be capable of it until later. I am not sure if I read that in the book or not but it is worth checking it out from your library

Have you tried to sleep train him? We used the Ferber method for our daughter when she was 4 months old... it took about 1 or 2 weeks but we broke her habit and since she has been 5 months old we get 11-12 hours every night. its wonderful. It was the worst week or 2 of our lives but SOOO WORTH IT!! Let me know if you want to hear more, I would be happy to help

Hi E., I am sure you need sleep now as well as your baby! I know it is difficult when they wake up and cry, but perhaps it is time to just let your little one cry his or herself back to sleep. This is something they need to learn...how to calm themselves down and that each time they wake they do not need to be tended to. It make take 30 minutes of them crying and that is hard to let go, but just give it a try. Just be sure there has been a good burp after that last feeding at 8:00. There will come a time very soon when the baby sleeps through the night and you will wake up running to them to be sure they are okay. If you need a good night's rest, ask someone to keep the baby overnight for you. (A grand parent??) My doctor instructed me to get someone to keep my babies overnight once in a while right from the start so they could be used to adjusting to different atmospheres. You are a good mom..just keep doing what you are doing...loving that baby!
B. Mom of three grown daughters and 8 grandchildren.

I have a two year old and an eight month old, so I definitely understand your trouble with a good night's sleep. Both of my kids went through a tough sleeping period around 6-7 months old. I found the book, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" really helpful. It gives a lot of advice and different ideas. Also, even though it is really hard to do sometimes, it is ok to let your baby cry for awhile. If you go check and know that your baby is fed and isn't sick, let him cry for up to an hour. I had to do this with both of my kids and now they are both sleeping really well. Babies get into the habit of waking up at the same time whether they really need anything or not; the more you go to him (at this age) the more he will wake up. Let him cry and see what happens. Also, sometimes a baby will wake up multiple time in the night because he or she is overtired. Try putting him to bed even 15 minutes earlier and see if that makes a difference. Make sure that you give whatever strategy you plan to use more than just a few days. Shoot for a week to see if it helps. I'll be praying that your little one settles down. I know how that is....

My son did not sleep through the night until he was 9 months old. I talked to my pediatrician about it and she told me when he woke up for his feedings in the middle of the night to give him a bottle with water in it. After the first attempt of giving my son water for his feeding in the middle of the night he took a couple of swallows and went right back to sleep. The next night when he woke and I have him water he did not drink any of it and just went right back for sleep. After that he slept through the night with out waking. Good luck!

We started putting rice cereal in our daughter's bottle at 4 weeks old and she slept through the night from that point on. I suggest 1 teaspoon per ounce of formula/milk...so for the 6 oz bottle that would equal 2 tablespoons/6 teaspoons. You will have to switch over to the fast flow nipple...but this will keep him satisfied through the night (hopefully). Only do this if he has no problems with rice products :-)

Hi E.,
I have a 7 month old as well. He has decided to start waking up at night around the same times that you have mentioned. First of all, is he hungry? I definitely would not feed him in the middle of the night. You don't want to make that into a habitat this age. He should be past that at this point. I give my son cereal before he nurses. Don't put it in the bottle though. Feed him straight from a spoon/bowl. I have been doing this for the past 3-4 months and this has done the trick. The other theory I have is teething. My daughter got her first tooth at 7 months. Now that my son is this age and screaming in the middle of the night I think it is about time for him, as well. You may not be able to feel anything but that doesn't mean that his gums/cheeks/ears do not bother him. As far as the waking in the middle of the night, I know how hard it is not to race to your baby when he is crying. My first did the same thing right around this age. My doctor told me that I needed to let her go because she has to learn to self soothe and his other comment...no baby ever died from crying. I ended up going into the basement with my husband and the monitor, shutting the door and letting her cry it out for about 3 hours. It was the hardest thing I ever did, but that was the end of it. Good luck to you. I know I probably sound like a broken record with some of my ideas. You may want to think about teething, though, if he hasn't already gotten any in. Like I said, it's about that time.