My son who will be 9 mo on 1-15-09 doesn't sleep through the night...please advise

Tammy - posted on 01/20/2009

I would never just leave Aiden cry all by himself numerous times. It took me 3 nights, thats it. It may not work for most babies. I always checked on him every few minutes, rubbed his back and let him know I never deserted him. On the final night, I only had to go in 1 time to reassure him, soon after he fell right asleep. From that moment he slepted peacefully. The times where he was not feeling well, he would sleep with me or if I knew he was going to have a bad night from teething (I do not use any orajel or tylenol) then he would sleep with mom and dad.

Sarah - posted on 01/20/2009

THE MAIN THING WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THOUGH IS ALL BABIES ARE DIFFERENT-- WHAT WORKS WITH ONE BABY WILL NOT WORK WITH ANOTHER. For example... when I have tried to put my daughter in her crib sleepy, she wakes right up, and either or both-- will start crying or rolling around in her crib. If I let her cry, her whiny cry for a few minutes, if she does not fall asleep in a few minutes, she will wake right up and start her distressed cry or now if she is in bed with me, she rolls onto her tummy, and crawls to me crying "mama mama". And I have said it before, I don't believe in practicing CIO-- which is leaving a baby alone to cry for a long period of time, often until they cry to sleep ( often these babies start to shake, feel extreme anxiety, and even throw up from this stress). So, I won't let my daughter reach that point.

For those looking for an answer, please please don't just take one person's advice, and look at the many options and things tried by other parents-- look at the research out there about sleeping, crying and babies- and make an informed choice for yourself that suits not just you, but your baby as well.

And for those who talk about using CIO and it working... this is one reason why... it is NOT because your baby learned to fall asleep on their own.. it is because they have given up on you.

Here is a quote from the above information on CIO I have about this:

"Anyone who advises you to let your baby cry until he gives up and falls asleep is focusing on the baby's behavior (going to sleep all alone) and not on how the baby feels in the process. The problem is that when infants are left to cry themselves to sleep, they are forced to conclude that they are not lovable enough to engage their parents' desires to comfort them. If they actually stop crying, it is because they have abandoned all hope that help will come. The meaningful question, then, is not, "What will make my baby go to sleep with the least attention?" but "What will enable my baby to put himself to sleep with the self-confidence that comes from feeling happy and cared about?"

The answer is that if you offer your baby relationship pleasure rather than relationship deprivation, you will help him go to sleep secure in the conviction that you love him and want him to be happy. You can put him down when you think he's sleepy, sing to him, rub his back, or find other ways to comfort him, and then leave the room. If he cries, you can return and calm him and then leave again."

There is also co-sleeping for higher needs babies at night (those who insist on nursing at night). I co-sleep with my daughter the latter half of the night, for both of us to get sleep. I just have to roll over to her and often fall back asleep while I nurse her on my side. This helps us both get a more peaceful sleep.

There are other options than CIO.

Keren - posted on 01/20/2009

I established a night time routine when my son was 3 months and he's been sleeping through the night ever since. The routine lasts about 45 minutes. He's also on formula so that might help.

Tammy - posted on 01/20/2009

What ever works for you as a parent works, do not let other moms tell you that you are a bad mom for trying different things that may work. My son is happy and joyful and I love him. I am not a bad mom for letting him soothe himself. Moms can do what ever routine that they need to that will work for them.

Amanda - posted on 01/19/2009

my baby who turned 9 months old on January 11th has been sleeping through the night since she was 2 weeks old, same with my other 2 children, i never made any of my  children cry it out and i think that making them cry it out is inhumane and wrong.....i believe babies cry when they want or need attention, picking them up when they are cying teaches them security and that there is someone there to respond to thier needs..

i have always fed on demand (even before it was reccomended doctors used to say only give a bottle every 3 hours no more no less) and i co-sleep, which also helps , i start a bedtime routine at an early age and stick to it, the older children are told graduated amounts of time till bed (eg: 30 min, 20 min, 10 min, 5 min), even before they understand the concept of time as it teaches them time, it also tells them what is going on,older  babies  and children thrive on routine, they like to know what is coming it gives them a sense of security.

Tammy - posted on 01/19/2009

One more thing.......You can do with your baby what makes you feel the most comfortable. As long as the baby is not in distress and you can tell what a distress cry is over a regular cry. You are not a bad parent for trying the cry it out method. All moms know the different cries thier baby has. Don't let anyone on this board tell you that your wrong for what you have tried with your baby. As long as your pediatrician is ok with what you are doing, then your FINE!!! I do not like when someone will tell me I am doing something wrong with my baby because some stupid book says so.

Look at my baby, I let him cry it out over a few nights and now he sleeps like a dream and we are both happy and rested!!

Tammy - posted on 01/19/2009

My baby boy whos 9.5 months sleeps through the night really well. He had some times where he would wake up, but that was only a few times and I just let him cry it out. I stick to a very strict bedtime routine and always have since he was 2 weeks old. When he got to 2 months he slept through the nights with ease.

My routine is:

Mild play

Warm Bath

Massage

Last formula bottle (I was not able to breast feed for to long at first and the formula before bed really helped)

Relax with mommy until he gets sleepy,

As soon as he looks sleepy, I would put him in his crib and he was out like a light. Sometimes, he will awake and cry a little, I just learned to turn down the monitor and let him learn to fall back asleep. It was hard a few times, because I wanted to run in and get him, but each night his cries would last less each time.

Then all of a sudden he just sleeps perfectly on his own.

I love it!!!

Mikelle - posted on 01/19/2009

Quoting Erin:

My son who will be 9 mo on 1-15-09 doesn't sleep through the night...please advise

Does your April baby sleep through the night? Mine can't go more than 3-4 hrs without feeding. He is 1/2 Asian and it is said that Asians have a fast metabolism. Anyone have any suggestions? I would greatly appreciate it!

My son is 9 months old and up till he was 6 months old he nursed about every 45 minutes during the day and every 2.5 hours at night, even with the introduction of solids. Finally at 6 months I stopped feeding him at night one feeding at a time. When he woke up at the "non-feeding time" my husband or I  would go in and comfort him for a few minutes and then let him cry for 5 minutes. We repeated this 2 minutes in, 5 minutes out, until he fell asleep. The first night it took about 45 minutes and he woke up three times but after only 2 nights he stopped waking for feedings and started sleeping through the night like 11 hours straight, something I thought would never happen with him! This worked great for us. I hope you can find something that works for you!! Good luck!

Sarah - posted on 01/19/2009

I was not trying to make you look silly, Hannah. I am sorry if you feel this way. I highlighted it, because it came off more to me, like advice-- and not an opinion. I just wanted to give out some facts here, so that people can educate themselves and make informed decisions on their own.

Hannah - posted on 01/19/2009

thanks 4 highlighting my opinion and making me look silly.

it is nice to know the facts though.

Sarah - posted on 01/19/2009

Quoting Hannah:

I found that it helped with my eldest if i left him cry for a while, i would reasure him that i was close by. And the boiled water also does work. Every mother knows there child and the different crys and a mother knows if there baby id distressed. this site is to let mums give there opinions isnt it. this was how my mum dealt with things and my mums mum and sooo on.

You may have found that it helped you-- but that does not mean it helped your baby. Crying it out meets the parents needs and not the baby's needs, really.

And yes this site is about giving your opinion, and everyone is entitled to their opinion-- but we are also entitled to give out facts as well. I simply replied to your previous message, to make some facts of CIO and crying be known.

My mom acually was told to let me cry it out- -and she did sometimes. I won't as my education, intincts and research I have made tell me otherwise. Just because your mom did it, it does not mean you should too, or that it was the best way. Science and technology change rapidly, and the area of child development and psychology are still very new areas in the world of science and we are continually learning more and more about those areas.

Also about the boiling water thing-- experts will tell you that you can do this, if it works, give boiled water, that is cooled to a child over the year of one, but it is not recommended for children under one, and should NOT replace a nursing/feeding.

Alyssha - posted on 01/19/2009

My soon is 9mths old and he dont sleep through the night either. He has been bottle fed since 1 mth old and he has slept through once in that time. He only wakes once during the night and gets up at about 7am. People told me to try giving them some bread for their dinner to fill them up but it doesnt work for my little boy.

Melissa - posted on 01/19/2009

I agree with Sarah! Thank you for posting the facts.

Hannah - posted on 01/19/2009

I found that it helped with my eldest if i left him cry for a while, i would reasure him that i was close by. And the boiled water also does work. Every mother knows there child and the different crys and a mother knows if there baby id distressed. this site is to let mums give there opinions isnt it. this was how my mum dealt with things and my mums mum and sooo on.

Sarah - posted on 01/19/2009

I recommend the new thread I just posted about crying it out -- btw is VERY different from a "little crying".

Also I am educated in Early Childhood Education, with my major in psychology and educated in Child and Youth Counseling. This is my field that I work in and went to school for.. so I am not just someone giving an opinion without facts. I understand this is a very "touchy" topic though-- but also believe people should learn all the facts out there before giving advice or making an informed decision of their own.

Michelle - posted on 01/19/2009

Fact is, babies cry even when they don't know what they want.  Sometimes they cry because they want to sleep, eat or play.  You have to know why they're crying.  If they're crying because they're tired sometimes the best option is to let them have a little cry.  You're not damaging their  soul forever.  My son is 9 months and has slept through the night since he was about 15 weeks old.  We loosly practice babywise.  (I know this is a horrible discussion to start because there will be people jumping all over me.)  I basics of babywise is that durring the day you wake, eat, play and then go down to sleep without a bottle/breast in your own bead.  When you wake up, you eat and start all over again.  The only difference at night is before bed the last thing you do is get a bottle/breastfeed.

At 9 months it's a slight bit more tricky to start but I worked in the infant room of a daycare for a long time and every child I had was happier on this routine.  Not only does it make it easier for you to know what your child could possibly want this time, the child knows what's comming next.  If I wake up and cry, I'll eat.  If I'm already fed and done playing they put me to bed. 

I would reccomend babywise to anyone.  There is a whole spectrum of things you can take out of the book or not.  Just because you don't agree with some of it doesn't mean all of it doesn't work.

(now commence the Babywise bashing)

Sarah - posted on 01/19/2009

oops sorry for the typos on following and scientific-- was busy with my daughter-- oops!

Sarah - posted on 01/19/2009

Quoting Hannah:

my little man doesnt sleep well either.it is a good idea to leave them cry because they need 2 learn 2 get off 2sleepo by themselves. the problem i have is ryan will cry until he makes himself sick, so its not always an option 4 me. i have been told however, wen he goes onto more solid foods he may strt sleepin better. one thing that wrked wiv my eldest was to feed him boiled water in the night in replacement of milk. he decided that he wasnt goin to waup if he was only getting water. a 9 month old doesnt need milk in the night.

I am sorry, but I think that this advise is not good advice at all--- to say it is a "good idea to leave them cry"... that may be your opinon, but to say it is a good idea is wrong. There is much much research out there  now that shows that CIO-- "crying it out" can actually negativley effect a child and their development. Also to say " A 9 month old does'nt need milk in the night" is also false---- sometimes babies nurse for comfort, sometimes for nutritional reasons-- and all babies are different.

Here is what some of the research shows:

You're so right to be alarmed about the negative side effects of letting a baby cry himself to sleep! There is a popular but unrealistic and, ultimately, harmful notion that infants should not bother their parents at night and that responding positively to babies who are having trouble sleeping teaches them to take advantage of their parents' caring and deprives parents of sleep on a regular basis.

Anyone who advises you to let your baby cry until he gives up and falls asleep is focusing on the baby's behavior (going to sleep all alone) and not on how the baby feels in the process. The problem is that when infants are left to cry themselves to sleep, they are forced to conclude that they are not lovable enough to engage their parents' desires to comfort them. If they actually stop crying, it is because they have abandoned all hope that help will come. The meaningful question, then, is not, "What will make my baby go to sleep with the least attention?" but "What will enable my baby to put himself to sleep with the self-confidence that comes from feeling happy and cared about?"

The answer is that if you offer your baby relationship pleasure rather than relationship deprivation, you will help him go to sleep secure in the conviction that you love him and want him to be happy. You can put him down when you think he's sleepy, sing to him, rub his back, or find other ways to comfort him, and then leave the room. If he cries, you can return and calm him and then leave again.

Although in the first year you may have to return many times to your baby's crib to rock him, give him the breast or bottle, or stroke him, your baby will learn both that you can be relied on to respond to his needs and also that he can put himself to sleep in a contented manner (and not out of despair). Over time, as your baby learns that his cries will be responded to, he will need less input from you to feel comforted and sleep.

A baby who is responded to in this way will become a child who is a sound and reliable sleeper; and you will be rewarded with many peaceful nights as the result of your efforts in your baby's first year. Sleep-deprived parents of crying babies often feel very tempted to let their infants cry themselves to sleep so that they, themselves, will be able to get some rest. We ourselves know from experience how exhausted parents of infants can become. But we also know that you will be repaid later for the extra effort you make for your baby now. Your baby cannot perceive that you are tired and need peace and quiet, so when he is left to cry himself to sleep he has to think that you are choosing to leave him feeling helpless and miserable.

Once you see that you were right to worry about leaving your baby to cry and that the interruptions to your sleep caused by tending to him are both beneficial to him and time-limited, then, even though you are tired, you will have more reason to make the effort to go to your baby and try to help him to sleep comfortably.

While our approach to helping babies learn to put themselves to sleep is more time-consuming than the popular prescription to let infants cry, it will make your baby happier now and will also lay the foundation for his future well-being. Just as parents rarely balk when they are told they have to get up in the middle of the night to give children medicine or take their temperatures, we have found that when parents understand the healing they cause by responding to their infants' cries, they usually will accept the interruptions to their sleep as reasonable and necessary. We applaud your wish to help your baby put himself to sleep in a happier way and wish you well."

From: www.babycenter.com

THE FOLLOWONG IS SCEINTIT+FIC RESEARCH:

Science tells us that when babies cry alone and unattended, they experience panic and anxiety. Their bodies and brains are flooded with adrenaline and cortisol stress hormones. Science has also found that when developing brain tissue is exposed to these hormones for prolonged periods these nerves won’t form connections to other nerves and will degenerate. Is it therefore possible that infants who endure many nights or weeks of crying-it-out alone are actually suffering harmful neurologic effects that may have permanent implications on the development of sections of their brain? Here is how science answers this alarming question:

Chemical and hormonal imbalances in the brain
Research has shown that infants who are routinely separated from parents in a stressful way have abnormally high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, as well as lower growth hormone levels. These imbalances inhibit the development of nerve tissue in the brain, suppress growth, and depress the immune system. 5, 9, 11, 16

Researchers at Yale University and Harvard Medical School found that intense stress early in life can alter the brain’s neurotransmitter systems and cause structural and functional changes in regions of the brain similar to those seen in adults with depression. 17

One study showed infants who experienced persistent crying episodes were 10 times more likely to have ADHD as a child, along with poor school performance and antisocial behavior. The researchers concluded these findings may be due to the lack of responsive attitude of the parents toward their babies. 14.

Dr. Bruce Perry’s research at Baylor University may explain this finding. He found when chronic stress over-stimulates an infant’s brain stem (the part of the brain that controls adrenaline release), and the portions of the brain that thrive on physical and emotional input are neglected (such as when a baby is repeatedly left to cry alone), the child will grow up with an over-active adrenaline system. Such a child will display increased aggression, impulsivity, and violence later in life because the brainstem floods the body with adrenaline and other stress hormones at inappropriate and frequent times. 6

Dr. Allan Schore of the UCLA School of Medicine has demonstrated that the stress hormone cortisol (which floods the brain during intense crying and other stressful events) actually destroys nerve connections in critical portions of an infant’s developing brain. In addition, when the portions of the brain responsible for attachment and emotional control are not stimulated during infancy (as may occur when a baby is repeatedly neglected) these sections of the brain will not develop. The result – a violent, impulsive, emotionally unattached child. He concludes that the sensitivity and responsiveness of a parent stimulates and shapes the nerve connections in key sections of the brain responsible for attachment and emotional well-being. 7, 8

Decreased intellectual, emotional, and social development
Infant developmental specialist Dr. Michael Lewis presented research findings at an American Academy of Pediatrics meeting, concluding that “the single most important influence of a child’s intellectual development is the responsiveness of the mother to the cues of her baby.”

Researchers have found babies whose cries are usually ignored will not develop healthy intellectual and social skills. 19

Dr. Rao and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health showed that infants with prolonged crying (but not due to colic) in the first 3 months of life had an average IQ 9 points lower at 5 years of age. They also showed poor fine motor development. (2)

Researchers at Pennsylvania State and Arizona State Universities found that infants with excessive crying during the early months showed more difficulty controlling their emotions and became even fussier when parents tried to consol them at 10 months. 15

Other research has shown that these babies have a more annoying quality to their cry, are more clingy during the day, and take longer to become independent as children 1.

From: www.askdrsears.com/

.....AFTER READING THIS.... can you truly advise a parent to let their child cry it out because it is "good for them"????

Please don't advice on things you don't really know about. Thanks.

Hannah - posted on 01/19/2009

my little man doesnt sleep well either.it is a good idea to leave them cry because they need 2 learn 2 get off 2sleepo by themselves. the problem i have is ryan will cry until he makes himself sick, so its not always an option 4 me. i have been told however, wen he goes onto more solid foods he may strt sleepin better. one thing that wrked wiv my eldest was to feed him boiled water in the night in replacement of milk. he decided that he wasnt goin to waup if he was only getting water. a 9 month old doesnt need milk in the night.

Christina - posted on 01/19/2009

I got this info from a book I love!! It's helped me out so much. "On becoming babywise", (the first book has the sleep through the night tips and the second book is for pre-toddlers.)

Christina - posted on 01/19/2009

My son is 9 months and 1 week old. He's also a preemie. He was suppose to be born on June 11th. He was 3 pounds 7.7 oz when he was born, now he's 21 pounds. I got him to sleep through the night when he was 4 months old. He was at a very healthy weight.



I tried this routine and it works great!!



When it gets closer to bedtime, tone the lights down, turn the tv off whatever would cause a distraction or stimulation. Feed him a bottle..or breastfeed him/her. the goal is to fill the baby up. Give baby a bath with lavendar bath soap and put lavendar lotion on also. Try not to talk to the baby when your doing this..I know sometimes its hard cause they are so stinkin cute!

If your baby is waking up at the same time, then he may just be waking up out of habit. And if he's still pretty hungry try giving him one more feeding during the day. Keep in mind that it may take perhaps up to 2 weeks before your baby to go along with the new routine. (depends on baby) If he/ she wakes up while your doing the routine..wait a couple of minutes before you go get him..and increase the wait time up to 5 minutes before you go get him the next night. He'll get the idea. Keep in mind that waking up in the middle of the night may be a sign that he/she is teething or is getting sick. Or a growth spurt.



I hope I helped!!

Sherry - posted on 01/16/2009

My Child will be 9 months on 1/23 and he has slept through the night only 4 times since he's been born and I'm still counting. I've tried everything to extra feedings in the day and late at night, a better nighttime routine, to even a TV or some type of noise in his room and nothing works. AND on top of all that he’s teething so now he’s getting up even more. The only other option is the “cry it out method” and I DO NOT want to do that! I just don't know what else to do. He is getting better when I give him a bottle in the crib and he puts himself back to sleep but only if I catch him in time… if I wait and he's fully awake standing in his crib then I have to stand with him until he is back to sleep. Night time is the only thing about motherhood that bother’s me. Other then that every moment is a piece of heaven thank you for listening.

Erin - posted on 01/15/2009

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions. My son is currently asleep ( 2 hrs 38 min and counting) and hope he doesn't wake soon. I usually co-sleep him due to my need for some sleep and I hoped I didn't "ruin" the possibility of him sleeping in his crib eventually...thank you again!!!!

Melissa - posted on 01/15/2009

I thought I was the only one! My daughter has slept throught the night maybe 3 times total. She wakes up around 2:30 every night and will not go back to sleep until I nurse her. Then wakes up again around 5. She wakes up every 2 hours after that. I have given up on trying to get her to sleep in her crib. I've been trying since she was 3 months. So now we cosleep. She only takes two 1/2 hour naps during the day and she eats at least 3 meals. I hope things get better after she turns a year, I'm in need of a good night sleep.

Jennifer - posted on 01/15/2009

My 8 month old doesn't sleep through the night either. He is breastfed, so he also sleeps with me. On a good night, he wakes up on the dot around 2 and then again around 4:30 wanting to eat. He never nurses for long. Just enough to comfort him. I try everything from feeding him rice cereal right before he goes down to giving him tylenol or teething tablets. You are not alone and I promise, one day it will get better. We went through the same thing with my daughter and she is now 5 and sleeps on her own every night. 

Jill - posted on 01/15/2009

We haven't had any difficulties at bedtime for Lily. She has a regular routine that involves bath time where she is bathed in lavender scented soap, bottle, bed. A friend of ours had a fussy baby when it came to staying asleep, but has been doing much better since making bath time just before bed and using the lavender scented soap.

I hope restful nights are ahead for you soon!

Kirsty - posted on 01/15/2009

my little boy doesnt sleep through the night either. He slept through once on New Years Eve funnily enough. I was breastfeeding him until he was 5 months and was advised by the health visitor to express milk in the morning, keep the milk in the fridge and then use it for his last feed at night. Apparently the morning milk  in richer and should help the baby settle and sleep for longer. It didnt work for me which may seem silly me suggesting it... but I'm sure you'll agree, anythings worth a go!

Jennifer - posted on 01/15/2009

My daughter was going through the same things posted here.  I realized we needed to add one more solid feeding during the day (we were at 2 a day, now at 3 a day).  She is a very active baby, and I read that she may not be getting enough calories during the day which would make here hungry throughout the night.  We have been using a book called "The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems" by Tracy Hogg and it has worked for us (started using when my daughter was 4 months old).

In fact we got off track - stopped using some of the methods in the book - and started to see bad habits forming.  I starting using the methods again recently and recently we have had a least 3 nights in a row where my daughter slept for 11 hours straight.  I am keeping my fingers crossed.  

Hopefully this helps.

Chantel - posted on 01/15/2009

My daughter doesn't sleep through either! And she's been formula fed since she was a month but she has never slept through the night.

Courtney - posted on 01/15/2009

My little guy doesn't sleep through the night either! Your not alone and it's nice to know that I'm not alone! I put my son in his crib to sleep and he will sleep until about 1 or 2 am then I bring him in bed with me and he sleeps until 6-6:30... Good luck sooner or later they all do it.... Why can't that be now :)

Sarah - posted on 01/15/2009

My baby does not sleep through the night either. Sometimes she wakes up and grunts or whines and I will either say "shhhh" or ignore her and she will fall back asleep. But if she wakes up and starts crying and crying her "I want boob" cry-- which is "mama mama", then I will nurse her. I have found that if I don't she will wake up fully and her cries just get louder and she won't fall asleep-- and I don't believe in using CIO. So... I co-sleep with her the last half of her sleep so that she and I can both get sleep.

Here are some tips and info from askdrsears.com... it is especially helpful if you too don't practice CIO.

"Develop a realistic attitude about nighttime parenting. Sleeping, like eating, is not a state you can force a baby into. Best you can do is to create a secure environment that allows sleep to overtake your baby. A realistic long- term goal is to help your baby develop a healthy attitude about sleep: that sleep is a pleasant state to enter and a secure state to remain in. Many sleep problems in older children and adults stem from children growing up with an unhealthy attitude about sleep—that sleep was not a pleasant state to enter and was a fearful state to remain in. Just as daytime parenting is a long-term investment, so is nighttime parenting. Teach your baby a restful attitude about sleep when they are young and both you and your children will sleep better when they are older. "

"Get baby used to a variety of sleep associations. The way an infant goes to sleep at night is the way she expects to go back to sleep when she awakens. So, if your infant is always rocked or nursed to sleep, she will expect to be rocked or nursed back to sleep. Sometimes nurse her off to sleep, sometimes rock her off to sleep, sometimes sing her off to sleep, and sometimes use tape recordings; and switch off with your spouse on putting her to bed. There are two schools of thought on the best way to put babies to sleep: the parent-soothing method and the self-soothing method. Both have advantages and possible disadvantages.

1. Parent-soothing method. When baby is ready to sleep, a parent or other caregiver helps baby make a comfortable transition from being awake to falling asleep, usually by nursing, rocking, singing, or whatever comforting techniques work.

Advantages:
* Baby learns a healthy sleep attitude – that sleep is a pleasant state to enter and a secure state to remain in.
* Creates fond memories about being parented to sleep.
* Builds parent-infant trust

So-called "Disadvantages": Because of the concept of sleep associations, baby learns to rely on an outside prop to get to sleep, so—as the theory goes—when baby awakens he will expect help to get back to sleep. This may exhaust the parents.

2. Self-soothing method: Baby is put down awake and goes to sleep by himself. Parents offer intermittent comforting, but are not there when baby drifts off to sleep.

So-called "Advantages": If baby learns to go to sleep by himself, he may be better able to put himself back to sleep without parental help, because he doesn't associate going to sleep with parents comforting. May be tough on baby, but eventually less exhausting for parents.

Disadvantages:
* Involves a few nights of let-baby-cry-it-out
* Risks baby losing trust
* Seldom works for high-need babies with persistent personalities
* Overlooks medical reasons for nightwaking
* Risks parents becoming less sensitive to baby's cries

Remember, in working out your own parenting-to-sleep techniques and rituals, be sensitive to the nighttime needs of your individual baby and remember your ultimate goal: to create a healthy sleep attitude in your baby and to get all family members a restful night's sleep. "

For more go to this link: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/T070300...

This is also a great link about NIGHT TIME NURSING AND GENTLE NIGHT WEANING that is so worth the read: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/t070800... I love the way it begins..."Frequent night nursing is characteristic of high-need children. It's like going to their favorite restaurant. The ambiance is peaceful, the server is familiar, the cuisine is superb, and they love the management. Who can blame the all-night gourmet? Try these suggestions for dealing with all-night nursing: "

After doing some research now, I am trying the tips I have learned that are age appropriate for my baby, and it seems to be helping actually but back on nursings-- unless she is cutting teeth or reaching major developmental milestones--- then she wants the comfort of nursing more often.

Hope this helps!!

Susan - posted on 01/15/2009

My little one wakes up at least once during the night still. On the advice of her doc we added a supplementary bottle of formula to her nighttime breastfeeding but it hasn't helped. I usually rock her back to sleep. Have been told to let her cry it out but she sleeps in the same room as my husband and I so it's not really an option. If you come across a new method please post! Good to see I'm not the only one getting up in the middle of the night.

Natasha - posted on 01/15/2009

My son will be 9 months on the 23rd of Jan and he still does not sleep through the night either! My first son was formula fed and slept throught from about 4 months old but my 2nd little man is breastfed and doesn't! It is tempting to put him straight on to formula but i am enjoying feeding him so i am just hoping that he will get there soon! Currently he goes to bed at about 8pm and wakes at around 2am for a feed then goes back to sleep so its not too bad! Some nights he has slept until 5am so he is getting there! At his last check up my nurse advised that most babies don't sleep through and will continue to wake for a feed right up until they are 1 years old. She gave me a few tips to try which i hope might help you. She said that i could give him a bottle of formula at his night feed which may help him go for longer (i haven't tried it yet) She also said to try and "dream feed" him - feeding him again before i go to bed without waking him up hoping that it will make him last for longer it might atleast extend your son for a little bit longer and atleast your sleep will coincide for a little bit atleast! She also said to increase his protein at his dinner time to keep him fuller for longer! Goodluck i hope you get some sleep soon!

Dianna - posted on 01/14/2009

Mine does not sleep through the night yet either, he sleeps with me so middle of the night feedings are really easy and only takes a little bit of time and I don't have to fully wake up. If your baby is mainly on breastmilk, remember that breastmilk is matablized very quickly, so they are hungry faster. However sometimes they just need comfort. There are alot of babies out there that are sleeping through the night and moms who can help with that. But, please know that you are not alone.