my 7 month old wont sleep!!!

Rita - posted on 02/25/2009

Quoting Melissa:

what kind of warm(hot) water bottle do you use?

Just the rubber kind with the ridges. I don't put too hot water in it, like when you'd take a hot bath - so your baby won't burn herself. It warmes up the bed nice and cozy for her, so when I put her in her crib after she falls asleep in my arms or in our bed, she won't wake because it's cold.

Rita - posted on 02/25/2009

I really like this, and that's what my philosophy is too. If my daughter starts to cry she needs something, whether it's some reassurance, comfort or soothing because she's teething or whatever the case may be. Also if your baby wakes at night and cries, she may be having night terrors, which can start from 6 months. Sometimes my daughter wakes up really scared - I know this by the way she cries, and not to comfort a child that is afraid is a crime in my book, it's neglectful! The same goes for any other reasons baby my cry for. My daughter also knows how to fall back asleep in the dark, although she does need me to go down initially most times.

As far as getting babies to eat on a schedule - my daughter makes her own. If I try to breastfeed her when she's not 'demanding' it, she'll bite me with her little sharp teeth, and I can do without that, thank you very much! :-)

Emily - posted on 02/24/2009

I'm also a No CIO mommy and a co-sleeping mom. I really don't like the Babywise book as it has been linked to many health issues. Routines are good things for babies, but I preferred the book, "No-Cry Sleep Solution" by Elizabeth Pantley. http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth/

Basically, I gently teach my kids to fall asleep on their own, using Pantley's methods. Then if they do wake up and need me, I assume they need something else. My 14 month old recently started waking 2-3 times a night again... then she cut 4 molars within a 3 week period. She's still got another 4 teeth almost ready to break the surface... I'm sure that as soon as those are through, she'll go back to sleeping much better. In the mean time, I give her clove oil (2-3 drops diluted in 1 tsp olive oil) on her gums when she wakes, then nurse her back to sleep. Because I know what's bothering her, I can take care of it quickly and we can all go back to sleep. Because she knows how to fall asleep on her own, she doesn't bother me in the middle of the night, unless she actually needs something.

My 3 1/2 and 2 1/2 year olds are currently sleeping all night nearly every night in their own room, in their own beds. Our bedtime routine with them has shortened quite a bit recently, and on some nights, they'll both go down with just a hug and a kiss, and straightening of the covers.

Vanessa - posted on 02/23/2009

Hi Jen,



Getting your baby to sleep through the night is not always easy to do, but I have found a book that offered great advice. It is called Babywise and has helped me to get my baby to sleep. The book basically teaches you to establish a daytime routine that will help your baby establish good sleep habits (meaning sleeping continuously instead of for only 30-45 minutes) and a stable metabolism (so they won't wake up hungry in the night). They focus on setting a 3-4 hour repeating cycle of 1. Eat when baby is hungry (but focus on getting a full feeding even if it stretches up to 45 minutes or more) 2. Baby stays awake and plays 3. Baby sleeps. When baby wakes up (hopefully 3-4 hours after their last feeding) they eat again and repeat the cycle.



I didn't want to let my son "cry it out" either and by using this method he really goes down very easily for naps and at bedtime and never wakes up at night to eat. The key to it is setting their daytime schedule...there are many more details in the book of course and other important components, but following the cycle is the main idea. BUT they HAVE to eat, then stay awake for a while (once they get used to the routine your 7 month old could probably stay awake for 2 or more hours before nap time) and sleep later. It might take some effort to get your baby to stay awake during eating and afterwards but in a few days time it should get a lot easier...and you should be getting some much needed sleep! :) Good luck! I hope this helps. If you are interested in the book you can buy it online at Amazon.com. We got a used copy for only $2.00. and it was a lifesaver :)

Melissa - posted on 02/23/2009

what kind of warm(hot) water bottle do you use?

Rita - posted on 02/22/2009

Hi, I lie down with my daughter for bed time in our bed to go to sleep, and when we go to bed I feed her (sleeping) and then lay her in her crib that I warm with a warm (hot-)water bottle, where she sleeps til morning. I usually put the warm water bottle beside her so she feels like someone or something warm is there. Crying out is not an option for me either, and so far so good.

Melissa - posted on 02/22/2009

My daughter is the same way! She is 10 months old and I've tried everything except cry it out. So many people just tell me to let her cry. She cries like she is being tortured so I just can't do it. She used to sleep partly in her crib and then in our bed until she got sick one time and now she refuses to go near her crib. She sleeps with us and wakes up what feels like all night long. She eats about every 3 hours during the night but will wake up in between and cry. I think she gets mad when she wakes up because if I try to help her go back to sleep she cries even harder. She only takes an hour long nap 2x a day. She is so happy when she is awake that I don't think she is not getting enough sleep. I am the one who needs more. I really hope it is something she will out grow because I want to sleep through the night again.

Jen - posted on 02/22/2009

thank you all for your comments.....this is very different for me as my son too slept through the night from a month old, and never slept with us....and my daughter...well....lets just say they are night and day!!!

Shannon - posted on 02/22/2009

I sooo sympathize with you!! My son is almost 6 months, and won't go to sleep unless I sit and either rock with him, or pat his back for what feels like forever. I did try the cry it out thing , and he screamed so hard he made himself throw up.... so, no more of that!!

Once asleep, he sleeps for about 4 hours, wakes to eat again, stays awake for an hour... this kills me, and then passes out on his own for about another 4 hours.

I just picked up one of DR Sears sleep books, so I will start readig to see if it has any good suggestions for me.

If you find anything that works inthe mean time... let me know!

Elsa - posted on 02/22/2009

My son (1st born) slept through the night practically from birth. I guess I was spoiled with him. He was EBF, and I never had to give him extra food at night, or a bath to settle him down. I would feed him 2 hrs before bed, and then again before putting him to bed.



My daughter, didn't start sleeping through the night until November... which would have made her 18 months-old at the time. I didn't change a thing in her routine... she just grew out of her night-wakings. When she was 1-yr-old, I started giving her food before bed, a sippy of milk, & a bf'ing.. but none of that helped. Sometimes it's just something they grow out of. I did find that the night wakings became a lot easier to deal with when we stopped stressing over them and just accepted them. Babies all sleep through the night eventually.



My friend's daughter stopped waking just before turning 2. From everyone I know who has a child who wakes at night, it always seems to stop by the age of 2.

Carrie - posted on 02/22/2009

I wanted to add, that for us weaning did not stop the nightwaking either, my son has been weaned for over a month and still wakes.

Carrie - posted on 02/22/2009

I am also a non CIO mommy, and yes, my son does want to sleep with us all the time.  We have just given in and coslept from four months on.  i bought a bed rail for my bed, and he starts out the night in his crib, but when he wakes I just bring him in with us. it is faster and we all get more sleep this way.  he is now 21mo old, and sometimes he sleeps through the night (he just moved to our bed @ 6:30 this morning, but I'm up now)  A lot of times he still wakes around 4am, but it's much better than when he was tiny.

Here's a link about sleep sharing http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/...

Kristin-lee - posted on 02/22/2009

well this is what i done it might work for you but you have to stick to it all the time!! give your baby last solid food at about 5oclock then bath your baby using some relxing baby bath and moistrizer and give your baby a massage then breast feed your baby until she is just a little full not to much though then put her to bed!! when ever your ready to go to bed mine was about 11pm i woke my son up changed his nappy and lay on my bed and give him another feed then put him to bed this worked for me with no tears or waking up. i was just wondering why you wont let her cry is this your first baby...........i bet she/he is lol i was the same but honestly with my second child i thought i aint going through all that crap i went through with my daughter so i put him for naps in his own room for a week which was hard he would cry for about half an hour and i would sit outside his room crying for that time feeling guilty but i got used to it and i was needed by my 2 yr old then i put him down for naps and to sleep ever night a 7pm it took a week for him to get used to it and my self but now it works he was 4 months then now he is one and some times he still crys but he knows hes just tiring himself out.

Tanya - posted on 02/21/2009

I am in the same boat with the not letting them cry it out ... my 11.5 month old still will not sleep the night ...

We have our routine, dinner, bath, nursing, bed ... he will wake up 5-7 times through the night ... I have tried everything, but nothing has helped.
My doctor told me that some babies/toddlers are not ready to sleep through the night and may not unil they are 2 or 3.

What I have found that works so we are both able to get some sleep is when I am really tired and need to go to sleep, is sit on the couch with my feet on the rest and snuggle him him and sleep with him on me for 2 hours or so then transfer him back into bed. At that time he seems to sleep 4-5 hours.
I have also found that Dr. Sears has a few great sleep books that add some light, and he has many different ideas to try from sleep position to food to sleeping arrangements.

Hope you are able to find something that works for the two of you.