advice to get 7mth to sleep thru the night

Katherine - posted on 04/16/2010

My little girl would wake up every hour. 1/2 way through the night I wouldn't be able to put her down. I would have to sleep the rest of the night with her in my arms.
"Healthy Sleep Habits for a Happy Child" By Dr Welsbluth (sp) was a great reference. As a 1st time Mom I felt terrible about letting my LO "cry it out" This book explains that children need x amount of sleep.
Once I put her in her crib at 7:00 pm she cried for 4 mins. and went to sleep. That 1st night she would wake up every hour and whine, and then go back to sleep. Within the week she was sleeping 12 hours straight w/o waking at all.
Now, it’s not like that every night. She does have issues when teething and with illnesses. For the most part she is a great sleeper now. She is less crabby and more delightful during the day.

Jamie - posted on 04/14/2010

My Lucy wakes every 3-4 hours during the night, but we co-sleep and twilight feed so neither of us wakes up completely and I get as much sleep as I want between the hours of 830p - 7a, sometimes until 9 am!

Stacey - posted on 04/14/2010

I have four kids my youngest is 7 months old and they all woke at least once until they were at least a year old. All babies are different even in the same house hold. How much they eat, when they eat it and what they eat will be all different as well as sleep, when they do it, how much they do it and where they sleep will be all different as well. The other thing to remember is that they will grow out of all stages, its just a matter of time and a matter of dealing with things like sleep deprevation. Your baby sounds extremely normal to me. It took at least a year if not more for my kids to sleep through the night. I tried food and dummys and all sorts of stuff but in the end I kind of had to realise that it is a stage and to just deal with the lack of sleep. As long as he is not waking 4 or 5 times a night you don't have a problem. It is perfectly normal for them to wake at least once a night. There little bodies and minds are growing so much at the moment that sleep will be interupted. It sounds like you are doing a great job even if it doesn't feel like it with little sleep, believe me I have been completely sleep deprived for the past 6 years and my body seems to have learnt how to deal with it lol.

Vikki - posted on 04/13/2010

For their last feed (bottle) at night, why don't you try breaking a rusk up in it, to thicken it up and therefore hopeful fulfil your baby's tummy for longer.

Kristina - posted on 04/13/2010

I started having the same problems with my son, but I found out it was his teeth. The best thing in the world i have found are Teething Tablets. They are all natural and they can be found at Wal-Mart. I have found they are better than Orajel. Plus I feed him a bowl of ceral and a bottle before he is ready to go to bed. He usually sleeps till i have to get my daughter up for school.

Lisa - posted on 04/12/2010

my son wakes up once per night too - and he demands a bottle. We've tried letting him cry himself to sleep but he will cry and cry until we finally give him a bottle. We even called his pediatrician and she said he must just be hungry, growth spurt or something, just feed him right before bed and see if he grows out of it.

Rebecca - posted on 04/12/2010

I have the same problem, he slept through the night while in our room a few nights in a row, so we moved him to his own room about 2 months ago, and now he gets up at least one sometimes 2-3 times a night, it's never for long, just long enough for me to give him a bottle with some water in it, and he never drinks much of it, i think he just wants something in his mouth but he won't use a binky.

Julee - posted on 04/12/2010

UGH...I am having the SAME problem with my daughter. I don't think it's teeth, she shows no signs of mouth pain AT ALL throughout the day. She did cut her two front bottom teeth at the same time, but now they're in. Sometimes when she wakes up during the night (it's usually only once), it takes her two hours from the time she awoke to return to sleep. I think I am going to try some 2nd foods before her bath. Hopefully that works. Thanks for the advice everyone.

Noreen - posted on 04/12/2010

We co-sleep with Abby. She usuaully sleeps from 8:30pm-8amn and takes 2, 2 hr naps a day, usually. Luckily she will nap anywhere!! Literally anywhere! If she wouldn't, I would never get out of the house! LOL

Wendy - posted on 04/12/2010

Very good advice, we also have Lydia in a good day routine which she's had since she came home from hospital. Her routine now, which has been from 6 months is:
7am wake and milk
8am breakfast
9am-9.45 nap
11.45 lunch
12.30 - 2.30 nap
2.30 milk
5 dinner
6 bath
6.30 milk
6.45/7 bed

A good resourse for baby routines is 'The Contented Baby guide' by Gina Ford. Should be able to pick one up on ebay or amazon cheap

Domonique - posted on 04/12/2010

I believe that if you truly want you baby to sleep through the night get him on a good schedule!!! from the night I brought Jayce home from the hospital we have done the same thing, bath,bottle,bed! We have added giving him a bowl of 2nd food bananas mixed with cereal before his bath now and he sleep from 730pm till7- 8am its great!!! I also believe that it is about the day schedule also Jayce has his bottles at7- 8,12,4, and 7 and he eats food at 9,3:30 and 6:45. I also limit the amount of naps he takes during the day so he is tired at night. Babies that are 6 months old should only be taking about 2, 1hour naps a day. Most day Jayce doesn't even take that. If your baby is waking up because of tooth pain try giving him some Tylenol like 20 minutes before bed.

Also if you want to get your baby to go to bed earlier do it gradually. When my son was 2 months old he would go to bed at 12 or 12:30 and would sleep till 6:30 at about that time we started to put him to bed earlier we started by doing 12 for 2 days and then we went down to 1130 and then 11 and then so forth till we got him to where he is now , he does to bed a 7:30. You will be surprised once they get used to it they will sleep longer then they did before. Mostly because if your baby is going to bed late they are probably taking a nap around 6 or 7 and when you eliminate that they will sleep way better!! hope this helped

Wendy - posted on 04/12/2010

My daughter is 7 months and when she reached 6 months I started sleep training with her. Google 'core night sleep method', this is what I used and it worked perfectly, on night 6 she went with no feeds and night 10 she slept through for the first time. She was however already used to sleeping in her cot so if he's not used to his own bed then it may take a bit longer. Try putting him is his room for his day naps, get him used to his own bed if your not already.

As for going to bed earlier, a good trick to try is dark and light. When its time for sleep (inc day naps) make sure his room is dark, curtains drawn etc and no little night lights. And when your getting him ready for bed after his bath, dim the lights for his final feed so its not to light for him. Eventually he'll associate the light with awake and dark with sleep.

If all else fails speak to your health visitor, they're there to help and they have plenty of tricks up there sleeve for you to try.

Hope this helps
Good Luck
Wendy

Kristy - posted on 04/12/2010

My almost 7 month old wakes up due to teething pain. I change his diaper, 2 ounces of formula, a little infants tylenol rubbed on his gums and out like a light again. Before he was waking up ever 60 - 90 minutes.

Colleen - posted on 04/07/2010

I have my son in a bedtime routine. Bath, feed and eight o'clock is bed time. If after the bath and feed he's still not fully tired I let him play a bit but come 8pm he gets taken to bed. When I first started he'd cry as he didn't want to be in bed but now he goes straight to sleep.

Colleen - posted on 04/07/2010

My 6 1/2 month old is waking up every 2 - 3 hours a night whereas he'd wake up once or twice. I've been testing if it is his teeth or appetite which wake him. The days his gums bug him he tends to wake up more often during the night.

ARLENE - posted on 04/06/2010

My 7month also used to sleep straight through a 12hour sleep and since teething starting waking once in the night

Jenny - posted on 04/06/2010

With my daughter i lay with her in my bed until she falls asleep then i put her in her bed and she is out for the night , i use to have to give her a bath every night before bed time but she has outgrown that stage

Alisa - posted on 04/06/2010

Also i was wondering about getting the littleones to go to bed earlier in the night, my son wont go to bed till about 9-1030 at night....

Valynn - posted on 04/06/2010

I am going threw the same trouble with my 7mth old. He used to sleep through the night just fine and then when he started to teeth in his top tooth he started to wake up in again. sometimes he wants a bottle and a clean diaper and it's right back to sleep, or he wants to be soothed to sleep again and I am up for at least an hour with him. I am interested to see what other mommies are doing to help their babies sleep through the night.