6 month old thinks bedtime is naptime

Corey - posted on 11/11/2008

I will agree with most mom's that routine is the best thing...but no one here has mentioned teething. My 7 month old started really teething about 2 weeks ago and last week was horrible she was up every hour to 2 hours and before that she would maybe wake up once at 3 am ish and at that time she usually misplaced her pacifier so I just put it back in her mouth and rubbed her back and sang to her. I only started giving her the pacifier the last few weeks to help with the teething...if your 6 month old is teething don't feel bad about giving a little liquid tylenol at bed time...it worked for my little girl and she is back to normal after last weeks no sleep... The only other thing that is different between naps and bedtime is that it is dark in her room...I read that night time should be dark and naps should not. Hope that helps...good luck and hang in there.

Julie - posted on 11/11/2008

Jill,

I feel your pain!!! My first child did the same thing, I dont know what your sleeping arrangements for your child are but thought I would jump in, if its a crib, make it soothing and comfortable, ocean sounds worked on my child (like a cd or tape, I found an alarm clock, but havent seen one since like it). It took a few nights, but he would fall right off and stay asleep the whole night. However I did learn if you find something that works, buy 2 in case one breaks!!!!!! Good luck, Ill pray for some sleep for you!!!! Julie

Barb - posted on 11/10/2008

I would have to agree with Ashley. Sometimes you just have to stay strong and let them cry it out. I have two kids, my oldest is 10 yrs. old (for a few more weeks) and my youngest is 4 yrs old (almost 5 yrs old) and both went through a stage where they would wake at night and just want someone else to be up with them. My son (my 4 yr. old) had more of a problem with this than my daughter. He has been in daycare since he was 8 wks old and there is a lot more noise there than there would be at our home. His problem was that our house was to quiet (we don't have that problem anymore). He was use to sleeping with more white noise with all that goes on at daycare with other kids in the room. So we purchased a "bubble light" (our name for it) that has a tall tube that you fill with water and has fish that float up and down. It has a pump that circulates the water which is also what helps the fish to float up and down. The bubbles make just the right amount of noise that helped him to get into that deep sleep that he needed. I did not leave this on for more than an hour, just long enough to help get him to sleep. We didn't use this every night, just when it was needed. This was hard for me to do, as he is my last and is a big snuggler, but when you aren't getting any sleep, it isn't good for anyone in the house. All babies are different and what works for one may not work for another, but remember this...they all get the hang of it sooner or later. I don't know any of my daughter's friends that still wake in the middle of the night :) . Don't forget to smile and laugh through it all, they grow up fast and good or bad you will miss it some day. I hope you find what works for you and don't loose to much sleep in the search. Goodluck!

Ashley - posted on 11/10/2008

First off I recomed getting the book, Heathly Sleep Habits, Happy Child. That book is absolutely wonderful in every sleep situation. Unfortunatley my advice to you is sometimes you just need to let them cry. Babies need to know the difference between naps and sleep. It helps if a room is completely dark. If you lay your baby down for the night and in an hour he wakes up, you may just have to let him cry so he figures out and knows that when it's dark, it's bed time. The biggest thing is that you should not bring your baby out of his room during the night. If he wakes up to eat... fix the bottle first and then go in. If you take your baby out of his room then he won't know the difference between naps and night time. But I really do suggest that book. I believe you can get it for like 12 dollars online. It's helped me out a TON!!!

Nicole - posted on 11/10/2008

A bottle with some cereal in it can help if hunger is the issue, no naps past 3pm can slow the enegizer bunny, but some babies such as myself as a child stay up for a day or 2 at a time..(I was just busy) I still to this day am a night owl. But the best I can say is bed the same time every day no matter where or what you are doing they kinda snap into it when they realize that its bed time...It is a long hall though Good Luck!!!!

Lexi - posted on 11/10/2008

Wish I could help. My 15 month old got used to her older sister taking her into her bed when she fussed in the night, and now sometimes raises a stink at bedtime when put into her crib. My older girl didn't realize that her baby sister will cry a little in her sleep and not need picking up. Now my younger girl thinks it's the more the norm than not.
Each child is different. Some people will advise letting their child cry a while without going in to see them, others will go in after a few minutes, talk to their child, then leave again.
Good luck!

Paula - posted on 11/10/2008

my 18mth old sleeps till about 2am and then is in our bed if i settle her back in her own bed shes awake within 10mins of me getting into bed the only way i seem to get any sleep is putting her in my bed ANY POINTERS OR HELP WOULD BE FANTASTIC!!

Susan - posted on 11/10/2008

hi my little boy slept through from seven weeks and i did that by giving water in the night making sure i always put him to bed away and making sure i gt all his milk allowance in him during the day time hours he is now 15 months old and sleeps from 7pm and 8 or 9 am in the morning he still has to sleeps in the day between 2 and 3 hours i always found with my son and the children i nannied for that this sorted then out also on the odd occcastion he does wake in the night i pick him up till he settles in the dark and do nt talk to him then put him straight bk

Jill - posted on 11/10/2008

We did start him on fruits and cereal. My husband and I have also been working on the routine. bath time, story time, bedtime. It generally works, but if he closes his eyes for a minute before 9-9:30, it's over. It is probably just a phase...i hope! He really wants to get moving and is frustrated that he hasn't mastered it yet. Maybe that's why?? I should know by now that asking why is impossible to answer. Props to Veronica! Twins! I admire you. Thanks everyone. I don't feel so alone at 3am!

Shyla - posted on 11/09/2008

well my daughter is 4 months old now and she sleeps from 10-11 hours at a time she is 100% healthy n she has cerial once a day there is nothing wrong with her n she is not lackin nutrients or ne thing vitamins she may need

Stephanie - posted on 11/09/2008

I totally agree with you Danielle routine is very important and being able to allow them to cry a little, that way allowing them to soothe themself to sleep. Also on the point of lying your infant down drowsy but not quite asleep.

Danielle - posted on 11/09/2008

my answer is completely not along the lines of food at all.

although regarding food, at 6 months my daughter drank breast milk, and ate cereal in the morning. fruit at lunch and veg at dinner.. and then before bed a little more cereal. i dont know if she slept well because of that.. or if it was just a steady routine.



when my daughter started to get confused between nap time and bed time was when i really started enforcing routine, i think she was probably around 4 months old or so.

nap time would just be nurse and then nap. but at bed time, she would eat her cereal, have a bath, read a book or sing some songs (in her bedroom) and then i would lie her down in bed (always awake, but drowsy) she cried for a while, i would check on her in 3 minutes, then again in 5, then 10, and then if she was still crying 15 but it rarely got to the point she was still crying at 15. it took about a week or two to get her sleeping through the night. but she did... and she slept great. (til about 2 months ago at 15months old.... but thats a whole other story!!)



every mother is comfortable with different things... if you're okay with this give it a shot.... or just try a variation of whatever you feel comfortable with. best of luck!





p.s. cute halloween costumes!

Stephanie - posted on 11/09/2008

hey shyla, the only problem with feeding cereal when they are newborne's is that they are getting their tummies full with cereal and not getting the important nutrients they need from breast milk or formula, the same goes for water. If they are drinking all their requirements of formula or breastmilk their is nothing wrong with giving water or cereal, but breastmilk is preferred especially for under 6 months and if you use formula you most likely are giving them their water. Also, some infants stomach flora is not prepared to handle heavy foods like cereal at such a young age. I agree mom's know their children better than any old doctor but their are some things that are just facts that not all mom's are aware of. Your daughter might have been waking up every 2 hours due to lack of nutrients. The water and cereal were filling her little tummy up but she wasn't getting the nutrients she needed,,,just a possibility

Shyla - posted on 11/09/2008

ha i started feedin my daughter cerial the day she came home from the hospital and she only slept 2 hrs at a time the older they get the longer they sleep and she was drinkin water at a month old there is nothing wrong with ne of it mother knows more than a doctor does

Veronica - posted on 11/09/2008

I will make you feel a little better: try TWO 6 month olds who wake eachother up... take 45 minute naps, and sleep in 4hour increments at night, not at the same time! UGH! You are not alone. My babies used to take 3 naps, now they take 2- seems they are gradually learning to sleep a little better at as they get older. Have you started solids?

Stephanie - posted on 11/09/2008

water really isn't recommended for infants, only due to the fact that they need nutrients and you don't want to fill their little tummies up with water or sugar water. Now, at six months you could mix a little rice into their night time bottle (make the hole in one of their nipples slightly bigger by poking a fork prong through it or an ice pick) or you could just spoon feed them some cereal at bedtime and then give a smaller bottle. If you do mix cereal in the bottle make the bottle where it is not too thick and can get through the nipple, but don't make it too liquidy and have the nipple hole big where they gag. The little bit of rice at night will set well in their tummies and should allow for a longer length of sleep. I did this with both my kids (my 7 year old was a nightmare with colic for the first six weeks). I did it earlier than pediatrician recommended around 3-4 months but once I started they were BOTH sleeping from 10pm-10am, 12 hours straight, but I did cluster feed during the day. They did still take naps during the afternoon until they were 1 or so but usually only 1 nap and about 1 to 2 hours. It worked with my 7 yr old daughter and my 2 year old son. Hang in there and if you do not feel comfortable with anything don't try it and follow your pediatrician's recommendations. :)

Elease - posted on 11/09/2008

I just had 6 month vax doen Friday, and now my little girl is waking every 3 hrs or so. She has been sleeping 8 -9 hrs since she was 8 wks too. Very confusing . . . I can give her the pacy and she goes back down then. May be time to cut it out at bedtime. No real suggestions, just wanted to let you know you're not alone. Could just be a phase . . . HUGS Mama!

Beth - posted on 11/09/2008

In my experience, and every mom has different experiences. try shortening the naps during the day. start by shortening them by fifteen minutes, then increase to half hour. all three of my kids slept through the night at 8, 7 and 9 weeks respectively when I used this method. again, what works for one mom, doesn't always work for another. good luck!