Wakes up every hour! Help!

Dawn - posted on 03/27/2009

It will get better!  My second child was like this--but more like every 1.5 to 2 hours....around the clock.  She did this for 10 months and I truly thought I was going to go stark raving mad from sleeplessness.  Somewhere around 10 months she started to work out of it.  I don't know why.  It took her until 18 months to sleep all the way through the night (my night, not just a  6-8 hour stretch).  Now, she is 3 and my best sleeper of the bunch.  Hang in there and try to get as much sleep as you can!

One thing you might try is to separate a little bit...try doing a bassinet in the room rather than the co-sleeping.  It could be that she is smelling you or hearing you right next to her and deciding a snack might be in order.  If you put a little distance between you it might help...or it might not.  It helped my daughter enough that it was worth it.  Of course, it also means you have to get up to feed her rather than roll over and giver her a snack....there are always trade offs!

Monica - posted on 03/27/2009

she is either not drinking enough or just lonely. I would be doing everything in my power to kick it in the but now before she turns 6months. when she feeds just before bed how does she feed? just a little? (try some baby food, maybe she needs something to top up or formula) does she fall asleep during feeds? (if yes the good old fashioned change her nappy or change her clothes to wake her up) What are her feeds like during the day? Have you tried a dummy? (could just be comfort sucking)



My best advice is call the mid wife!!!! the sooner you kick this in the butt the better for you in the long run. Hope i was of help.

Iveth - posted on 03/27/2009

I exclusevely breastfed my baby girl for 6 months (she is almost 7 now). When she was 4months old she started to sleep from 8pm to 4am and then she used to wake at 7am. When I sarted to give her formula at her 5 1/2 months (just one bib a day), she started to wake up every hour at night, doctor says that is because she found is the time to be with mommy b/c she has not my breast anymore at all times. I decided to stop breastfeeding and now she sleeps all night from 8pm to 6am.

Good luck!

Sheila - posted on 03/27/2009

My little one was like this. She's 17 months now, has 3 meals, 2 snacks and I have always had to supplement breast milk with formula. She now can go 6 hours at a stretch! Talk to your health visitor, I know I started weaning Zoe at 17 weeks. We tried giving her mashed potato in the evening, night nappies, hungy baby milk (against the health visitor's advise) but nothing worked for us.
I too hope she will grow out of it, she is very active so burns up a lot of calories. I just give her a bottle still in the night and she settles much better wheras if I just breast feed she's always waking up for more. Sx

Dedra - posted on 03/27/2009

I ended up pumping breast milk for the nights and then adding a little rice or oatmeal cereal to it. Plus it helped with reflux!!! She slept longer. Good luck!!!

Mel - posted on 03/27/2009

start solids!! she is hungry and needing more , or switch to breast milk and formula. best way. good luck.

Jodie - posted on 03/26/2009

my son was the same. in the end i gave him a bottle of formula for his last feed before he went to bed and he slept the whole night through, he was 6 wks old.  he didnt always sleep the whole night through after i started this routine but i did notice he was sleeping for  longer periods.

in my situaution i found he was not getting enough milk from me to sustain him for long periods, hence why it felt he was always hanging off my boob lol. i still continued to breast feed through they day but found i got more rest at night.

Camille - posted on 03/26/2009

she will grow out of it.  my daughter did the very exact thing and soon grew out of it.  give it a couple weeks momma!