How can I get my 10 month old to sleep through the night and go to bed at a decent hour!?

Jess - posted on 03/13/2013

When you give your son a melatonin do you crush it up or just give it to him whole? Im thinking i want to try that because nothing has been working for him to sleep through the night.. i have a schedule, i put cereal in his bottle, i keep lights off, ive tried the water instead of formula, and ive tried the cry it out but hell cry for over an hour sometimes... so im running out of options... i didnt think i could give him melatonin, but i will definitely try it now.

Tracie - posted on 02/24/2013

i got a daughter who is ten years old and she cant sleep at night please tell me i have given her some suggtions but they dont help teb

Tracie - posted on 02/24/2013

maybe a warm bottle of milk will help teb

Rachel - posted on 11/06/2009

The best thing to do is to wear them out! Take her to the park and outside to get as much fresh air as possible. This will also give her plenty of room to run off some of her energy :)

Crystal - posted on 11/06/2009

My son was like that too. I would put rice or oatmeal cereal in his bottle at night before bed and that helped him stay full for longer. I would add just enough to thicken it. Good luck!

Kerrieanne - posted on 11/06/2009

hi my little boy was the same but at about 14 months my partners mum told me that when he wakes up for a bottle of milk to give him water insted so i started doing that and it worked it did take a few days x

Samia Imran - posted on 11/06/2009

im in the same club as you..luckily my daughter who is 10 months old, goes down at 6:30 but wakes up every 2 hours, and ever since the time change is up at 4:30 am...i tried putting her to bed later but it is not working...



i suggest you try to take the 30 min nap away( i know it is hard) for a week, and see if she can go to bed by 8...i usually give my girls a bath around 6:30, and then read books..this way there internal clock is telling them to be ready...you have to be consistent for a week, and it will work for sure...

Alissa - posted on 11/06/2009

I highly recommed the book "Solve your Child's Sleep Problems" by Ferber. It is NOT a "cry it out" method, and he has EXCELLENT advice.

Ashley - posted on 11/06/2009

i know how you feel. my son is the exact same way! we started at the beginning of the week waking him up by 7 am. giving him a nap around 11-12. usually by 9 , 10 the very latest he's sleeping. but he was staying awake til 11 or 12 at night. so 10 for us was early! its our fault because we were never strict with a bed time routine. we now bath him around 8 and start winding him down (putting all toys away) turning off lights and he'll go lie down on his couch and fall asleep.

Jennifer - posted on 11/06/2009

Keep your child on a schedule. I put my child to sleep at 8pm EVERYNIGHT. I hold him until he either falls asleep(which is generally the case)or, I simply put him in his crib. Seriously, he cries for sometimes less than a minute, and is out like a light. Naps are a must. The less they sleep during the day, the harder it will be to put them to sleep at night. After a while your child will automatically get sleepy at bed time if and only if you start the routine. As far as getting up several times in the night. You are going to have to let her cry. My son was pulling the same stuff at that age. He knew that if he cried I would come and get him. A friend told me to let him cry. Only going into his room if he cries for 20 min. or more. He never cried more than 5 min. It was super hard to do at first. After a week he was sleeping through the night.

Brittney - posted on 11/06/2009

I had a big problem with this too. You have to get a schedual down. Like every night do dinner at 5:30ish and then give them a bath, play for a little bit, read a book and put them to bed. Do this everynight. For waking up in the middle of the night you just have to let him cry it out. I would not let it go for more then 15/20 mins and when you do go in there just tuck then in and tell them good night, don't pick him up. This is what I found worked for me. I hope it works for you. ALso do not cut out their naps at this age naps are still very important and he should be taking one.

Casey - posted on 11/06/2009

Try and use a routine, one that suits both of you to your lifestyle. Try and have dinner, bottle or breast, and story time all around the same time of the night before sleep time. Set an alarm on your phone or alarm clock so it's not you enforcing bed time. Perhaps keep the tele off at night, or keep her away from it. I have been using a routine, and my 9month3week is sleeping right through the night again. Hope you have success.

Latasha - posted on 11/05/2009

My son was only taking a 30min nap a day and sleeping 3 hours a night. My doctor prescribed an all natural sleeping pill that you can buy at any drug store.It's called Melatonin. I was really worried about giving it to him but I bought it and tried it myself first to see how it makes you feel. It just gets you to that point were you start to feel tired. You do not feel groggy or anything. I gave it to my son and it helps although some nights he still wakes up and wants to play even with it in his system. I looked up all the side effects and it is safe. It is the only sleeping pill that I will ever take. Some doctors use it to get infants on a good sleeping routine.

Samantha - posted on 11/05/2009

i give my son a bath every other night before bedtime with the johnson and johnsons nighttime bath wash i do believe they even have a nighttime lotion.

Amber - posted on 11/05/2009

try cereal/ bottle then a bath. lay her down early in her crib like 8ish and jus lt hr lay there. i promise she will probably throw a fit and it may take a week or so but she will get used to it. i had to do it for my daughter and it worked.

Ashley - posted on 11/05/2009

I saw that you are feeding her cereal/baby food around 7:30, maybe she's ready for some real food. When we eat, our eight month old usually eats what we have, granted it's not spicy and such. She gets her bath around 8:30 and a bottle right after...Then, we sit in the chair with the lights off, and I rock her. This is an every night routine. So, maybe a routine would help, as well as giving her real food.

Casey - posted on 11/05/2009

Let them cry it out. It is no fun but it will work--it might take as long as a week but if you stick to it, it will work. Also, if they cry all night, still only let your baby take the same amount of naptime that he/she usually does. We had to do it with my daughter and it was horrible but it worked--
For going to bed early, start he/she on a little routine, nath time then maybe one last bottle ---then read or sing. Sounds silly but it helped us. With the time change my kids (2/4) have been going to be at 7:45!!! It is great

Adriane - posted on 11/05/2009

I probably wont be telling you anything that all of these helpful posters haven't but i would recommend keeping your baby busier during the day and letting them sleep when they need it. I started both mine with a bed time very early in life. My two month old goes to bed at 9 most nights and sleeps till 5. Just try to make evenings play time then start calming down like an hour before you want bedtime to be with sitting and cuddling and maybe a bath if that has a calming effect though on some kids it actually wakes them up. As far as sleeping with the babies in your bed you have to break that soon or your gonna have a five year old throwing fits to sleep with you before you know it. For me it just takes a little dedication... get up rock the baby mostly to sleep and lay them down if they wake up do it again until they are sleepy enough to stay asleep.

Tshawn - posted on 11/05/2009

i have no idea cuz im goin thru the same thing.. my 10 month old gets sleepy for a nap around 730 ,8 pm so i put her in her room.. let her cry herself to sleep which isnt very long.. and then she gets up at around 4. We used to give her bottles to put her back to sleep but now the only thing i can do is put her in bed with me.. IM GOING NUTS.. when will she automatically sleep from 9pm til 9 am or later!?

Danielle - posted on 11/05/2009

Perhaps you should try having her take an earlier nap and keep her up the rest of the day. I wear my 2 and 3 year old out an hour before bed we play hide and seek around the house or anything to use some of that energy! Then we read a book and they are in bed by 7:30 every night. What I did when they were that young is lay them down with a bottle. I know Dr.'s tell you no, but there teeth are just fine. And once they went to bed easily I switched it over from milk to water in the sippy. All kids are different, but give it a try. I hope this works for you!

Kayla - posted on 11/05/2009

I know it sounds crazy but she is not getting enough sleep during the day. Babies who take regular naps often go to sleep better at night because they aren't overstimulated. My daughter is 14 months and we've used this routine for naps and bedtime since she was 6 months. I look for sleep cues (yawning, rubbing eyes) and as soon as I see them I take her to her bedroom(nap), turn on light music and read a story to her in a very soft voice. It helps her relax before I lay her down. I don't wait until she is asleep to lay her down but as soon as the book is done. At night I turn off all the lights but the hallway after I give her a bath (7:30) and immediately take her into her room and get her dressed and sing a song for her and lay her down. She is asleep by 8pm with a 7-8am wake up. Hope any tips that you get help

Monique - posted on 11/05/2009

Routine! WoWorks for both my kids. since birth 7pm dinner, 7:30pm bathtime, 8pm bedtime, I tugg them in, read a quick story, put the night light on, put a cd on with light classical instrumental music, kiss them good night and leave the room. It's routine since birth. It's all they are used to so they don't take chances. And everyday a 2hr nap. Kids need their sleep! a well rested kid has less tantrums and are more open to learning. Start this routine and keep by it, 2 weeks and you'll be set. You have to be strict, no out of bed after 8pm, sleep time is sleep time for kids and alone time for adults to just talk or watch tv or just be yourself ... not a mom.

Larissa - posted on 11/04/2009

Many children are different from other children...mine slept through the night since she was 2 months old, my cousin was over a year before he slept through the night. It takes time, patience, and the ability to work with next to no sleep. When your child is ready she will do it on her own, coaxing her may lead to problems later.

Kim - posted on 11/04/2009

both of my children didnt sleep through the night until they were over a year old it sucks i know but one day she will the only thing i can think of is give her a bed time snack right before bed and maybe going to bed with a full stomach may help as for going to bed a a decent time that will take more time start with putting her to bed 1/2 hour earlier do that until she is used to it and then put her another 1/2 hour until you get to a good time she may cry but she will get use to it hope this helps

Kelly - posted on 11/04/2009

Do you know if she is teething? I was having issues with my son when he was that age, and it was due to him teething. So my dr told me to try and hold off on giving him any medicine durning the day, but to give him the recommended dose at night. When I did that he slept longer. Was up maybe one time a night until the teeth finally cut. The teething could be preventing her from napping as well. I always put music on when my little guy is sleeping. Always seems to help.

Jamie - posted on 11/04/2009

You could also try giving her a bath right before bed but after dinner. The warmth and steam will make her relax and start to feel tired. You should also try to keep her active after she wakes up from her nap. That way come bath time it will take a bigger affect on her.

Rachel - posted on 11/04/2009

i went through the same thing.. i asked my daughters dr.. you have to just let them cry through it! my daughter is now one, i feed her and bathe her then but her in her crib and i turn on some ocean music at around 750.. by 8 oclock shes passed out and doesnt wake up til 930-10 oclock the next morning.. it will take awhile for her to get used to it.. but it gets so much easier!

Savannah - posted on 11/04/2009

when it cam e to my daughter when she was about 3 months old (she's 11 months old now) I would put her to bed at 9 and if she woke up I would check the monitor and if she was ok then I would let her cry it out and most of the time she would only wake up for a minute or so and then would drift back off. You could give it a shot and see how it works... it sounds kind of mean but it does work.

Amanda - posted on 11/04/2009

You aren't doing anything wrong. Like many have said, each child is different. When she wakes up in the middle of the night, how quickly do you go in and get her? It was really hard for me, but I let her still cry for a while in the middle of the night until either I knew she was set and determined to get up, or fell back to sleep on her own. To get her to sleep at night I would get her in a routine. She would eat dinner at 6 or 6:30, get a bath at 7 then bed at 7:30. It took her a while, and I did a lot of crying right a long with her, but she did learn. She needed a routine. You might try that with your daughter. And I never let her cry more than 20 min, but I had to let her cry at least 15 min before I would get her again. Good luck with your little one.

Deane - posted on 11/04/2009

With my son he always had to feel full before he went to sleep. Even now he must have a juice or a snack before bed just to have something in his belly....Maybe that is the case with ure daughter. I always made sure he was full before he went to sleep and hes been sleeping through the nite since he was about 5 months. He is now 3....

Veronica - posted on 11/04/2009

try a 30 min nap like you said but i also heard that sometime babeies miss their mom when they sleep in their crib ( like they want the warmth and smell of their mothers try putting a clothing of yours so maybe she can think you are rigt next to her) see if that works i have not try it but its worth a shot! i also heard heard that some mothers when their babies cry at night they let them cry for at least 15 min and sometimes the babies go to bed by them self.

Krystle - posted on 11/04/2009

My daughter started sleeping through the night from about 9-10 all the way until about 7-8 when shje was 9 months old...Maybe when she wakes up wait before you go in just to see if she falls asleep on her own, I suggest waiting about 5 maybe 10 minutes then go to her, eventually she will learn to fall sleep on her own.

Elyssa - posted on 11/04/2009

well, my daughter started sleeping through the night at 2 months because i gave her more to eat but maybe your baby is just a night owl and a morning person lol but if shes tierd she'll go to sleep

Veronica - posted on 11/04/2009

i kept my daughter awake during the day i played with her i let her take a nap around 11 or 12 but only for hour!!! when it comes to bed time babycereal works Warm milk works every time my daughter has been falling asleep around 9 since she was 2 months she is about to be three

Chantelle - posted on 11/04/2009

all children are different, just be consestant put her in bed at a certan time if she gets up just keep puting her back it may take a few day or so but she will relise that she has to go to bed then

Wendy - posted on 11/04/2009

my son has been sleeping through the night since he was 3 months old, and he is 18 months now. Try putting her in a room by herself, and she will cry the first couple nights but dont give in and she will eventually go to sleep as soon as you put her in there.

Michelle - posted on 11/04/2009

By the way... I read the "The no-cry Sleep solution." and "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby."

There is nothing wrong with a child crying as long as their NEEDS are meet.

If you give your child love and affection throughout the day, your child will still love you and be happy and well adjusted. My son cries when I won't give him candy before dinner, but he still loves me.

And the child is crying due to overstimulation and being tired the last thing you want to do is to continue to engage them and keep them awake by all the step's in the No Cry Sleep Solution.

Michelle - posted on 11/04/2009

Get the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby." It saved my life!!! My son was up every 2 hours till he was 11 months old.

It is not HEALTHY for you or the baby!

The baby needs a routine, it does not need to be a strict one.

And the baby needs to LEARN how to sooth herself to sleep.

I swear in three nights my son was sleeping thru the night after that book, but for the whole week I still woke up to check on him, because I was not use to sleeping more than 2 hours and I thought something might be wrong with him.

Turns out I needed to give him a routine and let him sooth himself to sleep.

Good luck!

Tiffany - posted on 11/04/2009

I had the same problem when I brought my baby home the first time. I started to give her some baby ceral about 2 ounces before she went to bed. Right after her bath I would put baby lotion all over her and sing her a song anf befor i knew it she was sleeping like a rock I mean a train could come through the house and she still wouldnt wake up. But the biggest thing is that you stay with a routine and dont have any ecseptions.

Erin - posted on 11/04/2009

You know what? Every child is different...according to the book "the No cry sleep solution" sleeping through the night is only 5 hrs! I highly recommend this book, it'll really open parent's eyes to infant and toddler sleep :)

Emily - posted on 11/04/2009

My daughter is nine months and has been sleeping through the night since she was two months old. Obviously part of the success is she likes to sleep, but she naps earlier in the day (say around one) so she is ready to go to bed at around 8pm. She knows its nap time because she gets put on her back (she is upright for the rest of the day mainly). And at bedtime I give her a bath at 7pm and then I give her a bottle right after and she goes straight to sleep. Sometimes I find that she wakes up in the night because her diaper is wet. If I go to bed at around 10pm I try and do a quick diaper change in her crib without waking her and she sleeps right through the night. Also I have a bottle of water beside her crib because if she gets fussy in the night I find if I give her a bit of water she goes right back to sleep. Hope it helps!

Justine - posted on 11/04/2009

Ok i know there is a lot of advice on here, but i want to tell you that the worst thing you can do for your child is let her cry it out. it establishes a negative view of bedtime and her crib, and it is really hard to break that. i read a really good book called the no-cry sleep solution. it took a while, because i have the worst sleeper ever, nothing worked, not feeding him before bed, not bath, not any other advice i was given. the one thing i noticed was when i played his lullaby cd he would stay asleep, when it stopped he woke up. i started putting it on loop until i went to bed, and now play it all through the night. he is still terrable to get to sleep, but once i get him there it is easier to keep him sleeping. he has gone from waking up 4-5 times in the night to maybe waking twice.

also, daytime naps at this age are very important. you will probably find if you can get her to nap during the day (earlier in the day) and go to bed between 7 and 8 she will sleep a little better for you.

there are many more tips in this book, and you can try any of them you want, it is not a regimine that you have to follow religiously, just pay attention to your daughter and you will find what works for you becasue every child is different, as you can see from the wide variety of advice posted. some babies sleep well on a full stomach, some, like my little porker, just does not make a difference. good luck and i hope you get some sleep soon!

Vanessa - posted on 11/03/2009

Are you putting cereal in her night time bottle? Try a couple tbsp of it mixed in with her regular formula and give it to her immediately before her usual bedtime. Keep her as active as possible during the day and surround her with bright colors, interesting sounds, etc etc. Follow up at bedtime with a dark, quiet room and avoid putting toys ar anything too stimulating in her crib. Is she teething? That could have a HUGE impact on her progress.

If she still doesn't sleep through the night, know that it's perfectly normal and babies set their own schedule- it will become more regular as time goes on. Wish you both the best, and some sleep!

Jodie - posted on 11/03/2009

I wish i knew. My 3 year old till wakes up al the time at night, then is up at 5 in the mornign. Let me know if you find something that works> He he, us parents are tortured daily by our kids.

Johanna - posted on 11/03/2009

My baby is 10 months what actually works for me is he take's a nap around 2pm 2:30 in the afternoon gets up around 3:30 4 it depends if he is really tired. Then i don't let him take a nap at all. What i notice is i keep him busy...Play with them, go out. At ten months their should be experience to eat a little of regular food rice beans veggie's fruits. Around 9:00 9:30pm i give him a bath and give him a bottle and that helps alot to put them to sleep though the night. He doesn't get up until 8 or 9am..And he goes to sleep at the same time everyday..I hope i was helpful enough....

Elisha - posted on 11/03/2009

There is no time frame on when a baby will sleep through the night, every child is different and they will sleep through the night when they are ready so your not doing anything wrong.. . We were lucky to have our son start sleeping through at 10-11 weeks, he goes to bed at 7pm and wakes up between 7-8am. He gradually dropped his nighttime feeds one by one over a period of a couple of weeks. We didn't add any extra formala to get him to sleep longer etc.. he just did it on his own accord. Although you can always try adding extra formala to his bottle before bedtime, this might encourage him to sleep a little longer so you might only need to get up for one nightfeed.. During the day my son was also a catnapper and still is. If he only slept for 1/2hr I tried to get him to sleep for another 1/2hr this sometime worked. As long as your child is happy during the day she is getting enough sleep as some babies don't need as much sleep as others.. Good Luck.

Misty - posted on 11/03/2009

and make sure she is full when you lay her down... that helps them sleep longer

Misty - posted on 11/03/2009

dont let her nap at all and start a bed time routine... feed her dinner around 5:30 or 6:00 and then give her a really warm bath around 7 and rub her down with bedtime lotion and get her ready for bed... read her a story and then lay her down in her crib or bed and repeat this every night... she will get used to it...

Nicki - posted on 11/03/2009

My daughter is 10 months also. She goes to bed at aronf 8.30pm after a bottle and sometimes cereal. On a good night she is up twice on a bad night it could be every hour or so. Think we just have to grin and bear it til they settle themselves into their own way

Lyndsay - posted on 11/03/2009

I never really had a problem with this, so I don't really know what to say, I'm just going to give you some suggestions..

First of all... when do you put her down for a nap? Does she go at the same time every day, or do you wait till you think she's tired? If she becomes overtired, she will be too stimulated to have a good sleep so you should try to put her to bed before that happens.

Children strive off of routine... if you put her to bed at the same time every night, eventually she will get used to that and it will become a part of her internal clock. You are the parent so you are going to have to decide on the bed time.

I used to feed my son a bowl of cereal and a bottle right before bed, so he would be nice and full and sleep through. If she is still waking up in the midde of the night, offer her water instead of milk. She probably isn't even hungry, it's just habitual. Eventually she will either get sick of the water and not wake up at all, or if she likes the drink you can just leave a bottle of water in the crib with her.