6 Mo Old Not Sleeping

It could be separation anxiety, but it also sounds like he may be teething. If so, you may just have to wait this phase out. He will likely go back to his good sleep schedule once the teeth come through. Good luck!

Just a thought, have you tried starting your routine earlier? My baby went though a similar phase of not sleeping as well as she had been and the pediatrician recommended trying to get her to sleep earlier. She said when babies are getting over tired, they are more restless throughout the night. So we pushed it a little earlier and she is again a wonderful sleeper. My little girl goes to bed between 7 and 7:30 and sleeps until 7:30am.
Good luck!

Hi Heather,
I'm a mother of 5 so - I have some knowledge of this. Unfortunately, children go through these sleep changes but you can nip it in the bud quickly if you can stomach the crying. He may wake up crying for a few nights (I don't remember it being too many nights). Either let him cry after you've checked on him or if you feel better you can hold him. I would try letting him self-soothe first. Whatever you do, don't start feeding Ethan when he wakes up. I wish you both a restful schedule once again.
D.

Hi Heather,

It is hard when your child is not sleeping that means you are not getting the rest you need also. There are some natural solutions to help both you and your baby.

I am introduced to a Child's Wellness Expo on Aug 2 in Sunnyvale. It is exciting to see 13 doctors coming from around the country to put this event together. It is the first time in the states. They have these events in Europe all the time.

If this is something that interests you please let me know and I will send you a flier and put you on the guest list. As there is limited seating.

Wish you well.

N. Marie
____@____.com

Dear Heather,
My 10 month old is going through the same thing. He was sleeping so well for months then suddenly his sleep got worse and worse. There have been nights where he'd be up again almost as soon as we put him down it seems. After doing some research and asking my pediatrician, we think it is separation anxiety because he begins sleeping again as soon as we pick him up. My 2.5 yr old toddler also went through the same thing but is sleeping through the night. So take heart, babies go through phases and they will grow out of it. I know it is super difficult and exhausting when they change their sleep habits like that but it will pass. Follow your mama instincts and do what feels right and comfortable for you. I believe babies wake up and cry for a reason and it is important that they learn and know that you are there for him, especially at such a young age. Sounds like you are doing all the right things. I wish you restful sleep again very soon!!

My son's sleep schedule is always interrupted by developmental milestones. The same thing may be happening with your son, too. It may be that he's teething and looking for a little comfort. If he hasn't started sitting up unassisted, he could be working on that. He may also be working on learning to crawl. All of these milestones can totally interrupt a perfect sleep schedule. For my son, his night wakings would usually straighten out after a week or so. Sometimes, they would reoccur after a week! My son taught me the only thing consistent about babies is inconsistency. They have a lot to learn in a short period of time and its possible your son may have a new skill when he wakes up tomorrow! Also, I think six months is when there's a huge growth spurt. This could be the cause, too. Best of luck for a good night's sleep!

Hi Heather,
I always recommend the book The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems because both of my kids have slept through the night since they were 3 months old using this book's approach. Sleep issues would come up from time to time due to growth, teething, etc. and the book has a great section on resolving sleep problems without letting your baby cry it out. The Baby Whisperer helps you to identify why your baby isn't sleeping and then has suggestions on how to get him to sleep better. It could involve changing his eating or napping quantity or routine or teaching him to self soothe. It is a fabulous book! Good luck whatever to choose to try.
C.

Hi Heather,
It could be teething. You might also try putting him to bed a half hour earlier. Sometimes if they get overtired, they get a rush of adrenaline and then end up staying awake for a long time. Ideally you want to get him to sleep before that point!
Good luck. It's hard coping with the inevitable changes when you think your system is working perfectly.
A.

My son started doing the same thing a couple weeks ago. I figure it's due to teething or a growth spurt. I'm just going to keep nursing him when he needs it and stick to our routine (similar to yours). Good luck.
E.

If you start nursing at night, he'll continue to wake up. He might be teething, so I would give him tylenol or motrin and that should help him sleep through again unless he starts in the habit of waking up and nursing. He really doesn't need nursing at this point. Growth spurts don't make babies wake up, changes in the routine during the day does! If they're on a growth spurt, they'll just eat more at each feeding. Separation Anxiety is due to teething and needing you to remedy their growing pains...tylenol usually does the trick. Try to get him back on routine like before. 12 hours is the right amount of sleep for his age if he's not getting a late afternoon catnap. It doesn't matter when you put him down to sleep. It doesn't have to be super early. If they wake up at 8-8:30 am every morning, you don't need them to put them down really early unless you want them to wake up at 5-6am every morning. I am not a morning person and would rather wake up at 8. I have two girls and we trained them to sleep at 8 and to wake up at 8.

Here's a sample schedule:

8-10am - feeding, playtime
10-12 - nap
12-2pm- feeding, playtime
2-4 - nap
4-8 - feeding, playtime and one last bottle at 7 and down for the night at 8.

Well, maybe you have him napping 3x a day. So if you extend the last part of the day without a nap or a short catnap (1 hour), then he might sleep more at night. Just make sure he doesn't get overtired with too many toys. It may be rough at first, but you'll see he'll sleep more at night and not wake up. I get my info from the babywise book, but found this site helpful as well:

http://www.familysleep.com/4-months-to-8-months.html

Take care and good luck!

Dear Heather,
I really don't know if it's separation anxiety that is waking your child. They go through many changes in sleep patterns as they get older and begin teething, etc. And as they grow, they may just be getting hungrier in the night than usual. I don't think there is anything wrong with putting your baby in bed with you to nurse so you can both fall back to sleep. I wouldn't say it's something you still want to be doing when they are 2 or 3 years old, because by then, they are more active, are on solid foods, can understand a little more and can sleep in their own beds.
The one thing about babies is that they have no concept of time. You can have the best intended routine on the planet, but they, intellectually, cannot fathom any of that. So you just have to keep trying. See what works best for your baby.
During growing and teething spurts, some kids will sleep way more than usual. Others will sleep less than ever. But those things usually pass and you can get back on a more regulated schedule.
You are not alone.
It just takes patience and a little finessing.
Best of wishes!

Waking two or three times a night is perfectly normal for a six month old. Unfortunately it's exhausting for us moms. But there is one thing you can do to make it less tiring. Sleep while you nurse him back to sleep. Learn to nurse sidelying - it works great. I finally learned to do this with my third baby - boy do I wish I'd learned earlier! You are only awake (barely) for a moment to get baby latched on and comfortable then you both drift off again. Instead of losing an hour or two of sleep or more each night, you only lose minutes. Big difference!!

Teething is a main reason for sleep disturbance at that age, as is learning to roll or crawl. And whenever you go against the biology and the current developmental stage, it's an uphill struggle. Instead, finding a way to kind of roll with it, and make it work for you, is less disruptive.

I nursed my son to sleep til he decide on his own to stop. Despite the old wives tales about babies 'needing to learn to self soothe' or warnings that 'he'll never learn to fall asleep on his own', he did learn to go into his crib relaxed but awake, and fall asleep. So go with your gut on this one - if it's working for you and it is a valuable tool in your mothering toolbelt - keep using it as long as you want. Babies outgrow it and let you know when they are done.

For some really accurate information about infant sleep, this site is by the world's foremost authority - http://www.nd.edu/~jmckenn1/lab/

Hi Heather,
I nurse my boy to sleep too, and it is perfectly normal. It is what feels comfortable to the mother and her baby.
If you are just remotely into "attached parenting" then Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child is not really that style, (he is for letting the baby cry for an hour at least before picking him up). He does have a lot of intresting information about sleep and how it effects children long term. So for that it is a very valuable book.

As for your problem, I would watch for teeth. I just finished going through the same thing. We had our routine, and *poof* back to newborn schedule! I read that is common!!!
It will pass, don't worry...we are sleeping through the night here again! :)

Hi Heather,
I HIGHLY recommend "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Dr. Marc Weissbluth. He explains about biological sleep rhythms and how/when they develop/evolve. It sounds like his sleep rhythms are maturing, along with the usual developmental stages for his age. Dr. Weissbluth is very adamant about an early bedtime at this age, say around 6-6:30pm. As babies mature, so do their sleep rhythms. By this age he should be napping around 9am and 1pm, and maybe a quick nap around 4pm. Dr. Weissbluth has found that these sleep rhythms naturally develop and syncing sleep with these rhythms produces the most restorative sleep and reduces night waking, along with tons of other things. I found that when I followed his advice my daughter slept longer and better. It IS hard because I don't have as much time to spend with her in the evenings before her bedtime, but she is SO much happier and healthier. I figure it isn't all about me and my needs.
Sincerely,
L.

PS Email me if you want more info on Dr. Weissbluth's methods, they work!

I went through something similar around 6 months. My babe is now 8 months. At 6 months, once he found a little more independence (he was rolling over, starting to crawl, starting solids), he went back to nursing every couple hours throughout the night. That last a few weeks. For us, it really helped to have him in our bed with us. It was a lot easier to nurse him back to sleep. We all enjoyed the added cuddle time too. Good luck!