9-Month Old Still Waking at Night

Updated on March 20, 2008
S.T. asks from Saint Louis, MO
24 answers

Does anyone have any advice/thoughts about a 9-month old that still wakes to eat at night. My husband and I debate about just letting him cry it out, however, when he wakes up he is very upset until we give him a bottle, which he inhales and and then goes right back to sleep. He is a twin and was born full term, his brother has slept through the night for months.

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C.P.

answers from Topeka on

My sister has the same problem with my 1 yr 2 month old niece. The doctor told her she wakes in the middle of the night like thisw because of a very high metabolism. He (the doctor) recomminded giving her benadril to help her sleep a little bit longer, as well as a snack before bed time

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N.L.

answers from Columbia on

I completely agree with Shelley S!! That method worked for me and maybe try a little baby cereal before bed or an extra bottle. (I fed my son at 6pm, 8pm, and 10pm before I put him down-they call it power feeding) He has slept through the night since he was two months!

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T.S.

answers from Kansas City on

One mom once old me to try to do a late nght feeding... aka a twigh-light feeding. Dont fully wake them up... just enought to feed them... like right before you crawl into bed.

good luck!!!

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D.M.

answers from Topeka on

Hi S.,

Even though he is a twin, he may have different needs. Since you are bottle feeding, the formula you are using is probably nutritionally insufficient for him. Try feeding him mashed ripe bananas. This is almost identical with breastmilk and will give him more of what he needs.
To learn more about the Biologically Correct Diet, go to www.blogger.com and read the blogs of WellnessSeeker.

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S.D.

answers from Topeka on

Most babies still wake during the nite time hrs. for a feeding it'll start to decrease after 9-10 months,I wouldn't let him cry it out till he is over a yr. even then i'd check on him to make sure he didn't have to burp a diaper change or needed his pacifier.

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S.L.

answers from Springfield on

Some just eat more than others. My oldest was easy at night and my other son ate till he was about 9 months at night. My daughter is 12 and a half months and still gets up to eat at night. Sometimes 2 times at night. She is actually eating thought, not just up and wanting to snuggle or play. She eats then goes back to bed. I can only get her to eat about 5 ounces at a time and i think that she just doesn't have a really full belly and needs more to make it thru the night.

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H.H.

answers from Kansas City on

Give him a bottle of water instead of formula or whatever you are giving him. They get used to eating at those times in the night and will continue to as long as they keep getting food. Try to feed him all his ounces required during the day and cut out the middle of the night feedings. After a week he probably won't want to wake up for water bottles anymore. It worked for all 3 of my kids. They were sleeping through the night at 2 months old.

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K.R.

answers from Kansas City on

I don't have any advice, just wanted to say that my son is 14 months and still not sleeping through the night most nights. We have tried letting him cry but he gets EXTREMELY upset, but when we give him a cup of milk he is back to sleep within a few minutes. I have decided not to fight it right now, since getting up for a few minutes is not too bad but listening to him scream for an hour until we give in is horrible. Sometimes it just takes a while I think.

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A.H.

answers from Kansas City on

My son didn't sleep through the night until he was 11 months old. He's two now and still wakes up occasionally. I couldn't let him cry it out because he too would wake up hungry. At about 11 months my doctor told me to turn off the monitors and try. It worked, but I still get him when he gets really upset. I can't help it.

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M.F.

answers from Springfield on

i would say to just keep giving him a bottle, if he is hungry then he is. my daughter is 10 months and she still wakes up to get a bottle at night. i have tried to just let her cry but it doesn't help. hope it all goes well.

M.

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T.C.

answers from Topeka on

My 7 month old just started sleeping through the night, and we had to let her cry it out. For the first few nights its hard, because it was so easy to top her off and put her right back to sleep. Honestly though that was a bad habit that was hard for me to break. He knows he's going to get fed and that's why he's waking up in the middle of the night. If you condition him otherwise then eventually he'll get the picture and realize you aren't going to feed him. Then it's like what's the point in waking up. The first week may be rough, but good luck and it will pay off when you and your husband can finally sleep through the night.

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A.B.

answers from Wichita on

Have you tried giving him a binky to go back to bed. My 7 1/2 month girl has been sleeping through the night since she was about 2 months. There are some days that she will wske up i give her the binky she will go back to sleep. Then there are a few times that i give her couple ounces of milk, goes right back to bed.

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D.L.

answers from Topeka on

My son woke up to eat at 4 am until he was three years old. The doctor explained it as a high metabolism and when I researched it, it made sense. At 5, he still eats like a horse and skinny as a rail. Have you started your son on cereal? I fed my son cereal at bedtime and that extended the time until he woke(originally it was 2 am). He still eats a bowl of oatmeal before going to bed and he sleeps better.

Good luck,
D.

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T.W.

answers from Kansas City on

Is he eating infant cereal and baby food also? Your baby might need more food during the day. I feed my 9 month old boy a 1/2 cup of infant cereal in the morning or afternoon and also right before bed. Also, a little of fruit, a little of vegetables or meat baby food 2 or 3 times a day. Maybe if you could fill up his belly more during the day, that might help. A little over a week ago, my son was off schedule with his sleeping pattern. Someone helped me by saying to fill his belly up as much as he wants and the night might be somewhat more peaceful. I hope I helped. I like this website. Mothers help others and also giving advice that they receive at times, and also what works for them. Good luck and God bless you guys.

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G.K.

answers from St. Louis on

If you baby eats food along with a bottle, feed him right before he is put down for the night, some fruit with some baby cereal in it. He might be waking because he is hungry.
Kaye

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V.H.

answers from Joplin on

I have heard that if you will try putting water in the bottle, the baby won't want it as much. I've never needed to try this, so I'm not sure. Good Luck.

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L.Y.

answers from Springfield on

I know your ped. has probably told you not to get solid food until about 1 yr. old, BUT sometimes you have a little one that needs to start a little earlier. Maybe some cereal to help him feel full at night.

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D.S.

answers from St. Louis on

I'm a Mother of Triplets. We had the same problem with one of our babies too. We have all three of them sleeping in the same room. When we decided enough was enough with him waking up during the night, we set a pack n' play in another bedroom. That night when he woke up, we went and got him out of his crib. We didn't talk or give any attention to him. We went in the other room and put him in the pack n'play. The first night he cried for about an hour before he fell asleep. The next night about 20 mins. The next night 5 mins. Now, everyonce in a while he will wake up (maybe once a week). When he does, I go to the old routine of the pack'n play. He usually will stop crying when I put him in it now. Hope that helps.

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S.H.

answers from Kansas City on

My son did the same thing. Our doctor suggested slowly decreasing the amount you feed him each night and that our son would learn to get those calories at his last meal or at breakfast the next morning. Since you are already bottlefeeding, this should be easy to measure. Just decrease the amount 1-2 oz every few nights. After about a week and a half of this, my son slept through the night a few nights in a row and then we knew he didn't really need to eat anymore and could just pat him or let him cry it out if he awoke.

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M.C.

answers from St. Louis on

Individual differences. I had 5 kids none of them sleep through the night until well after a year. Our son was over a year and half. I wouldn't like to be left alone to cry any thing out on my own, I always assumed our babies wouldn't either. It is a drag, but think how much more confident your child could be knowing that they can always depend on you, even in the stinking middle of the night. This to will pass ,hang in there, he really does appreciate it.
Nelda C
M. of 5 almost all grown kids.

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M.N.

answers from St. Louis on

Sleeping through the night for any child under the age of two is a five hour stretch. Those who are blessed with more are truly blessed. Just as eveyone else has said his needs are different and if more to eat is what he needs, than that need can be met. Good Luck S.---You, your husband and sons, will be fine, just think in the future you will have three teen boys to feed and they are always hungry. Cheers, M. N.

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C.R.

answers from St. Louis on

All kids are diffrent. My thirty year old started sleeping through the night at two weeks and was always on a schegule. My seventeen year old got up every night and took a bottle untill fifteen monthes and never got her on a schegule. All kids are diffrent, just because one twin does it doesn't mean the other will.

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S.S.

answers from Wichita on

I have 7 year old twin boys. Cameron started sleeping through the night at 4 months old. Logan would wake up every night until he was 2 1/2! What I did was layed him in his bed to go to sleep on his own. He CRIED and I waited 5 minutes, would go in, pat him and tell him it was ok and walk out of the room. He would keep crying and I would wait 5 minutes and go in and do the same thing. I did it every 5 minutes a couple times, and then waited 7 minutes and then 9. This went on for over an hour and he went to sleep on his own. When he woke up in the middle of the night I did the same thing. That lasted TWO nights and he has slept through the night ever since. It's very tiring the first couple nights and it sad to hear them cry, but it really does work.
Look luck!
S.

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N.H.

answers from Columbia on

Try putting cereal in his bottle at bedtime. And make it a little thick. That's what worked for me when my son was little. He is now 8. It's the only a suggestion. Good luck

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