9 Month Old Trouble Sleeping

Go to him. I know you're tired, I know it's exhausting, but if he's crying he needs you.

Night time parenting is just as important as daytime parenting. He doesn't magically stop needing his mommy just because the sun goes down.

If you baby is crying for you, go to him.

You will not ruin him or spoil him by going to him and comforting him in the middle of the night. He's not waking you up to manipulate you. He really does want his mommy.

Years from now you will never say to yourself, "Gee, I wish I had been more strict with him at night." But you might say, "I'm so glad I snuggled with my baby when he was little."

There in lays the problem with sleep training. It must be done after every sickness/milestone/growth spurt. There is not way to really know what the problem is or why the little one is waking. They can't exactly tell us, so do you ignore it and hope it's a phase or do you answer their needs and at least know that you are doing all that you can for them?

Personally I answer their call for me. I do what needs to be done, that way I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I have no in any way missed a need of theirs.

Sounds to me like he's going through a phase where he needs extra comforting. I don't know if you'll have to sleep train him again after he's done teething - some babies are happy to be out of pain and go right back to good sleeping habits, others don't. But if he needs you now, I say go to him. And, try to catch a nap on Saturday afternoon when someone else can comfort him - even a babysitter if need be - so you aren't so exhausted.

Also, FWIW, at this exact age, both my kids suddenly needed more food. It took me a few weeks to figure out with my first one. He was a great sleeper who started waking in the night. Then one day I stuffed him full of as much oatmeal as I could before bed, and he went right back to sleeping through the night. Too bad it took me several weeks of night waking before I figured that out! It didn't take me so long to figure it out with my second child :)

I am a big believer in sleep training but when teething or sickness happens, all bets are off. You have not ruined it, you are just consoling him during real pain and discomfort, so don't worry!

I'm sure once teething stops it will go back to normal pretty easily, it did with both my kids. If you're not already, just go ahead and give him some tylenol before bed to pre-empt the strike. He could also be hungry. If he's going through a growth spurt, he might just need a little more food before bed. I wouldn't suggest feeding him in the middle of the night however because then I don't think he'll be so easy to get back to bed. That might ruin your sleep training, in my opinion.

There is no way, a baby sleeps the same ALL the time everyday or night, regardless if they are sleep trained or not.
ALL babies, go through varying appetites everyday, and growth spurts and teething and these things often occur at the same time.

When 9 months old, this is a growth spurt time. Their needs for intake increases and more frequently. For the 1st year of life... a baby's PRIMARY source of nutrition is breastmilk or Formula, and it needs to be given on demand, in order to supply the baby with what they need.
Solids, is not nutritionally adequate. Feeding by a schedule, does not work, because everyday, a baby's needs for intake varies. So feed breastmilk/Formula when baby needs it. And that is 24/7, day and night.
For the 1st year of life, breastmilk/Formula is a building block need for development.
This is all per our Pediatrician as well.

If a baby is hitting a growth spurt, and breastfeeding/Formula does not keep up with baby's needs, they will not be getting what they need. And they will be hungry.

Ditto Mom2many.

Baby's sleep... varies all the time.
No baby/child/toddler/Tween/Teen/College Kid/Adult/Elderly... has slept the same way all their life. It changes.

A baby, cognitively and physically changes a great deal, every month. And so does their sleep. Sleep trained or not.
It is not static.

Hi, M.:

Ask your ped for Hurricane gel for his gums.
Use it when he experiences alot of pain.

Good luck.
D.