9 Month Old Wakes up Several Times at Night - Ideas to Help Her Sleep Better?

Updated on January 26, 2012
P.G. asks from Durham, NC
5 answers

Hello all
I have a wonderful, beautiful and happy 9 month old baby girl. She has been sleeping through the night since about 5 months old. She has a bed time routine that works for her. She does get sleepy around 7 and goes down to bed rather easily. She does wake up through out the night, however. Sometimes just a few times. Last night was 6 times, after I went to bed. Quite frankly, this part is wearing me out. She takes a pacifier and likes to cover and cuddle with her blanket, so these are present at bed time. She is able to roll onto her belly, but gets upset when she does and doesn't sleep well on her belly. I always put her on her back for sleep and she does sleep well on her back. She'll roll on her belly, then cry out. I'll go in and turn her on her back, then she's fine, until she does it again. Is there a way to help her stay on her back? I was going to try a wedge, but she is really squirmy and moves around in her bed. Any other thoughts? Many thanks.

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M.P.

answers from Raleigh on

I would try taking out the blanket. We thought my 16 mo old liked her blanket, but she would roll over on her tummy and get tangled up. So we took it out and that helped tremendously. Not to mention if she has a pacifier. We noticed her paci would fall out and get wound up in the blanket. Then she really was mad! Do the footed sleeper, put her on her back, and if she rolls over, then so be it. She has to learn at some point how to roll back over if that is where she wants to be. If you are turning her over every time, she'll never learn! Hope this helps!

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M.R.

answers from Minneapolis on

This is a very typical time for babies to have sleep issues even if they have been good sleepers up til now.
A lot of things are happening to your baby right now. Learning new skills both physical and emotional that can have a big affect on her sleeping. I know that right before a big milestone or overcoming a big emotional development losing sleep happens often.
I have heard of moms using a rolled up blanket to keep them on their backs. But, really its just a matter of them getting used to this new milestone! I hope you all get some needed sleep soon. And hope this helps! Keep up the good work.

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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

put her in footed P.'s so you know she is not cold. make sure she is dry and here is the biggie give her a nice big snack before bed. she is probably hungry. as for the going in and turning her over. i would stop doing that. she will fuss a little bit but let her learn to self soothe she is old enough. you have trained her to cry out to get you to come in and roll her over.

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Sleep is NEVER static in a baby. It always changes.

Your baby, is also at a growth-spurt time.
9 months is a big growth-spurt period.
At growth-spurts, they get hungrier, more often, and NEED more intake... so that intake keeps up with them and their development.
Solids... is not as nutritionally dense, as breastmilk or Formula.
Feed her, breastmilk/Formula, on-demand. Day and night.

They are also, changing physically too. So this tweaks them and their sleep. It is all, normal.

Feed her.

Per our Pediatrician, for the 1st year of life, you need to nurse/or give her her bottle, on-demand.

Babies at this age, do NOT know how.... to control their physical movements nor do they know how... to get themselves back into a sleep position. So you need to help her.
Babies don't even have coordination yet.

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J.B.

answers from Raleigh on

This is going to sound irrelevant, but you might try yogurt. Sometimes kids wake up in the night because they are hungry but they don't realize it. A little yogurt before they go to bed has some protein to stabilize her blood sugar so she won't feel hungry in the night and get squirmy. It sounds random but it totally worked for my kid.

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