9 Month Old Won't sleep...Need Help Please!!!

Updated on January 30, 2012
M.S. asks from Troutdale, OR
6 answers

Ok, so most of you know i have two wonderful kids. Our little girl is doing ok, but she doesn't want to potty train, I'm sure you probably read that post, and we have decided to just let her do it when she wants to. Thanks for that. But, now I need help.

My wonderful little guy is 28 pounds at 9 months. He eats solid food at least 3 times a day, we have dinner about 2 hours before bed (about 9:30). He eats and eats and then has a bottle. He goes to bed about 11:30 or 12 and sleeps until about 4. Then he wakes up at 6 and 9 and gets up at 11. He used to sleep through the night so this is hard on us. But we were doing ok with it. But, now, its even worse. He wakes up between 2 and 3 and then at 5 and 7 and 8 and still all the other "normal" times. We get up, change him, give him a bottle, binky, move him,change his clothes, blankets, anything we can think of. I have tried taking him back to bed with me and that works sometimes, but I don;t want him to sleep in my bed because then it is so hard to break later.

He used to sleep in his graco soother in his carseat for his acid reflux/GERD, but he was so uncomfy in it, that we got him a crib which he likes. He will take naps in it for about 3 hours during the day, but that seems his limit. We have tried a warm room, a cold room, in the the middle, it doesn't seem to matter. A lot of the time he is asleep when he is crying, or even screaming, and I will get him up, rock him, snuggle him, and sometimes even wake him up to get him to stop crying. I don't know what else to do, but my husband and I are exhausted! He is in our room so that we can get up easier with him, do any of you have any suggestions? Thanks so much! Ps last night we tried putting him back in his soother, but it was the same thing, and didn't matter.

Thanks for advice so far....I wanted to add some stuff to see if that helps. He used to sleep through the nigth without any feedings until about 3 or 4 weeks ago. He isn't getting any teeth that I can find, he has 6 so far, so he is due for some more I know. I can't let him cry it out because when he cries he is ASLEEP and it gets to desperate screaming like he is hurting or something. Is it possible its night terrors? I have added Zantac back in thinking maybe that was the problem, but it doesn't seem to have made a difference. I only change him at night because he is soaked and if I don't then he will leak and be very upset. I use nighttime diapers in a size too big for him too. I don't think he eats too much because he is solid and in his curve for his growth. The only baby pudge he has is on his legs. (He looks like a little football player with his pads on even when he's naked.) I know the schedule isn't ideal, I have been working to change it, but I have big sister and daddy to fight with to do it, so this is where I've gotten to, it used to be much later. I hope the extra info helps.

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So What Happened?

I did a lot of research and figured out that he was having night terrors. We tried a few of their tricks, and he seems to be doing a lot better. He also got a new tooth at the same time. Thanks for the advice on sleeping, he wasn't sleeping well or enough rather, so we are giving him a nap for as long as he wants after every 2 hours of being awake. He hasn't had any more in almost a week. He is still waking up 1-4 times a night, but he is doing so much better. One night he only woke up once! Thanks everyone.

More Answers

L.M.

answers from Dover on

What time does he get up and stay up for the day? A three hour nap is too long during the day.

It sounds like you need to try to get him on a better schedule. If he is a one nap a day kid (mine were)..up by 7-7:30, nap around 12-2 (at the longest), dinner closer to 6 (done by 7 at the latest) and then tire him out so he will go to sleep by 9:30. If he really needs two naps...definately up around 7 am, nap around 10-11, nap around 1-2, and still dinner and bed times still the same.

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B.G.

answers from Champaign on

Wow! All of the answers you've gotten are very different, and I'm about to add another to the mix.

First of all, I stopped changing my kids diapers in the middle of the night long before 9 months. Only change them if they're poopy or soaking wet. Changing them just wakes them up (and me) more.

Second, if they wake, pick them up and feed them as soon as possible. I never let my kids cry in the middle of the night. If they are crying (especially at such a young age), it is because they need me. Pick them up immediately. There is no reason not to. It is very likely he is hungry. He really could be going through a growth spurt.

Third, if feeding him doesn't work, then you try other things. For us, it was bringing them into bed with us. That almost always did the trick. They just wanted to be close to us. Once they were in our bed, they were usually out like a light.

If brining him into bed with you works, I'd do it. There really is no need to worry about forming a habit. They change so much at that age that the only habits being formed are by mom and dad. Most kids who co-sleep will decide on their own that they are done.

Our kids both start every night in their own bed and they have since they were about 16 months old. Prior to that the philosophy in our house was, "whatever works," so they did begin many nights in bed with us. If they wake in the middle of the night and want to join us, they are welcome to. They don't do it too often, but the option is always there.

I would relax a little bit, and just keep trying things. You'll find what works for you.

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M.W.

answers from Chicago on

First....rule out an ear infection. Has he been pulling on his ears?

Do not rock him, snuggle him, or take him out of his crib. He needs to learn how to put himself back to sleep. Trust me I made all the same mistakes and now I have a 9 year-old who tries to come in our bed still.....
Establish a routine like.... bath, bottle, book, bed....and do it every night at the same time.
If you hear him...go in and say "SHHH" a few times give him his paci back and walk out. Try using some white noise like a fan and a nightlight. Do not give him a bottle in bed either. It will be so bad for his teeth. My dental hygenist was just telling me some horror stories about little one with horrible teeth and lots of fillings due to going to bed with a bottle of milk.

He is going to cry. Every night though the crying will be shorter and shorter. It will be hard on you at first....but it will work.

There are many good books out there to help..I would say go to your library....one I can think of is The Super Nanny Book(She talks about this) and the Seven Habits of Happy Babies.....

Good Luck......
Have a glass of wine and try not to focus on the crying...he will learn how to do it and it will be great!!!!

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C.B.

answers from Boston on

Stop feeding him at night. I actually stimulates his bowels and is keeping him awake. Get the Ferber book from the library or Amazon.com. It will explain if you want to wean him off night feedings slowly. I used Ferber for one of my kids, and let the first one cry it out. Ferber works in about 2-3 weeks and is gentler. Crying it out worked in 5 nights but she did cry for 4 hours each of those nights.

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S.B.

answers from Dallas on

MY kids never slept well (for that matter they still don't) when they were over tired. Is it possible that going to bed around midnight is just too late for him (unless I misunderstood)? That schedule seems a bit late for a baby.

Another issue to look as is whether or not he is teething. Teething destroyed my children's sleep schedule for a bit. Fortunately, it was only temporary and seemed to subside once the tooth popped out.

S.L.

answers from Kansas City on

It sounds to me like he's eating too much and too much feeding in the night, if I understood that correctly. He should not be sleeping for 3 hours in the day and then maybe earlier bedtime and earlier to get up would help him sleep through the night. I would not just let him eat and eat either. Give him a certain amount and bottle and then none during the night. That probably helps the reflux/Gerd be worse too.

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