Almost 6 Months, Still Waking at Night

Hi M.,

Try putting a little rice cereal with her milk for the night. This really helped my son at 6 months old (he's now 3), so this will pass. My son was sleeping through the night at 3 weeks, but there was about a month when he was around 6 months old that he was waking up through the night again and that's when I tried the rice cereal in his milk. It REALLY helped and he started sleeping through the night again without any problems. I hope this helps!:o)

I am a mom of 2, I had absolutely no issues with my daughter sleeping through the night she did it at 2 weeks old slept from 10:00pm to 6:00am everyday. She would wake up at 6 to be fed an changed and then go back to sleep until 10:00. Then came my son who did not sleep through the night until he was 22 months old. Every night no matter what time we put him down he was up at 2:00 in the morning for a bottle. My only suggestion is to reverse her night bottle and her cereal. Give her a bottle so she doesnt get over fussy then give her a bath and before bed give her the cereal. It lasts longer in their system so she might do better. But honestly nothing worked for my son. I tried everything and it was just "his" not "my" routine to get up at 2:00. Sometimes we just do not have control of how there body works. It is frusterating but it does get easier as she gets older.

Not sleeping through the night at 6 months??!! Try 2 years! My son is 2 and a half and finally started sleeping through the night at 2. It will happen. I tried to follow as much advise as i could about it, but all babies are different and they are all on their own clock. Once again, it will happen. Waking at 6 months seems pretty normal to me.

Hi Shay ~

I am a first time mom too so I still have lots to learn. However, when my daughter (who is 13 month now) was about the same age as your daughter she seemed hungry in the middle of the night too and would wake up around the same time too. So one of my friends had a suggestion. I'm 37 and most of my friends have already had kids and they are all grown up now. In your case none of your friends have had children yet, but I'm just the opposite...I'm having kids late and my friends always have advice to give. Anyhow, what I did was mix cereal into her nighttime bottle. This seemed to satify her tummy and she continued to sleep through the night. Just make the nipple whole bigger so the cereal can come through. I would put about 2 or 3 tablespoons of cereal into her bottle. Good luck! :)

I have two children a two year old and an eight month old. The boy is older the girl is younger so I have had the best and worst of both worlds.
What I can tell you that has worked for me and others I know of is if all she will eat is four ounces that is fine but maybe with the four ounces of water do two scoops of formula and two scoops of rice to thicken it up a bit.
The other alternative although it kind of sucks is to put ear plugs in and let her cry it out, I understand she may be hungry but she will not starve to death and what this does sometimes is trains the child to understand she needs to drink more before bed at night. I do not let my daughter go to bed with less than six ounces of formula in her.

Hope this helps,
C.
www.enaturemarket.com

Hello there! Have you thought about getting her to bed earlier? I have noticed with our son if he gets overtired he wakes up all throughout the night and then since he is awake realizes he is hungry and wants to eat! LOL We started something new and get him to sleep by 7:30 or 8:00 and he would sleep throught the night until 6:00am plus have a 2 2 hour naps during the day. Maybe that will work. Every baby is different though so good luck!!!!

My son still does this and is almost 2! He wakes up about 2 or 3 times for milk or just to come into our bed and snuggle. I can't get him to stop. I would love to know if there are others who have this problem too.

K.
www.DirectSalesRadioShow.com

My son is almost 15 months, and is still not sleeping through the night. He still wakes up to nurse and won't take a bottle. Since your daughter is taking a bottle, I have heard that giving her a bottle with water instead of milk helps at night. They eventually learn that they are not going to get milk, and stop waking up for it. It might take a few days though for it to work. good luck to you.

According to the books I have read, it is normal for children to wake at least once, and sometimes twice a night at this age. My son will be five months on the 28th and last night was the first night he only fed once. He went to bed at 7, ate at 1, and woke again at 3:30. I knew he wasn't hungry then so I just put a pacifier in and he went back to sleep until 6:30. I think you should continue to feed your child at 2, but ignore her when she wakes next (assuming it's within a few hours). I've found that my little guy will fuss for a bit, but then goes back to sleep. Good luck!

Your baby is still very young, and that's just how it is.
I know this is not the advice you want to hear!
I had to set my mind to deal with this situation, and it actually helped tremendously.(I'll explain later)
I have 4 children, 2,11,17&20.
The first two slept through the night since they were born. The third baby didnt sleep through till 12 mo. and I remember being so agitated and tired.When he was about 12mo. I read a book that said to let him cry a little longer each time (like 2 mins.) before I would go to him. So I had to devote a night of no sleep and keep a timer next to me, but that eventually worked in about a week!
I'm unsure if it would work w/a baby as young as your's.
My 4th baby didnt sleep through the night untill she was 1yr.also. But being older now I was in a different state of mind, I didnt let her crying annoy me, I expected her to wake up and I would just deal with it and be grateful I decided to have one last kid.
I know you have a different life than I do. Your much busier with school than I was but my whole point of this long story is to try to RELAX and dont get frustrated with your precious baby girl. It will get better!

Hi Shay,
After raising 2 girls and now on a grandchild, I can tell you what worked with all of them ...
I always gave a cereal bottle, at least 6 ounces of formula with 2-3 tablespoons of cereal, and from about 4 months old, on, they would sleep through the night until about 6:30 - 7:00 a.m. or so...
My daughter does this now with my granddaughter, but she also adds a teaspoon of Gerber applesauce, to help with pooping because the rice cereal seemed to bind her up a bit. She is 4 months old and sleeps from around 7-8 pm till about 5:30- 6 a.m.
Maybe give this a try and see if it works? Sounds to me that the 4 ounces isn't enough to keep her content through the night..
Hope this helps!
M.

i have a nine month that still dosent sleep all night. the doc tells me that they just have to learn how to longer without food. have to you tired to put the rice cereal in the bottle at night that should help her sleep longer. but it really up to the baby when they sleep all night. i hope that helped a little.

C.

Try just rocking her to sleep when she wakes up at night. She needs to get used to not eating late at night because she might gain weight. She might also get too used to waking up at night and you feeding her and as long as you do that, she will continue to wake up and expect the feeding which could continue until she's older so breaking the habit right now would be the right thing to do.

My first started sleeping through the night at 16 months. My second started sleeping through the night at 10 months. Everyone is different - don't worry this phase will end. Good luck!

Hi,
I am actually going thru the same thing as you are....My daughter is 5 months and just started eating cereal...she is actually sleeping a little better at night now, but still wakes up aroung 2-3 to eat....she goes right back to sleep and then is up at 6 or 7... What I can tell you is at each feeding in the middle of the night give her less and less, if she eating 4 oz now, tonight try just giving her 3oz and so on.... after shes done eating stick her paci in and let her fall back asleep..... evetually she will stop waking up.....
How often does she eat during the day? that also plays a role in how they sleep at night....if shes eating often during the day then her body is used to wanted to eat in the middle of the night. But every baby is different and Ive heard of babys not sleeping thru the night for a long time.....

I admit up front I have no experience with bottle fed babies. The author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution would say the following:
1. five hours is considered a night's sleep for a baby. Meaning that's a good stretch for a baby.
2. Put her down earlier
3. She is legitimately hungry, as you say, and just needs to eat. She is still very young to be going 8+ hours without filling her tummy. Some babies may go a long time at that age, but many do not.

The fact that she goes back to sleep easily is great. Honestly, I'm jealous. You actually have a great situation for a five month old: She has a regular, predictable sleep routine. She only gets up once a night and she goes right back to sleep after feeding. I would have killed for that! I know it's hard now, but soon this will be a distant memory. Try not to get too frustrated.

What I was told and read and it worked for me is not to give her that feeding at 2:00 or whenever she wakes up. It might take her a few days to realize that she's waking up for nothing since you are not giving her anything. She will not starve if she doesn't have that bottle. I also gave this advise to a friend of mine and it worked for her as well. Good luck! I found more on this:

Does your kid get plenty of sleep? Probably not! In fact, studies show that 65 percent of children don’t get enough sleep. So, here’s how to guarantee sound sleep, courtesy of First magazine:

For kids under a year old the biggest sleep stealer is needless nighttime nursing. Almost 25 percent of infants sleep fewer than 6 straight hours. Dr. Jodi Mendell at the Sleep Disorders Center says that’s because babies are usually fed every time they cry, conditioning them to wake up at specific times. The solution: White noise. Tune the radio to the static between AM stations. A recent study found it helped 40 percent of wake-prone babies to sleep through the night on the first try. And within 6 months, every infant in the study slept through the night. Why? The muffled sounds mimic noises heard in the womb.
Then, 20 percent of kids between 1 and 5 years old wake up during the night. So, lots of parents cuddle their kids until they nod off again. But that trains them to fall asleep only around mom or dad. Sleep expert Dr. Gary Freed suggests turning out the light and leaving the room before they fall asleep. But if your child balks, offer an incentive for falling asleep on their own for 3 nights in a row. Like stickers, or a trip to the zoo. Kids tend to meet short-term challenges when a reward is at stake. And 3 nights is all it usually takes for a new sleep pattern to take hold.
80 percent of elementary school kids struggle to stay awake in class. Why? Evening activities like watching TV or playing video games exposes them to light, tricking their body into thinking it’s daytime. That’s from Dr. Michael Smolensky, author of The Body Clock Guide to Better Health. But since your kids probably won’t go for turning off all light-emitting machines two hours before bedtime, try this: Expose them to bright light for an hour after they wake up. It’ll reset the body clock so kids get sleepy earlier, and are more willing to go to bed.

HI, I would suggest changing the time a little. Maybe do your routine a half hour early, put her to bed by 8:30. Or may 8. Remember when you eat right before you go to bed you wake up soooo hungry, maybe since she is eating heavier (a little) food the same is for her. Maybe also try water instead of formula or ceral in the middle of the nite. Hope something works!!! take care and keep us posted!!! W.

All babies are different. I have three girls and my first two slept through the night at 7 weeks. My third is a different story. She is 10.5 months old and still wakes up to nurse. She will figure it out. And just keep telling yourself, "this too shall pass." :) She won't wake up forever. If you want to try the "cry it out" routine, I hear it works well. I have tried it but after 60 min., I would rather just let the rest of the house sleep. (baby is next door to the big girls) Good luck. Enjoy the fact that she still needs you now.

Shay,

When my son was born, I breastfed for only about a month, and then quit because he seemed so hungry all the time, and I was plumb exhausted from being up for feeding every hour to hour and a half. What we did to assist in sleeping through the night was actually add some cereal to the bottle before bed, to make the consistency a little thicker and the formula more filling. He was also taking an 8 oz bottle at less than 3 months of age, though. What I would recommend in your particular situation is maybe doing the baby food at 8:00 (a fruit and/or a veggie), then do the cereal bottle at 8:30. She will probably be more "filled" and that should help keep her from waking so much during the night. Keep in mind that once you change something, however slight that change might be, it may take some adaptation on her part. My son didn't have a problem with changes in routine unless they were major, but don't give up if your daughter needs a couple of days to adjust. Also, if you do fortify the bottle with cereal, make it a watery paste consistency, and use a knife or pair of scissors to make the holes in the bottle nipples slightly larger to allow the cereal to flow through, then make sure you know which nipples are which and only use those nipples with the larger openings for cereal-formula bottles, and I have found that oatmeal works best, but rice can be used for variety if preferred. Best of luck!

You daughters behavior doesnt sound abnornal. Every child is different and even if other people are telling you that their child sleeps through the night your child may not be ready. My daughter didn't sleep throught the night until just before one year old and all my friends were telling me that their kids had done it way before that. Sleep issues are one of the most frustrating issues we deal with as parents and it doesn't stop with infancy. I hope it brings you some comfort to know that your daughter is not doing anything abnormal and that you are not alone in your sleeplessness.

Hi Shay,
Bless your heart. It's not unusual for babies to still wake up at night wanting some milk. My son did at that age and I believe it was about when he was 1 and a half when he started weaning off the bottle at night. I'm glad that you are sitting up with your baby girl and giving her the milk because that's the safest thing to do when they are hungry at night. Some parents still give their babies bottles at night and leave them unattended...which isn't safe at all. You're doing just fine girlfriend. I tried giving my son the rice milk, oatmeal etc to help fill his tummy, but the fact is, he didn't take it as well as the warm milk (actually formula at six months). I did however feed him the cereal in the morning and for his dinner. He got veggies for his lunch. Formula in between meals. He got his cereal when he got up in the morning,and some formula, then formula after a couple of hours, then he had his veggies, along with his formula, and for dinner he got his cereal, and a little bit of formula, and then right before bedtime he would have some more formula. He's two now and he still likes his milk before bedtime. :-) At six months, its normal for your little girl to want some formula/breast milk every 3 hours aprox. Keep up your routine because it will be helpful in the long run when she gets older. Best wishes and kudos to you for continuing your schooling! Keep up the good work! PS: If you would like to be pen pals/email pals, I would really like it! I could always use more friends to give advice as well. Here is my email address: ____@____.com
Take care,G.

Perhaps try an 8 ounce bottle. She may be hungrier than you think. My boys never drank just 4 ounces, always 6 or 8. Some kids require less sleep than others. My 3 year old has been sleeping through the night since he was a few months old. But,I hate to tell you this, my 2 year old son still does not sleep through the night. Good luck!

S.

I would really hate to see you let her cry, especially if she is hungry. This is when she is learning trust, so she needs to know you are there for her, even if that means you are trying to find other things to do rather than feed her. I would go to www.askdrsears.com for more resources. I would also recommend reading The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantly. It will help you get her to sleep through the night gently and lovingly.

Shay,

Have you consider switch to a different baby cereal? I feed my 7 month old oatmeal baby food.

Take care.

Hi there! Just to let you know, my 2 yr old daughter just started sleeping through the night this past week. She used to wake up once a night up till then..... :)

You can try giving a bigger bottle at dinner. Instead of a 4 oz, try a 6 or an 8. That may help. Some children dont sleep through the night. My daughter didnt until 2.

Hi Shay,

I guess no real advise, but maybe knowing that others out there understand and feel your pain may help.

My daughter, which just turned one year has been waking every two hours, on the dot, since she was born. It has been very hard to adjust with working a full time stressful job, pregnant again (7 months now) and keep my little one happy. I have got to say that no matter what I have tried this is just they way things are and I have learned to mentally adjust to her needs. My daughter is now eating more table foods and is off of formula but now drinking cow milk. She seems to drink less ounces but refuses to sleep through the night. I can't imagine what it'll be like when baby brother is born. yippee.

Best of luck to you and if you find a magic answer please share.

A little about me:

I am a 30 year old, first time mother of a 1 yr old daughter and am pregnant at 7 months expecting a boy. I love my daughter with all my heart and just wish we could be together every hour that passes.

Hey Shay-
I've responded to a few moms with advice on getting their child to sleep through the night. What I said was kinda lengthy but I guarantee you'll get her sleeping through the night in less than a week. My son was the same age & still not sleeping through the night. But to see the advice go to a post dated Monday December 4, 2006 from Leslie R called Seeking Advise for Sleep Issues. You can do a search either by dates or by topic. If you just need me to cut & paste let me know.
J. J

Shay, I feel you pain. My son is 8 months old and still has to have a bottle every 3 hours, day or night. We feed him baby food and cereal and shortly after he still wants his bottle of milk. Doctor told us to replace the night bottles with water so he will stop drinking at night, but my son is more stubborn than I. He will just scream till he's gagging and keep screaming after, but once we give him a bottle, he's fast asleep. I think they know their own tummies.. they'll let you know when they are ready to give it up. No point in making their lives miserable by taking away their comfort. On the other hand, my daugter was about 6 months when she would go to bed at 9pm, wake up at 1am for a feeding and slept till 7 in the morning. So each child's different. Hope that helps comfort you a little :)

Have you tried giving her rice cereal when she wakes up at 2?
This might help her to be more fulfilled and sleep through the remainder of the night. Hope maybe this will help. It is rough when they don't sleep through the night. My youngest son didn't sleep through the night till he was almost 9 months old. There were quite a few nights where we both cried ourselves to sleep. Good Luck.

My child did the same thing- by 6 months they should be eating a 6-8 oz bottle 4-6 times a day in addition to rice cereal. You should be giving her 1-2 tbsp's 1-2 times a day. At 6-8 months she should have a 6-8oz bottle 3-5 times a day. She is probably hungry and going through a growth spurt. My son did the same thing- he is now 10 months old takes a 8 oz bottle 4-5 times a day in additon to solid food and just now sleeps thru the night.
Good luck

My son didn't start to sleep the whole night through till he was about 10 months or so. Don't be discouraged! Every child is different! And now when he isn't feeling good or teething, he won't sleep more then a couple of hours at a time! Another suggestion my doctor gave me was to ut some of the Baby Cereal in his bottle! That way he fills up faster and will sleep longer! give it a try!

Hi Shay,

Of all things, I would highly encourage you to get involved in a MOPS group...Mothers of Preschoolers! It is a national organization, dedicated to supporting moms with babies through school age children. They are typically held at local churches, but are not overly pushy, just lots of moms like us wanting help and support! I went online to mops.org and found there are 5 in Tucson...you may want to check them out!!

Start the routine earlier - she should be going to bed around 7:00. Healhty Sleep Habits, Happy child - great book.

Also, don't feed her unless it has been 5-6 hours. My baby is just over 5 months. She mostly sleeps through the night. I have been getting her to bed now between 7 & 8. If she wakes and starts crying, not just a little fussing, I go in and rub her belly and stroke her head and say " Shhhh". If this does not work after a few minutes, I will pick her up and rock her in my arms until she is almost back to sleep, then I put her back in her crib. I only feed her if she is throwing a fit and nothing else works. Good luck

There's an adage about mothers being right, and you are! Your baby is hungry. Usually a six mo old needs more solids than you have described. Sometimes adding cereal to milk at bedtime gets them over the hump. Feeding some solids throughout the day helps. You will probably want to check with your doctor but having raised three of my own and having a day care, I can safely say this works. Good luck.