Baby Wakes up at Night

I have a daycare client using a method from a book called Baby Wise and her little 3 mo old is already sleeping through the night. That baby is the most content baby I have EVER watched. Happy and growing like a weed.

When you did CIO, did you go back in the room at all? We found that CIO works best if you are firm and don't go back in at all. That just seemed to get our kids all worked up again. Within a few days of doing pure CIO, our kids were sleeping through the night.

I really love the book the Baby Whisperer. I think a routine helps. I would let my guy cry for 5 min. then I would pick him up for no more then a min. and put him back down. It took from 3am-6am the first time. (The next day it took and hour, the next 20min.) I think the key is to commit. Remember if you give in the next time will be harder. (I have not been as commited to nap training and have been struggling.)

I don't have a true answer just encouragement. My daughter didnt sleep through the night until15 months and naps were hit and miss. It's hard to search for the reasoning so I just encourage you to hang in there and nap together. He will sleep and you will survive!!!!!

My 10 week old has been sleeping through the night (8-10 hours each night without waking) for 2 weeks now. When she was about 6 months old I started a "schedule" and I use it as a guideline. We follow an eat, play and then sleep schedule. She eats every 3-4 hours, so the schedule is based around eating. She eats, "plays" for about 1-1.5 hrs and then sleeps (sometimes). I do not let her nap longer than 2 hours if she does sleep. When her nap is over we do it all over again until bedtime. I will say she is not a good napper, she usually takes one good nap (2 hrs.) in the morning and then a cat nap or two in the afternoon. When she skips a nap I just feed her at 3 hours from the last feeding and start the schedule all over again with eat, play, sleep- if that makes sense.

At bedtime she eats (and usually an ounce or 2 more than at any other meal- like her body knows she needs to stock up for a long snooze), has a warm bath and then we have soothing time. The lights are down low, she is in pjs and swaddled. We run a fan for white noise and play a nature sound machine in her bed (the sound machine shuts off after 10 or so minutes). I rock and soothe her until she is almost asleep (sing lullaby, play with her hair). When she is almost asleep I put her down so she can finish putting herself to sleep. Last night she slept 10 hours. When she wakes she is the happiest thing I have ever seen and she stays happy all day. The only times she fusses is when she is ready to eat or ready for bed.

Several of my friends have followed these same guidelines and their babies slept through the night before 3 months too. (the guidelines are a combo of tips from Baby Wise and Let the Children Come Along the Infant Way, plus tips from friends) I don't know if it works for everyone, but it works for us. When we first started the "schedule" she just slept in longer increments. At first it was 4 hours stretches and then 6 and now 8-10. When she did wake up at 4 and 6 hrs. I made a point to make bedtime "business only". No fun. I would change her, feed & burp her and then put her right back down. No talking, no singing, lights low. Babies need to know night time is for sleeping and sleeping only. It takes a little patience and trial and error, but it worked for us. Good luck!

do you add cereal to his bottle. if he feels fuller he wont wake up as often and may sleep through the night. have you tried the side to side swings. gradually wing him down at naptime build a routine and lay next to him but dont hold him so he can get used to the feeling. dont let yourself get to wore out make sure you get plenty of YOU time even if its to read a chapter in a book away. get a close friend to watch him grandparents whoever you trust

Hi, B.-
I don't have a solution for you (sorry). My first was not a sleeper either. He was 10 months before he slept through the night. Since then, he has been an awesome sleeper! But before that, I thought I was going a little insane from the lack of sleep. I decided to co-sleep. At 10 months, we let him cry it out- it was painful for both of us, but in about 3 days, he had learned to soothe himself. Looking back, I see just how quickly the time went. Everyone has different opinions on co-sleeping and crying it out- you just have to do what works best for you and your baby. As hard as it is when you're sleepy, try to enjoy this time! Before you know it, he'll be a six year old!

I don't necessarily have a solution per se, but I just wanted you to know that around this age is when my son kept waking up during the day and other mommas on here have also said the same. There is DEFINITELY something about this age that disrupts their sleep for some reason. Anyway, I know you have tried everything, but just keep trying, I guess that's what this whole motherhood thing is all about. I have no idea what I'm doing, but I just try the best I can to fix the situation (whether it be sleep, self-feeding, or anything) and before I know it, my baby's mastered it or is doing okay. I have been in your shoes and in a couple of weeks you'll look back and say "whew! glad that's over" and "I did it!". I wish you the best of luck b/c I know it's very frustrating. On advice, the only thing I can suggest I did is the Supernanny trick, even though he's so young. I'd just go lay him back down. Of course he gets up, but after you do it so many times they tire themselves out and it gets easier as the days pass. Sorry for the long response but I wanted you to know it was okay and to just keep trying okay?
All us mamas are behind you! :)

I just went through the same thing of getting my son to sleep through the night. When he would wake up, I would just go to his room, lay him down and say night night and walk out. This way he knows you are still there if he needs you, but knows he has to go back to sleep on his own. This took about 3 or 4 days and we are done and sleeping all night. He also goes to bed at 6:30 and sleeps until 6am. I know the earlier bed time helped him too because he was not getting enough sleep. I just keep his room quiet and pitch black and actually have to shut his bedroom door. If the door is open, he thinks it is ok to get up.

I hope you figure it out soon so you can get some sleep. It takes confidence in yourself that you are doing the right thing and consitancy. Once you start, you can't waiver.

The absolute best gift you can give your child is the opportunity to learn how to self soothe. I usually tell people to start this around 4-5 months, but here goes..... get a nightime ritual bottle, bath, bed. bottle first so that it can digest a little before putting them down to prevent reflux problems. Plus 20 minutes after, you get naturally sleepy.... Bath also relaxes you but don't get it too hot. Then I dim lights & sounds & cuddle for about 5 minutes....sing lullaby, read story, say prayer then put baby down awake. I make bed room conducive for sleep by blocking light, use a white noise machine, and then give them time to find a way to soothe themselves. I installed a video monitor since it seem to distress mine kids more if I kept going in to check them. I'm not going to say that the first few nights weren't hard, but by doing this every night, by the 4th-5th day, they really managed on their own. They learned how to get to sleep on their own, so when they woke at night, they could get back to sleep without me. Now I had video, so I could see if they had a problem & could hear them & if they were really distressed, I would go in & check.....diaper, temp etc.... if i did go in, I didn't talk but would just shush a few times & check them do as little as possible to not wake them further & I began to let them fuss a little longer in between checks & I found my daughter would soothe herself by humming or a half whine noise. Since infancy, when it is bedtime, we do some version of the ritual and when we tuck them in, there is no fighting or crying within about 15 minutes, they are out like lights. They both are potty trained & both will wake & go potty & get back to bed without disturbing anyone else. They are not scared of sleeping alone in their room because it is all they have ever known. They have always slept alone in bed & in their own room. On vacations when we are all in the same room, they have a hard time settling down, but once out we are good. Our bedtime ritual now takes 5 minutes. i have friends that still take 1-2 hours to put their kids down by rubbing their backs or sleeping with them etc... start the habits now that you want in the future less to undue later. Hope this helps.... if you are having a tough time letting them learn how to self soothe, then let daddy take over this duty while you go take a shower so you can't hear child and you get your mind off of it. Hope this helps. This process taught me how to distinguish between my kid's fussy cries & real cries. I was more in tune & began to only respond to the real cry. Experts say that CIO teaches kids that the parents can't be trusted or aren't reliable cuz the kid cries & we aren't responding, but both my kids are happy & healthy & both by age 8-12 months could say mommy & i always responded when called by name. I remember my son at about 9 months in the morning would wake up and make the cutest noises on the monitor and when he was really awake & ready to start the day he would call out mommamommmAMOMMA.....and there i would be & he knew it and was ready with a smile.....just be strong & give your little one the opportunity to learn this skill, neither of you will be sorry. Then your little one will be ready to move on to the next level whatever that will be.....best of luck.