I Need Help Getting My Little One to Sleep Through the Night!

I went through this with both my babies. My first ended up sleeping with us - we all slept much better that way and we got lots of awesome snuggle time! There are downfalls (we are trying to get him to sleep in his own bed now, but he ends up in our bed every night in the wee hours!) but I think it's all worth it and studies have shown that co-sleeping can have some great positive impacts on a child's confidence and temprament.

Now with my daughter, I was nervous of having her in the bed with my 2 year old and his wild limbs and worrying about him rolling onto her, so we have a playpen right next to our bed and when she has trouble sleeping in her crib (or wakes up and wants to play) we put her in the playpen and she can reach out and touch me or I hang my arm in there and she holds my hand when she needs soothing. My kids share a room and we started this because we didn't want her waking up her brother, but its worked out pretty well so far (she's 9 1/2 months).

In end - do whatever works best for you and your baby. You both need to sleep! Good Luck!

Smart, growing baby, he tells you what he needs! He is growing and needs you. Take him to bed, nurse and both of you get some sleep. Don't waste precious sleep trying to get him to be by himself in another room. You don't sleep alone, why should we expect our children at such a young age to do so?

Ask Dr. Sears Web site is wonderful! Read Night Time Parenting, but Dr Sears, it saved our lives!

The days (or nights in this case) are long, but the years are short. Enjoy this fleeting era in your lives, snuggle down with him and keep him close.

J.

All the kids go through this. He simply doesn't know how to put himself back to sleep. You would really benefit from a sleep book. We use Good Night Sleep Tight by Kim West. I used it with my first at 6 months and within three days of practicing what the book said she was sleeping from 7-7 in her own bed. And with my son I have done what the book says from the beginning and he is a great sleeper at 8 months old. the book is great because it won't take you long to read what you need to know and it is a very gentle no cry method. It also has the ages sectioned off and goes all the way up to 5 years of age. With sections on illness, travel, and many other routine busters. I would give it a try so everybody can get some sleep. The longer you give in with him in your bed the harder that will be to break. Hope this helped.

my son was constantly was up at night from birth to 7 months now he has a stuffed monkey. as long as he can snuggle his lovey he will sleep. He sleeps 13 hours at night. i hear him wake up a few times and find the stuffed animal then he goes back to sleep. Make sure the lovey isnt to big. Having the stuffed animal worked wonders for my son both for naps and at night.

My son did the same thing (he's 7 months) and the doctor told me it was OK to put 1 tablespoon of rice cereal in a 4 ounce or more bottle of formula (it's not dangerous like most people think). And I made sure he was getting at least 30 ounces of formula during the day (he tends to snack throughout the day). If he had less than 30 ounces he'd wake up for another bottle. Make sure you have a night time routine and stick to it (ie. bath, bottle in the dark, bed). My son still wakes up once or twice a week but I ignore him and let him selfsooth. He used to cry for a good hour but now it only takes 10 minutes. Trust me, the cry-it-out method hurts you more than it does him and it only takes a few nights if you stick with it;) Good luck!

Hi K.-

I am right there with you! My little guy is just about 6 months old, and has slept with us in bed since the beginning (because he never liked the bassinet when he was little, and then outgrew it!) We finally moved the crib into our room, and got our 2 yr old in her big girl bed. He will nap in there, and go down at night (sometimes!) but usually still wakes to eat 2-3 times a night, and so I end up taking him into bed with us and snuggling him all night. He wants to be held, and will sleep fine in my arms on the couch, but then wake when I try and put him down. It's only been a few days in the crib, so we are giving him some time to adjust. And I'm okay with him in there in the early evening and naps, and then coming to bed with me- because they are only little for such a short while! Our daughter slept with us until a year, and then transitioned into her crib just fine- we all decided it was just time for her to have her own bed and she always just did things very easily when she was ready. I feel your frustration though, as he's been waking at 5 am lately, and cooing and talking and I end up getting up with him so he doesn't wake everyone else. And that coupled with a few night wakings makes for a tired mom some days. So, I guess I'm probably not offering any help- just letting you know that I know how you feel! And I'm reading your posts to get some ideas. I think at this age they do need extra closeness, but also need to learn the skills to soothe themselves to sleep. There are a couple of books I might check out...

K., I think it's just going to take time. When the babies are going through the separation anxiety phase, the only thing that can ensure you have a healthy, non-clingy child by the end of the first year is to respond to their cries and give them what they are asking for. Needs and wants are the same thing for babies. As you know, he just needs to be near you, and the cosleeping you are doing is the most loving response for you to give your baby.

babies arent made to sleep through the night. especially in the first year when so much growth is taking place, there are a lot of nighttime interruptions. this could be a teething issue, a 'just learned a new skill' issue, or a just needs time with mommy issue.
theres nothing wrong or unsafe about sleeping with your 7 month old. he is old enough to move when something blocks his nose or something, so you shouldnt have to worry about that.
just do what you have to do to get the best, most sleep. theres nothing wrong with following your instincts. yours are the ones that matter most. the more you are responsive to your boy's needs, the more he learns to trust you and thats a GREAT thing! :D cry it out methods are NOT recommended for any child, but you will know when your child is emotionally ready for that kind of skill. sleeping is something i feel we have to nurture and teach, not force, upon a child. :D my son coslept with us off and on until he was between 15-17 months, and even then he wasnt sleeping all night every night in his crib. (which is still, at age 2, in our room :D)
just go with your instincts mom, they are right on every time!
www.askdrsears.com is a good resource for sleep help - dr william sears also has many books too! :D they are awesome!

Have you tried putting in a baby monitor but backwards. Have the baby's room part in your room, turning it on before you go to sleep, and the other part in his room. He will hear your even breathing and it will keep him from feeling so alone.