My 8 Month Old Wakes up Every 3 Hours at Night!

Sounds like you're doing good already. I'd wait and see if he goes back to sleep in a few min like you did the first time he woke up. Many babies are light sleepers and its easy to wake up. If you do need to go in there, try not to feed him and keep the "reward" of you coming to him to a minimum, no lights, talking. Make a clear distinction that this is night time not day time. Maybe switch from soft music to white noise like a fan (this helps my girls a lot!)

No I don't think he's hungry, and feeding him is just rewarding him for waking up.

Best wishes, stay consistent and he'll get it! And don't be afraid of letting him cry a little, parents who can't let their kids cry end up manipulated a lot!

My 8 month old son is the same way. I'm terrible with sleep training...so I've been a slacker. I talked to my son's ped about sleep habits at this age and he said he should be able to go about 6 hours without feeding. So that's what I'm working towards.

It sounds like he may have been hungry if he went back to sleep happily. And I guess if your son was doing better and has suddenly changed, it could be a growth spurt too.

Good luck!

A.,
I had this problem with my 8 month old son too! He was a fan of the swaddle and slept like a champ until he was done with that. Then every night atleast twice, he would wake up (he did teeth earlyan at 4 months, so I don't think that helped). I did notice that he moved around a lot and would seem cold although no amount of blanketing worked becaused he's a constant mover. Recently, I was talking to my SIL who mentioned she bought her 9.5 month old a sleep sack (very lightweight, specifically for the summer). I went out the next day and bought one. 2 weeks later, out little man is finally sleeping better.

I don't know if this helps at all, but at least I can comisserate!

Good luck!
A.

I would try to avoid feeding him in the middle of the night if you can. I've read that kids will develop a bad habit (like waking up to eat) if the parents offer it. Belive me, I know it's so tempting to offer a bottle in the middle of the night just so YOU can get back to sleep! :) Just a suggestion though... I think the suggestions about trying a sleep sack might be good too. I find that my son (now 13 months) sleeps worse when he seems to be cold so I've kept him in footy PJs all summer (at this age, my daughter was in shorts and t-shirts PJs for bed but he seems to be cold in that - even in this heat we've been having this year). Also, remember that they go through SO many different phases in the first year and when you're in the middle of a "no sleep" or "poor sleep" phase, it feels so much worse. I would try making a few small changes (one at a time) and see where it gets you. Hopefully, all will be resolved.

How about cereal & fruit for a snack an hour and a half before bed and a bottle right before?
Also, considering the sleep-begets-sleep theory, is he getting enough sleep? Maybe try putting him to bed earlier and he may just sleep more soundly. Good luck!

What time do you put him to bed? Is he taking 2 naps a day? Persistent nightwaking could be due to the fact that he is overtired. You can try an earlier bedtime, and see if that helps. My son went to bed at 7:00 pm when he was this age and slept 11-12 hours a night. Hope this helps!

Maybe he needs more food through out the day and a little more cereal at night before he goes to bed..........At 8 months, my one son was a pig.....and to get him to sleep all night, he really got a good evening meal........

Maybe put a little baby food in his cereal before bedtime.....meat maybe.....mixed in....don't' stuff him too awful full, but make sure he gets enough food and maybe that will hold him over......you don't say how big he is....mine was a big boy, and he was hungry.....he got a little snack right before bed time too.....one of those cracker thingy's for teething or something small that didn't make a huge mess.......

When you say you fed him in the middle of the night, just a bottle or what?

Just keep trying different things and you will eventually find what he needs......good luck and take care.

he might be just getting ready to crawl or walk. Sometimes before hitting a milestone they'll wake up thinking about it.

Little ones' sleep patterns change lots of times in the first year or so. He could be on a grow and hungry, he could be overtired, (crazy but true sometimes), he could just want his mom. It could be alot of things. I don't think there is any right or wrong answer, you need to do what works for you and your sweetie and not worry about what someone might think about it. I am not a fan of the cry it out, but it works for some people. I always just brought them in be with me so we could ALL get some sleep. Sometimes we had three in bed with us...oh my! It worked for us. Just know it's very normal for him to be doing this. It will pass!

I hope breastfeeding moms will take comfort from your letter because formula-fed infants also wake up at night - not all but some. When a baby wakes up and cries, there's a reason and obviously they can't explain it to you or fix it themselves. Nighttime parenting isn't convenient but is a reality for many families. Every child is different just as every adult's sleep patterns are different. I'd gently meet his need without waking him further if you can, and continue to point him in the direction of sleeping when it's dark. I'd never let him cry it out. It's terrifying for them. Hunger, teething, loneliness, tummy ache, temperature variations, who knows? Just do the best you can and try to rest more during the day. This may pass soon or not. Lots of babies and toddlers are awake off & on at night. Lots! You were just lucky with the first two.

Hang in there. Its so cliche to say but all kids are different. sadly all mine were bad sleepers. Is he teething? I find using the teething tablets at night easier than gels. And my youngest boy was hungry at night. I could hear his empty stomach gurggling. So if you do feed him just enough to passify, to get him use to not getting a huge feed. Good Luck
T. K