Sleep Through the Night

Hi T.,
Don't get frustrated. My little one did not sleep through the night until a week before her 1 yr birthday. She would wake up 4-6 times a night. Towards the end she was only waking up 2 times a night. My daughter was breastfed and I think that had a lot to do with it b/c I stopped breastfeeding when she was a year old. I really can't offer any suggestions, but to be patient b/c it will happen.
Good luck, N....

"Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth

T., This book is a must read! My dd was the same way (woke up numerous times throughout the night, also only took 15 min naps) and now (16 months) she runs to her crib and says night night when she wants to go to bed at 6:30pm! I highly reccomend taking the time to read this becaues it will not only benefit your little one now but also for the rest of his life! Good luck

I am going thru the same thing with my daughter who will be 8 months next week. I let her play and just wear herself out as long as I can and I give her a 5 or 6 oz formula bottle with rice cereal mixed in (about 2 formula scoops). I give her a blanket and snuggle her up while Im feeding her in a semi- dark room... or I put her in her FP Glider (that does work wonders sometimes). Wish I had other advice I just know what helps my daughter sleep longer. Good luck!

I have also heard that letting your child cry it out causes anxiety so I agree with Brandi B in not letting your baby do that. I'm sorry but who feels better after crying themself to sleep? I know I dont and how would that be any different for a baby? And babies cry for a reason. NO baby cries just to cry!!!!

See Leslie R's "Seeking Advise for Sleep Issues" dated Mon, Dec 4, 2006. I believe my response was the most recent, not sure, under J. J. Hope it helps. It worked for me & plenty of other moms. Good luck - I know how tiring it can be.

I never really had a problem getting my kids to sleep through the night....I do know that getting them into a routine does help out alot.

Try feeding & bathing them before you lie them down. Sometimes that helped me out with my second child.

How long do you mean when you say "sleep through the night?" According to what the "experts" say, that's only 5-6 hours. Just asking because when they say babies can sleep through the night, they don't mean 10 hours, as many people think they do.

Have you read The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantly? I read it and her suggestions really helped me a lot!!

It might be that your little one just needs food. Maybe he/she is just doing a lot of growing. I really believe that they do it when they are ready! Maybe he/she just needs some more time. I know plenty of 1-year-olds not sleeping through the night, so it's pretty common. Every baby is different!!

Hello T.,

I have two children a 2 year old son and a 2 month old baby girl(Both of my children I breastfed). For my son I had to learn the hard way and he didn't sleep through the night until I made him at about 4 1/2 months. What I had to do was put him to bed and let him cry for 10 minutes go in and pat him on the back and try to sooth him for 1-3 mintues. I didn't TALK to him or PICK HIM UP. The first few days was the hardest. I had to set a timer to make sure I didn't go in sooner. The first time it took him an hour and a half to go to sleep. During the night I did the same thing and it worked like a charm. It may have taken a good week or two of that and before you know it he was sleeping through the night.

With my Daughter I learned quick. She goes to bed at 8:00 P.M. and wakes up at 8:00 A.M. and she only wakes up twice 1:30 am and 5:30 am. I started with her over 2 weeks ago and it only took her two days to get used to it. She doesn't even cry when I put her to bed after her feedings. She just gets comfortable and goes to sleep.

You have got some great sug. But please don't let your baby cry for more than 10-15 max at at time. If a baby is able to stay awake and cry for 4 hours then he/she probably wasn't very tired when you laid them down. There is a lot of evidence showing that babies who cry for more than 10-15 mins are more likley to have anxiety and dependency issues when they are older. Your baby needs to know that you will be there for him/her when she needs it. hang in there, and good luck!

Hey T., i just went to my son's 6month check up today and i had the same question for my Doc. I breastfeed mine and he is still in my room. I get up every two hours and i am sooooo tired during to day. My doc said to let him sleep in his own room first. and then let him cry. he said the first night will be the hardest but he said it will only take three days and each day will get better and better. I asked if because he was breastfed if he was hungry, he said no, it was that my child was used to us responding each and every time. He said to break it now and it should be fine. Good luck, you are not alone. I am so tired as well. good luck. I know we are both trying to do the right thing. J.

T. - I feel for you, my son did not sleep through the night until he was 13 months old. I let him cio one night, hardest thing I ever did. He cried for 4 hours before he feel asleep, then each night it was less and less until on night 4 he finally slept with out a fight. I know there are people who would think I was a terrible mom for doing this but after 13 months of him getting up 3-4 times a night I really needed something to work. there are many diffrent ways to do CIO so I would do alittle research to see which one fits you. If my husband was not with me to help me with this I dont think I would have been able to control my urge to go and pick him up and love on him. He is 21 months now and is the best sleeper, 7:30pm - 6:30 am and a 3 hour nap mid day! I hope you get sa full night sleep soon, and your son too!

I did not go into detail about it but I did not just let him cry for 4 hours straight, I checked on him and as another poster I even set a timer so I did not go in sooner. My point was it took time the first night and it got less and less each night and it worked

Hi T.,

My daughter is 11 months right now and sleeps wonderfully. She was sleeping thru the night at 4 months old. We had her in a bassinette in our room, and then she began to out grow it, so the crib she went.
The first few nights she would wake up a few times and I would pick her up and give her a little bottle to get her back to sleep and put her back in the crib. But then began to realize the more and more I did that the more and more she would expect it.
So the next time she woke up I would go in there and just make sure she was ok and not hurt or anything and then leave. After I left she would scream her head off but after 15-20 min she was sound asleep. If you keep going back into the room she will keep doing it. It took a few nights of that and now she sleeps thru the night with no problem.

Just remember if you keep going in and picking him up and talking to him, he will expect you to keep doing it. It may be a few hard nights but he will sleep thru the night too...
Good luck

I'm currently working on advice given in "The No Cry Sleep Solution" by Elisabeth Pantley (sp?). It's not a quick fix but I can totally see how a lot of it will work in the long run.

When I was gave birth to my first child, I was completely clueless about when my baby should be sleeping, eating etc. A friend of the family gave me a book called Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam, M.D. My son was sleeping 7-8 hours thru the night by the time he was 8 weeks old. It's not to late to give it a try. It's all about routine and making your child secure and comfortable without making them the center of your families exisistance. Good luck and I hope you find what you are looking for. K.

well i can only tell you what i have done.. my daughter is the same age and has been sleeping through the night since a month old. i have her on a schedule. she eats dinner then bath then bottle. and i have also been having her sleep on her belly sinec 2 weeks old. she sleeps anywhere from 7-12hrs a night. one thing that might be the problem is he too hot or too cold.. i know that can make a difference too. and he might not be eating enough before bed. is he on baby food or solids? sometimes my daughter wakes up if she didnt eat enough before going to bed. i hope this helps.