Tips on Sleeping Through the Night

I know you don't want to hear it, I think you're doing good that you're only getting up once a night. My daughter is 2 and still sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night. It sucks, but I've learned to deal with it and someday, we can all just sleep. I would seek more help, though if it becomes really difficult to get him back to sleep.

Sometimes babies wake hungry or unsatisfied through the nite. Try feeding him some warm baby cereal or something warm he will eat right before bedtime. Warm foods seem to feel their little bellies better than cool foods before bedtime and seems to help them sleep better through the nite.

I would try to give him some cereal or something before he goes to bed. He might be waking up because he is hungry. I would try that. Good luck

Maybe you should pump during the day so your husband can get up with him.:PI have a 6 month old and she has been sleeping threw the night since she was about5 months old.About 7 pm we give her some baby food and a bottle and she sleeps the night.

I think you have some great advice already. Is he only waking up that one time? If he is, that's actually pretty good for a breastfed baby that age. My son is almost 10 months and still wakes up once (sometimes twice) to nurse. The earlier bedtime really helps too. Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child is a really great resource in explaining how babies sleep. He encourages early bedtimes, between 6-8, which actually helps them sleep longer, vs. making them hold out till later hoping they'll sleep harder. It actually works the opposite. Ever since we started putting my son to bed around 7, sometimes as early as 6 depending on how well he napped during the day, he's slept SOOOO much better. But of course by that I mean only waking that one time during the night vs. several times! But I also think the pumping idea is great. Maybe even if your hubby could get up with him every other night, or once during the night and you get up the other time, that would take a load off. Also, I've just had to get disciplined about going to bed early myself. Even though I stay at home, I don't just get to nap all day! Also...I've been told by everyone I know that's a parent that once you have a kid, you don't sleep a full night until they're all out of the house! So sometimes I just have to remember that this is what I signed up for! But maybe if you just decide that you're ok with him waking up that one time, decide what time that will be. If it's 1:00am, and he cries before that don't go in, until 1. Then go in quickly to him and nurse him and get back to sleep yourself. If you lay there in bed hoping he'll stop crying, the longer you lie there awake, the more awake you'll be and the harder it will be to go to sleep. You may get more sleep going in to him, than trying to make him sleep. Make sense? But then, if he cries after 1am and you want him to make it till morning, don't go in. THIS really has worked with my son. Seems I can make him "cry it out" only so much, but he just needs that midnight snack to be reassured of my presence and get him through the rest of the night. You can do it mommy!!

Love,
Missy

I would give hime some cereol right before bed to make sure his tummy is full.

Well, I have no tips, but some encouragement that it does get better. My daughter is the same way. She is now 13 months old and we dealt with not sleeping all night until she was about 1 year. She would wake up 3-4 times a night. I was the same way, exhausted and frustrated. Then she finally started sleeping (almost) all night. Now she just wakes up about 4 or 5 and after I nurse her for a while, usually 10-15 min, she goes back to sleep until 7:30 or 8. I know this doesn't help much, but hang in there, it will get better.

My youngest woke up once a night (usually around 4am) to nurse until he was 11 months old. Some babies just need the extra calories. If he is really eating (you can hear swallowing lasting for 10 mins or so), then I would just say he still needs the extra calories. You could try encouraging him to eat more during the day, but I think some babies just aren't capable of making it the entire night without something in their bellies.

Well, mine slept fine through the night until about 8 months. Then we had about a 2-3 am wakeup almost every night for about three months, then he started sleeping through again. Personally, I don't believe in cry it out in the least bit, so I did not let him cry, I fed him and let him fall asleep again, and he'd sleep the rest of the night. From what I understand from our dr its perfectly normal for them to hit a period of waking up in the middle of the night even if they've been sleeping all night already. It can be because of many things, including growth spurts (in which case they wake up because they NEED to be fed because of the rapid growth) or even teething (in which case they wake up because they need comfort because they are hurting). My opinions are staunch as far as that goes because I'm an attachment parent. Not much advice except it will stop before too much longer. Good luck!

Sounds like he need more to eat (more substance) before bed. I would also look at moving his bedtime back or cutting downon his naps a little.

M.,

i hate to put you on the back burner but i also am very tired could you please go and read the 4 month old not sleeping from cathryn I just posted please i am so sorry just dog tired have a migraine and want to go back to bed I am sorry
S.

I've started nursing my son before I go to sleep and it usually works great! Just make sure you keep it really dark and quite so that he doesn't wake up too much. I sympathize with you!

Sorry I don't have any advice either!!! My son turned 2 in January and I probably could count on my hands how many full nights sleep I have had since he was born. He never has slept even as a baby. I asked his doctor about it she told me that some kids just don't sleep thru the night until after 2. weel he gooes for his 2year check up soon and I want to know what now. I do feel for you I know exactly how you feel, everything starts to seem too overwhelming without sleep. My son has started what I think is sleep walking now. I will find him in the kitchen at 2-3am or the living room. Once I found him trying to get in the coat closet. He has a completely blank look on his face and is sound asleep when I pick him up. He also talks in his sleep. It has started to put distance between his dad and I because I want to go to sleep as soon as he does knowing that I will have to get up again around midnight. I am sorry that you are also experiencing sleep problems but it does make me feel better knowing that maybe its not my fault like I have been told.

It sounds pretty good to me, just once a night.

My son needed to eat at night until sometime in that 9th month, but it was every 3-4 hours at that point. I thought I'd lose my mind.

We had started working with the No Cry Sleep Solution at 7 months, which is a very gentle way of making sleep more appealing for them.

By 10.5 months, my son was sleeping through the night. We didn't change anything between 9 months and that point, he just did it when he was ready. He has been an excellent sleeper since. We just get bouts of wakings when he's getting a tooth or is sick and then he goes right back to normal.

Hang in there.

If your son only wakes up once and goes right back to sleep after eating, please count your blessings! My youngest daughter didn't sleep through the night until she was almost 2-1/2 years old. she would wake several times thoughout the night. Of course my hubby is a hard sleeper and never heard her so it was up to me to get up and put her back to bed.

Hopefully your son won't keep this up for much longer. I found, for sanity's sake, taking a nap during the day really helped me. I would lay down with my daughters when they slept or would doze on the couch while they watched cartoons. Even 15 minutes made a difference!

What time does your son go to sleep at night? Do you try to go to bed at the same time?

I wish you luck!

M.- you should feel pretty lucky.. my little girl.. still gets up 2-3 times a night.. not unuasaul.. ive talked to many parents who their children get up this many times or more even until they are 2 .. and others say their baby slept through the night when they brought them home.. my girl gets up at 1200.. 2-3pm... and 4-5.. and then is up by 6am ... raring to go... i wish i new what to tell you but i do not.. you may have to just get up and feed him and then put him back to sleep.. i dont know if you could do a sippy cup.. not sure.. take care .. J.