Almost 9 month old still multiple NW!

[happy hollow]

My little guy has never been a very good sleeper.  At about 8 months, he started sleeping through the night....for about 2 weeks....and now we've lost it!!  He does use a paci, and when awake can put it in his own mouth.  But at night, maybe that is an issue.  Here is our schedule:
6:30am wake and feed 8 oz
7:30 breakfast
9:30 sleep (nap varies in length)
10:30 wake and 8oz bottle
11:30 lunch
1:00-1:30 nap (
3:30 wake and 8oz bottle
4:30 supper
Now this is where I am confused.  Do I just put him to bed after our night routine, around 6:30?  Or do I hold him off until 7:30 and give him another bottle?  He loves to party in the evening (especially when my husband is home) and seems to have no trouble staying awake, but maybe he is getting overtired?  We are in the process of dropping the dream feed, but he often wakes between 10 and 11 anyway.  My husband will feed him at that point in hopes that we get a better night out of him, but it doesn't seem to work.  He wakes 2 or 3 times a night regardless.  I am starting back to work (daycare in my own home, so am still in control of his schedule), but I need to have more sleep!!  Any thoughts?

[happy hollow]

OK, now he has a cold.  So nothing is normal!!  Was up with him every hour last night, but he never ate anything, just couldn't breathe.  Hopefully, his cold will sort itself out, and then we will see where we are at!

[Bryony]

Ay hugs hope he is better soon - you are right there is not much you can do in the way of sleep training / adjusting routines when they have a cold - let's look at it afterwards.

What is the argument against putting him to bed at 6:30pm?

Bryony

[happy hollow]

He's just not very hungry at 6:30, and so won't take his bottle.  So his last bottle is at 3:30pm, which seems like a long way to go before morning.  If I hold him off till about 7:30, he'll take most of his bottle, but then we get him waking up anyway!

[Bryony]

Could you give him less (ie not the full 8oz) at 3:30pm?  8 oz is a lot - perhaps you could give less then and then he would still be hungry at 6:30?

Just a thought!

Bryony
x

[hrk]

What is the average night time sleep?  Does your lo need 12 hrs.  If it is less you may want the later bedtime and the feed.  The daytime sleep also looks like 1.5 hrs total?  It looks from the link I posted that 9 mo usually do two 1.5 hr naps and 11-12 at night.  Our lo has always been on the low end for night sleep.  Around 9 mo, he started to need less day sleep, so we went 45 am to keep 2 hr pm.  Now, all bets are off since we are 10.5 old and already starting the 2-1 switch. 

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=85130.0

[happy hollow]

He usually has a good afternoon nap (2 hours), with a short morning nap.  He doesn't seem to need as much sleep as my first did.  He is happy most of the time (even with his cold) even after awful nights with no sleep!  He's been like this from day one and I have the feeling I just have a little guy (2 little guys actually, since my 2 year old is already giving up his pm nap) who doesn't need a lot of sleep.  Unfortunately, I LOVE to sleep, and always have!  My mom says that at 4 she had to take my nap away to get me ready for kindergarten, so I would go and hide somewhere and fall asleep anyway!!

[hrk]

Our lo actually started to extend his a before bed (I was putting him in ut, he would roll around and get ot), and we started putting down later.  Short morning nap to keep 2 hr afternoon nap with a stretched a before bed actually cured our nw at 9:15 and ew. 

I also agree with Bryony, that you could reduce the earlier feed to get get a top off, if you think you won't get the ew.  Early to bed always equalled ew for us.  You have to see what works for your lo.

What do you think you might try?  Also, tooooo cute that you used to give yourself a nap!  :-) 

[happy hollow]

He's still battling a cold, so I have no idea what to do right now.  He is up a LOT at the moment!  We were gone for the weekend and we slept in the same room (away from my two year old!!).  All night I could hear him rolling around and then hitting the bars of his crib, at which point he would wake and I would resettle him.  Don't know if he is thrashing around so much because of his cold, or because he is a crazy sleeper!  We were at a horse show on the weekend, and he slept quite well in his stroller, which he never does, probably because he is propped up a bit and so could breathe.  It doesn't help to prop his crib up though as he just rolls around!  Anyway, I am in for it now, as I am coaching for the next 2 nights, my brother-in-law is here for a week renovating a house with my husband, my father-in-law is coming tomorrow (they are all staying here) which means I am providing meals for everyone, and I have finally caught the boys cold!  Oh, the joys of motherhood!!!
I have been trying less of a feed at 3:30, and topping him up before bed, increased activity time before bed.  So far nothing, but it could just be his cold.  We shall see!

[hrk]

Thanks for checking in!  It is so hard to try things and know if it is the cold or another issue causing the wakings.  Hang in there, it will be easier to tell what is causing what, perhaps when your lo is feeling better.  Any sign of the cold improving?

Love your pic, btw.  Also, having relatives there throws things, too, as it can throw off your routine.

Take care and hugs! 

[happy hollow]

So last night, my lo had a much better night!  I think I actually slept from 11:30 till 4:30!!  However, he woke at about 9:00pm, and I settled him back to sleep, again at 11:00, and I settled him, at 4:30am and I settled him, and then at 5:30 he woke and was chatting away in his crib.  I let him talk for about 15 minutes, and then gave him a bottle.  Don't know what to do at that point.  Should I try to get him back to sleep?  I know when he wakes up talking, he's had enough sleep, and it would probably take me at least an hour before he would fall back to sleep.  He went down for his nap at 9:00 this morning and is still sleeping at 10:30.  Do I wake him?  I don't want to as I am accomplishing a lot this morning!  Any thoughts?

[hrk]

You may find that a longer am nap will push back the second nap and possibly push back bedtime.  Perhaps not. 

We will see what happens? 

Best regards,
Jean

[happy hollow]

OK, we seem to be back on track as far as the night wakings...however, his preferred time to wake is 5:00am!!  Not the end of the world if I weren't starting my daycare (today is my first day), but it makes for a long one, considering I am also coaching from 5-8 tonight!!  He wakes up talking, and so I know I will have no luck getting him back to sleep.  So I give him his bottle, and doze on the couch while he drinks it!!  Any ideas on getting him to stay aslepp a little longer??

[hrk]

Is lo hungry at 5:00?  Our lo would wake hungry.  To solve it (plus a wetting issue with diaper overflowing) we feed:

7:00 solids
8/8:30 8 oz formula

11:00 solids
1:00 8 oz formula (it is a half hr before nap, so he doesn't wake hungry during nap)

3:30-4:30 6 oz bottle
5:30 solids for dinner
7:00 top off 8 oz; our lo was doing 14 oz here until we moved 6 of the oz to 3:30, since he was waking wet in the morning.  Likely you have offered a larger nightly top off, but may take more somewhere else in the day?

So, if it is real hunger, I think adding more to his day will adjust it.  If the waking is because he is not tired enough, then adjusting naps is perhaps the route.  What is your sense on it being related to hunger/sleep/habit?

Best regards,
Jean

[happy hollow]

I'm not sure, he doesn't usually seem like he is starving at 5:00.  He's been getting his bottle more because it gives me a little rest time!  I am expecting a bit of a change to his schedule (a little more strict about it) now that we are in daycare.  What should I be aiming for as far as naps are concerned?  Short am nap and longer pm nap?  We did the opposite today, only because my husband is home and I have a bit of help with my own grumpy kids!!