Author Topic: HELP! My 8-month old won't sleep!!  (Read 2043 times)

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Offline jessieanddave05

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HELP! My 8-month old won't sleep!!
« on: October 12, 2005, 17:11:47 pm »
:cry: I don't know what I'm missing, my son slept though the night from pretty much birth to 5 months, and for the past 3 months, he's been waking up 1-3 times a night. I know he's suppose to be sleeping 12 hours right now, how do I at least get 8-10 hours of solid sleep?
Here's his routine:
6:30am : I give up, and get out of bed...
7:00am : He eats a 6oz. bottle, we play
8:30am : A bowl of oatmeal
9:00am : Naps
11:00am : Wakes up 6oz. bottle
12:30pm : Jar of baby food
1:00pm : Naps
2:30pm : Wakes, we play
3:00pm : He eats 6oz. bottle, we play...
4:30pm : Short nap
5:00pm : Go on a walk
6:00pm : Jar of baby food
7:00 : Bathtime, 6oz. bottle
8:00 : We settle him down to prepare for bed
9:00 : Bedtime, 6oz. bottle
1:00am : Wakes up screaming, 6 oz. bottle, bed
5:00am : Wakes up screaming, bottle, bed (sometimes)

So, I don't know where I'm going wrong, any advice would be greatly appriciated.. Thanks
(He also has 4 teeth)
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Offline mechadwick

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HELP! My 8-month old won't sleep!!
« Reply #1 on: October 13, 2005, 12:34:00 pm »
Are you putting him down asleep or awake.

Offline jessieanddave05

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HELP! My 8-month old won't sleep!!
« Reply #2 on: October 13, 2005, 16:42:10 pm »
Usually asleep...

Offline mechadwick

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HELP! My 8-month old won't sleep!!
« Reply #3 on: October 13, 2005, 17:03:59 pm »
I got some advice from my health visitor, if you wake them a little bit just as they are being put down, (I turned on his mobile for a second, so he opened his eyes) they go to sleep knowing where they are and not beinng fed, so they dont expect it when they wake.  There is a risk that they wake up and cry for a bit, though sam never did.  Though we still had a few problems with waking at 5.30, he immediately stopped waking at 2 and 4 am. Good Luck hope this works for you. Mary

Offline Nat'n'Pat

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HELP! My 8-month old won't sleep!!
« Reply #4 on: October 14, 2005, 06:23:50 am »
I too have a beautiful 8 month old HIGHLY SPIRITED, happy little boy. We had to work for months to get him into a routine (regularly awake for 10 hours during day up to 3-4 mths old and lots of night waking). We finally taught him how to put himself to sleep, which he was doing quite easily for a 1.5hr sleep in morning and 1 or 2x 45 min naps. At night we struggled but got him to as little as 2 stirrings at night (an amazing feat for this little one!). The first was when we "topped up" at around 9-9.30pm and then he woke at between 2 and 4. We could resettle him fairly easily until 6.30- 7am. We were a lot better rested! :D
Then came a shocking illness with severe fevers etc and now we have a baby who has gone back to waking (although now is screaming inconsolably- never did before) 8-12 times a night!! :evil:  I am at my wits end. Exhausted and I don't know if I can go through all of the weeks (months?) of hell to get him back to a half decent night's sleep!
On top of everything, the Community nurse today said it must be my fault- I must be doing something wrong and should just be tougher on him! Ahhhh. I know there are no short cuts. Any ideas ?(or even words of support would be nice)Anyone else here now?

Offline jessieanddave05

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HELP! My 8-month old won't sleep!!
« Reply #5 on: October 14, 2005, 18:28:58 pm »
Thank you for your advice. Fortunatly, I never had to deal with my child waking up 8-12 times a night. My only advice would be, for the night time wakings, let your child cry... but not in the sense of "crying it out". The first time he wakes up, let his cry for 10-20 mins, then go on as you would to comfort him. I did this with my son, and it helped alot with the naps during the day. I just, unfortunatly, never had the patience at night to let him cry any length of time. Maybe you do. Good luck. And thank you Mary for your advice.

Offline Johno & Aurelias Mum

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HELP! My 8-month old won't sleep!!
« Reply #6 on: October 15, 2005, 21:15:23 pm »
Nat n Pat

First, you aren't doing anything wrong - what a stupid woman your nurse is!

You've had a lot to deal with over recent weeks.  I think if you go back to the PU/PD method it shouldn't take as long to get back on track as it took to get it right in the first place.  As it is familiar to LO, you are not teaching them anything they don't already know.

I really can't advise leaving him to cry in the night, not even for 10 minutes.  I think Jessie and Dave - you are right in not doing that.  That's a very long time in such a young one's life and he really won't understand what you are doing.

I think the best thing would be to see if you can get some help so that you can stock up on some sleep for a few days and then start the PU/PD to help with the night wakings.  Remember, you know him better now than when you first did it so you'll be able to adjust the technique so that it works for his temperament.

It might also be that at this age, he is suffering a little separation anxiety which is tough on both of you but its a huge developmental stage.

If you need some support, come back any time to the boards, we can even come up with a plan to deal with sep anx if you think that may have something to do with it.

Lots of us have been through it and that's why we come back to the boards to help out like others helped us.  So stick with it and you'll come out the other side.

Jessie and Dave - have you tried a dreamfeed at about 10:30?  It may well work to tank LO up so that hunger doesn't wake him.
Jenny


Offline Deb_in_oz

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HELP! My 8-month old won't sleep!!
« Reply #7 on: October 16, 2005, 00:00:07 am »
jessieand dave - a few things jump out at me (i also have an 8 mo old)

your morning A time is 2 1/2 hrs which is great, i woudl extend the second A time and push that second nap later to more like 1:30 or so (if he can handle 2 1/2 hrs in the morning usually they increase A time sessions as they go through the day so aim for 3+ hrs awake from 1st nap)

this will push out wake up time from 2nd nap and i would drop that catnap.  as long as my daughter wakes 3pm or later i don't give catnap anymore unless her 2nd nap was short that day (45 min). she is up from 3/3:30 - 7/7:30pm (so her awake times for 3 "A" sessions are 2-2 1/2; 3- 3 1/2; 3 1/2 - 4 hrs)


about food =- are you offering 6oz bottles that he is draining fully? if so I would (and do) offer 8 oz bottles and let him take as much as he wants.  if he is taking a full 6 oz at 9pm and overnight this shows he is not getting enough calories in the day - I would also suggest putting him to bed after that 7pm bath and bottle routine instead of staying up for another bottle at 9 (not sure why you are doing this so can only offer my suggestions) - I would not suggest adding a Df - i would probably work on increasing daytime feeds since he is already 8 mo and most are dropping Df at that age anyway

when you mention jar of baby food - what size jar?? again, at 8 mo it should be heading towards taking a large jar or more.  is he satisfied with amount you offer or is he finishing whole jar?  perhaps start offering some finger foods as well.


just my 2 cents - i think he is telling you to increase his daytime food and also i think keeping him up until 9pm is overtiring.  HTH and let me know if anything improves.

as a separate issue - have you read the BW books, because i think it would be very good if you want to start working on independent sleep rather than putting him to bed already asleep.  someone on the general sleep board could assist you if you want to work on that.
Debra - a New Yorker living in Australia married to a Brit

dd1 - Textbook/Angel, born July 2003
dd2 - Spritied through & through, born Feb 2005

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