6 Month Old Keeps Waking up During the Night

Did the change come after a vaccination? Have his stools changed?

At this age is is probably a growing spurt. They have them about every 6 months. Give it a little time and it should pass. Is he eating foods yet, I know the doctor says it has nothing to do with sleep, but i swear a full belly helps.

I would guess teething as well. Try teething tablets or Motrin before bed. If he was dry, warm, and comfortable (no teething pain) I'd let him cry it out.

I think your mistake was feeding him. Once you stop feeding a baby during the night, never start back up or they will expect and want it. If it was my child, I would never let him cry, I would try rocking him back to sleep or just put him in bed with me. This is what my husband and I did with ours and they currently both sleep happily in their own beds. Maybe if you do put him in bed with you, put him back in his crib when he falls asleep. It is probably just a phase and it will pass. Good luck!!

Hi C.,

Okay so the thing is, its really a security thing. You see he is getting comfortable with seeing you more often and he knows if he wakes up and cries you will be there. See babies are smarter than doctors give them credit for. Anyway, I know this sounds harsh but you have to give him what I call a little tough love. Its so hard, trust me, but your going to have to let him cry when he wakes up in the middle of the night. Just don't go in there. It might take him a few days to a week to readjust to the situation since you have been going in there and rocking him. My husband and I had to do this as well, and its really hard as a mother to not want to go comfort them, but you just have to put it in the perspective that your only hurting him and his schedule by going in there and making it harder on him the longer he gets used to it with you going in there. Good Luck! Bless you and your family!

He could be going through a major growth spurt and actually need the calories.... or it could just be learned behavior. Have you tried letting him fuss a bit before going to the rescue?? Also... my son does this for a couple of weeks when he is teething. Good Luck!!

I understand how you are feeling. I agree with the other comments, I believe he is teething. I have a 7 month old and he has his bottom two teeth in and is working on the top two. He will toss and turn all night and he will wake up about every hour crying. I can usually sooth him back to sleep and just like you he will not go back into his crib, so I put him in bed with me:) I also have to feed him at least once a night, but on the bright of it, he does have some good nights still where he will sleep all night. Hang in there it will pass. Just this morning I was exhausted from being up and down all night and praying for some relief. I would try to use orajel or the teething tablets and try some mortin or tylenol if it does not seem to help. Good Luck!

I'm going to guess that he's teething and doesn't understand what this new pain is. It tends to be worse at night probably because they're laying flat and the blood flow is stronger to the their heads. (like I said, a BIG emphasis on GUESS). This also happened with my 1st born 6 mo. old when he began teething. My dentist told me to give him a toothbrush to chew on in the day to breakdown the gums and help the process move along quicker. I also gave the appropriate dosage of infant's motrin to help with the pain. I don't think he's hungry, but his sleep cycle is probably around 3 hours so at his light sleep cycle he is more aware of the pain. Eating and mommy bring comfort to a baby who doesn't understand what's happening. I would stop feeding him at that time because this will become a habit and it will be hard to break. Sleeping with you is not a terrible thing to do if you and your husband are able to sleep that way. Sleep for all concerned is the most important variable here, not whether your child sleeps in his crib or in your bed for a short time until teething isn't bothering him anymore. It's so hard with the first one! If he was sleeping so well, he'll go back to it once he's feeling better. One other thing to check....is he pulling on his ears? If so, he may have an ear infection. They don't always have a fever with ear infections, so watch for that as well. Good luck! J.

Is he teething? That would be my bet.

I've been told by several doctors that babies can start sleeping through the night at around 8 months (their stomach's are big enough then), so the fact that he's been doing that already has been a big bonus for you. It probably is teething...if so, ask the Dr. if you can use the baby Anbesol on him. He may also just be going through a growth spurt and need more milk, which is perfectly normal.

Why not just let him sleep in bed with you? Might be a really good thing.

I think that it is the age. My son turns six months old today and he started that about three weeks ago. I went back to work at six weeks and he has been sleeping 10-12 hours at night. He started waking up, and just as you have described, he will not go back to sleep unless he is in bed with me. I can't even put him in his bed for a nap, he wakes up as soon as I put him down. He is teething and I think that may be part of the issue. He is also going through the separation anxiety thing. A girl I work with had a baby girl a week after I did and her daughter is doing the same thing.

All I can say is TEETH! My daughter is a great sleeper one night and a horrible sleeper the next night. She is 8 mos. old and still has no teeth. I feel like she has been teething for the last 3 mos. She will wake up in the middle of the night and sometimes a pacifier will put her back to sleep other nights I have to give her a bottle.
I would definitely say he's teething. Some babies are good teether's and some aren't. My son was a pretty good teether. He would get fussy, but he would always go right back to sleep. I use orajel sometimes for my daughter at night time. It seems to work or Tylenol. I don't like to give my kids medicine if I don't have to. But I know there are nights where her gums are really hurting her, so I have to give her some relief. I've tried the HIghlands teething tablets on both my kids and those didn't work for either one.
Good Luck!