8 Month Old Is up All Night Still!

A.,
It is hard for an active brain to rest properly when it is overtired. As odd as it may sound, children awake more during the night when they are deprived of sleep. However, a well rested child can drift off to sleep and self-soothe easier than a child that has not had the proper amount of "zzzz". Are you on a consistent schedule during the day with naps? Do you have a quiet bedtime routine at night before bed? These are a few things that help children with sleep issues.

hello there, was wondering if you tried giving her baby food. she just might be hungry if she isnt getting enough to keep her stomach solidly full. i know my daughter was like that and she started eating baby food at 6 months and i mean lots. at least a whole jar 5 to 6 times a day with a couple of bottles too. if you do give her baby food then maybe more of it...have a good day...that may help the nap situation too. i know i cant go to sleep hungry either so..neither can my kids ages 2 1/2 and 1 year....

I don't know if this will help with your little girl but it helped me keep my sanity! I don't like using drugs of any kind because they ALL have side-effects and I don't want to trade something bad for something else bad. I used homeopathic camomile with my daughter for about 2 years when she was about 6 months to 2 years. She'd get really fussy at times for no apparent reason, and she's always been kind of clingy and wanted to sleep with me. I gave in and let her sleep with me when she wouldn't stop crying--at least we got to sleep! I gave her the camomile every 2 hours through the day. You can get it at a health food store, and use about 3 pellets (I use "Boiron"--they come in little blue cylindrical containers). They dissolve almost instantly and kids like them. Homeopathic remedies are very tiny diluted amounts of substances that cause the symptoms you want to eliminate in a person that doesn't have that problem, and they are very safe. It won't hurt you if you swallow a whole container of the pellets. It will help though, if it's the right remedy! Camomile is a calming herb and just may help her get to sleep. A good diet--stay away from sugar and refined foods, and lots of water during the day will help her body to stay balanced. I did let Kaylyn sleep with me when she was little and sometimes on the weekends she does, but I am enforcing her sleeping in her own bed now too; she's 10 now and sleeps very well at night! I sure hope this helps you! You might be able to find a good naturalpathic doctor that can guide you too. They try to get to the CAUSE of the symptoms, not just mask them with a drug.
M. H.

A.,
When my son was about that age, he, too, kept m eup all night. I have to recommend a book. "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissblueth, M.D. (not sure I spelled that right). Get the newest edition - it's worth it! I love it and still use it as a reference tool with my third child. I find it helpful because he is sympathetic to whatever your parenting style is, non-judgemental, and there are a variety of techniques offered, so if one doesn't work for you, try another. My son NEVER slept through the night 'til after he was a year old, but after following the advice in Dr. Weissblueth's book, his night-waking went from 6 or 8 times a night to 1 or 2 times, until finally down to once. I had to quit nursing him before he would sleep through thte night.
Hope this helps!
J.

Hi A.,

Have you checked with your Doctor about GERD? (acid reflux) it seems to be very common nowdays. My Dr says in many cases misdiagnosed as colic. Either way, my daughter barely napped also and had a really tough time sleeping through the night and later we found she had GERD, which burns your throat and esophagus, thus why they don't sleep well, laying down flat makes it worse.

If that's not the problem, then it is like with adults, we get used to waking up at a certain time everyday and then it is very hard to change it.

My son is a great sleeper but sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night, he's 8 months, so does my dd.
WHat I find works is letting them stay in bed, I walk in once to give them a paci, if the're fine, no stuffy nose, no nothing, they stay in bed and soothe themselves back to sleep.

Hope this helps some

My son is also doing the same thing, he is 6 months old and he started sleeping through the night at 4 months and about two weeks ago he started waking up at night and screaming. I just stumble into his room and put the pacifier back in his mouth. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't. On nights were he just wont go back to sleep we bring him to our bed and the little sneak giggles and falls asleep immediately. I know this is a bad habit but if you really need the sleep try it at least on night. Also you might try the blanket that wrappes them up real tight. I forget what its called. The snuggly or something. It works good, I know my son would be even worse without the snuggly blanket and is safe cause it velcros together. Good luck, I know I'm a mess when I don't get good sleep so I really feel for you. Does your husband at least help you on the weekends? Also one more thing that helps. I rock my son to sleep around 10:00 and I don't put him in his crib until he is really really out. It seems the deeper he is in sleep when I put him in the crib the better he gets throught the night. I hope some of this helps and if you get any other good advise I'd love to hear it. Take Care

Welcome to parenthood, sleep is a luxury, but it really isn't about us anymore.
My son ate at night until he was a year old...I was a demand feeding mom. The way everyone eats is different, and babies need all the nutrition, calories that fomula (or breastmilk) provides. You said that you stopped night feedings- is that after dinner or before bed?...it would then seem natural that she be hungry...at this point (8 mo) if we focus on her needs-you may find that she will settle into a routine where night is for sleep and maybe one feeding... but get used to a new schedule and way of life for yourself...Transitions are never easy....but the rewards are amazing.

Time to kick your husband in the rear and remind him that, you too, work all day and need sleep. If nothing else, bring your daughter to bed and try to rest while she plays, maybe he will get fed up and get up with her for a while.
I've never heard of totally eliminating night feedings so early, maybe she's hungry, have you tried giving her something to eat when she gets up?
She may be over tired if she's not getting good naps. I can suggest a few books thta worked for us when we were having sleep issues and nap trouble. PM me if you're interested.

A., some kids just don't need that much sleep. Just like some adults can get by just fine on 4 hours of sleep, or even less. I would ask your pediatrician if anything physical could be bothering your daughter, but other than that she may just going to be one of those lucky people who can get so much more done in their lives, because they don't need to "waste" so much time sleeping.

For the time being though, it's an issue you need to deal with for your sanity. As long as your daughter is in a safe place, she shouldn't need you to get up. How does she go to sleep? Does she fall asleep on her own, or does she seem to need to be held? Your life will be much easier if she knows how to put herself to sleep. (There's lots of good advice around to help you through that process, so I won't repeat it here.)

And don't let your husband off the hook so easily. Yes, he works hard to earn enough so you can stay home. But I assume your staying home was a decision you and he made together. He's not the only one who needs his sleep to get through the day. You work just as hard so that you can provide your kids the kind of childhood you both have chosen to give them. You are exhausted from taking care of his kids, not just yours. Ask him for help. He could take an evening shift with the kids every day so you can get a nap in, or take over bathtime or the bedtime routine. It would benifit you by giving you some down time, and it would help him develop a stronger relationship with his girls. (Believe me, that will be very important when they are teenagers!) At the very least, on nights when your husband doesn't have to work the next day, he doesn't need earplugs. In fact, I think he should get some for YOU on those nights.

Hi A., the only advice I would have would be to let her cry. It is the hardest thing to do but it works. I also have a 3 year old that is almost 4 in a couple months. He was still waking up at 5 months and not wanting to eat but just wake up. We had a friend that was a doctor and he suggested to let him cry so we did. He cried for almost an hour the first night and the second night but within a week he was sleeping through the night. I would go up about every 20 minutes or so and give him his pacifer and I wouldn't talk to him. It was mostly to let him know that I was still here and for my comfort. It is so hard but give it a try!

W.

If you don't have a bedtime routine you may try one. Let her try and soothe herself before you respond to her. Giving her some things that may help.. pacifier, rubbing her back..etc. Keep her bedroom dark at night when sleeping. Naps during the day in a different place where it is light..May help. This is not uncommon a lot of babies do this..Hope this helps you some..

Silly question - have you had her ears checked? Sometimes kids can seem fine but have an ear infection without other symptoms & that can disturb their sleep - painful when lying down.

I discovered when my third child had trouble sleeping, that she slept soooo much better when I buckled her cozily into her little carseat carrier. I figured, it had the ability to rock a bit, I could keep her from falling out, she wasn't flat on her back to disturb her ears (if that was the problem) and probably most importantly, it didn't cause strain on her belly. It was an answer to prayer, no matter how other people might have looked at it.

I've even used this technique with my precious nephew a couple of times - when he is tired but cannot go to sleep in the playpen at my place. He gets cozy, and goes to sleep. For me, it was a saving grace.

A.,
My oldest son had the same problem when he was that age. Unfortunatly it lasted about 2.5 months. I finally talked to his Dr. and was told to give him Benadryl. Of course that was 17yrs ago things may be different now. The Dr. just said he was a baby that just needed to get on his own schedule as for sleeping. It will pass but try not to let your frustration of being tired come through with the baby. She will pick up on the stress and it will make things harder. Try giving her a warm bath before bed. And just make things as calm and quiet for her. Maybe a stuffed animal or a special blanket just for her. M. M.

I wish I had some advice, but I do share your desperation. This is my 3 rd child and she is not a sleeper as well. My second slept 12 hours a night plus two naps. I'm lucky to get an hour nap from her all day. And the nights, are just awful. They only thing I can say to help you is that they are only babies for a small amount of time. I know it seems like forever since you've had a good night sleep, but unfortunately it never really gets any better. Maybe for a few years, but then they become teenagers. Sleep is overrated when you really see how fast they grow.

I agree with those who said she probably needs more sleep during the day. I highly recommend "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child". Although it seems to go against gown-up logic, for babies, sleep begets sleep. You can always try it and see if it works!

Hi A. -

Check out http://www.askdrsears.com/- they have a section on sleep problems that has some great tips. Dr. Sears, et al have helped me through so many issues - and taught me how to do it in a more loving peaceful way then my own parents.

You can also try the old school (seemingly cruel) cry it out method. I don't want to do that with my baby, but might have to at some point if I too reach this level of frustration and exhaustion. Good luck!

This is a tough one but it will get better. I understand you husband works but I think you need a break too. Your job at home is just as demanding right now and you never get a break from the environment of being at home. Talk to your husband about taking turns and then get some rest yourself so you are in better shape when it is your turn.

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Have you checked your daughters ears? My son went through the same thing. He had a double ear infection. He was otherwise ok and didn't show any signs of the infection. Just thought it might be worth your time to take a look. Good luck, Shannon

Have you talked to your pediatrician? Maybe it is something like gastric reflux (heart burn) keeping your baby up? My daughter had reflux when she was little, and was prescribed zantac, it worked great.

Try putting her on a schedule at day and at night. Make sure she goes to bed at the same time every night and gets up at the same time every day. No 2 babies are the same. Just because your oldest wasn't like this, doesn't mean that there's a problem. She is just a different person than your oldest. She may not require much more sleep than shes getting. It could be that she is hungry since you stopped the night time feedings so young. She is a little young to stop her feedings at night. Try giving her some luke warm water with a little Karo syrup in it and see how that does. My kids were the same way when they were young and still are the same today. Same mother, same father, 2 very different kids. LOL. Good luck hun

My first son, now 3 1/2, was similar. Towards the end of his first year, he was still getting up at least at 3:00am every night. It is very difficult.

Here's some suggestions. First, DO NOT give up night feedings. I know many people will disagree with me, but I tried the rock and soothe method of getting my first son back to sleep for several weeks around 6 months or so when everyone was telling me that I got him into the habit of wanting a bottle at night. After 45 mins of fussing and crying, I'd give in with the bottle. Once I realized that it was either 45 mins of crying or 10 mins of feeding, I chose feeding for my own sanity. Ultimately, he started getting up less frequently. In retrospect he was truly hungry.

Second, make sure your daughter is getting enough sleep during the day. I know it sounds backwards, but she could be so overtired that she is not sleeping well at night. Again, I would keep my first son awake during the day in the hopes he would sleep through the night - it didn't work. In fact my second son who is 3 months now, sleeps for long periods during the day, and is already sleeping through the night (9pm-5am).

Third, feed her every two hours during the day by using smaller amounts of food and formula that would total more than what she currently is getting. If she gets enough calories during the day, she may be less likely to catch up at night.

Finally, she may be uncomfortable. Since she hardly sleeps during the day and is up all night, this may be the main culprit. Maybe she has milk allergies and needs a different formula. Or, maybe she has reflux (not all reflux shows itself with spitting up). Just like adults, she may be getting heartburn symptoms and can not yet let you know about it. Again, my first son had horrible reflux, but rarely spit up. His reflux caused him to get frequent ear infections and ultimately tubes in his ears.

You could also try Mylecon gas drops - they are safe enough to give every feeding.

Good luck and hang in there. You will either find something that works or she will outgrow it sooner than later.

Have you tried letting her cry it out? I mean not letting her know at all that you are checking on her? It usually only takes about 3-4 nights. Granted, you may not get much sleep these nights, but keep thinking about all the sleep you'll get if it works. It worked on all mine {5}. It has become a habit to be up during the night & you need to break it by not giving her any attention. Since this is what she is wanting, when she no longer gets it, she will quit. Good luck! I suggest you start on a weekend so your husband is home during the day to allow you some sleep.

Be consistant. Comfort her when she wakes up, and put her right back in the crib. She needs to know that you're there. I know it's really hard to see now, but this stage will pass. Eventually she will understand that you are there even when she is sleeping, and she will be confident enough to sleep through it.

Make sure you're not giving her any juices or fruits close to bed time. These can contain added sugar. Also, make sure she's not over stimulated with a lot of tv noise before bed. You can try a lavender bath and maybe a little cereal before bed. These things might all help, but overall just know that this will pass.

Strangely enough, the missing of the naps could be causing the night-waking problems.

Try to get her on some sort of schedule/routine during the day where she gets a nap in the morning and a nap in the afternoon.

You could also try reading "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Dr. Marc Weissbluth. He is a Chicago pediatrician who has over 30 years of infant/child sleep research. The information in the book will really educate you about the infant sleep needs, biological clocks, circadian rhythms, etc and why your child definitely needs to be napping during the day. A baby her age likely needs between 12-14 hours of sleep each day.

What is her schedule like during the day? (awake, sleep and food) Just wanted to know before I respond.

My daughter on her own started sleeping through the night at 7 weeks and kept on until she was 5 months old then started night waking again. I too was at a loss but shortly after that she cut her first two teeth. Now at almost 9 months she has been on and off night waking whenever she is cutting teeth. These last two teeth kept her up during the night for a month until they fianlly broke through and now she is back to waking once a night. I also notice more night wakign when she is learning somethign new or is more active one day then another. Their little bodies are going through so much that I believe some may just need more comfort during the night at thsi crazy time in their lives.

Hi A.,

I don't have much time right now but I think I can help. Please get this book: Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child: Marc Weissbluth

It has save me and my closest friends our sanity.

Good luck, M.

hi A., first , has dr said child is ok health wise.do yu give the child baby ceral at night, gerbers rice is good one, then milk.i had this trouble with my granddaughter i adopted at birth, she couldnt sleep and was very squirmy. well at three yrs old she was on ridilin she had addh. shes almost 18 and still always on the go , cant set still even to eat. i hope all goes well with yur babyby the way i raised 10 children and im 74 and every child is different just like yurs. M.

8 months! your lucky. I nursed my kids and they didn't sleep through the night until a year old. Now they are 17, 9 & 7 and have no problems sleeping! ha-ha. I don't think I'm an expert, but I have been there done that and my kids are great now, but we had our problems too.

The best advice I can give you when it comes to kids is consistancy. Be firm when you lay your child back down once you are sure she isn't wet, etc. Don't reward her by getting up, rocking, watching tv, etc. as long as she isn't ill. This would only reinforce her wanting to get up. Establish a bed time routine. Turn off the tv, radio, etc. 15 minutes before bedtime and read a book, turn down the lights, etc. Same time, everynight. All my kids sleep with a fan in their room. This "white" noise helps them sleep especially if they are "light" sleepers and wake up easily at the slightest noise.

I know you are sleep deprived. But since you can stay home, try and grab a cat nap when the kids do. This is temporary. I promise. It seems like it will never end, but it will. When my child had colic, I didn't think I would ever get through it. Now he's graduating in 2 months! They grow up so fast. Just tell yourself everytime this happens that "this too shall pass". Because it will.