10 Month Old Waking up Too Much

Hi E.! I know they have travel cribs at Babies'R'Us, They're smaller and I know my cousin loves it for her 9 month old daughter since shes low on space. As for him waking up during the nite, I've had my almost 1 year old daughter on a routine since she was 2 weeks old and its worked out to all of our advantages, Not only has she been sleeping through the nite since she was 3 weeks but she really seems to find a sort of comfort from doing the same thing daily. My daughter wakes up at 7:30 am by herself like clockwork, We watch a little sesame street, have breakfast, get reay for the day including making the beds which she really gets a kick out of, do whatever arrons we have to do for the day, Have lunch and depending on what time we had lunch, we'll play a little, she goes down for her nap, After thats free time which includes her snack and lots of water inbetween everything. We recently switched her bathtime from right before bedtime to after Dinner since shes self feeding now. I think giving him a routine if you dont already have one could do wonders, I know its been great for me! Also as long as you can stand it, Crying doesnt hurt him, I think its alot harder on us.

Dear E.,

I think that it would be o.k. to get a bunk bed, and make sure that you do some extra temporary and safe work on the bottom bunk so that the baby can sleep there too without falling out. You will probably have to let him cry a bit, after comforting him in the middle of the night, and sister will survive the crying. They are more understanding of each other than you realize.

He may like it, you know, feeling like he is a big boy now. Make sure that he has a comfy toy, my grgrandson likes to sleep with his cars, no kidding. ....and a soft rug to fall out on, if that happens. But you are going to 'fence' him in so he may never fall out.

You are doing the very best that you can right now, so just keep on keepin' on. Sincerely, C. N.

is teething the problem?

good for you for co-sleeping and breastfeeding! i am going to take the full-on AP response here and tell you that your baby will equalize his sleep patterns as time goes on. it is not at all unusual for a child's sleep patterns to fluctuate until they are as old as 3. many parents think that as soon as they "train" their baby to sleep a certain number of hours their baby will always sleep that way- but not so. conversely, i have watched many of my friends co-sleep and nurse through the night with their babies who naturally between the ages of 1 and 2 easily transitioned to their own beds at night in their own rooms without any crying or drama. i have a 10-month-old baby girl who sleeps with us and wakes up to nurse sporadically. some nights she wakes twice, some nights as often as 6 times. lately, i have been able to put her back to sleep without nursing, which has involved some crying-in-arms, which is quite different from cry-it-out for the child. since she now knows that she doesn't get to nurse each and every time she wakes, she is waking less. just a thought! good luck and know that your baby will eventually sleep all night. no one has a 16-year-old who wakes them up at night asking for a story or a drink of water. it all works out in the end. at least that's what i say to myself at 3am! :-)

S.

Hi E.!
My 7 1/2 month old is teething, and his sleep schedule is all out of whack! He was sleeping through the night, and then bahm!! 4 times a night, 3 times, 2 times, sleeping 7 hours, awake all hours... I don't know about your son, but teething seems to disrupt their sleep. Nursing seems to really comfort my son, so that's all he wants to do. How are you functioning? My DH keeps finding things out of place all over the house. Keys in fridge, snacks in the bathroom. It's worse now than when he was born! lol
We keep trying the sleep routine -- bath, night clothes, story, nurse. I hope it pays off. His pediatrition suggested motrin.
Wow! the 1 bedroom with 2 kids. We are giving up now. We've been coping with a 350 sf apartment/studio and just can't take it anymore. Have you thought about one of those Ikea loft beds? It is supposed to give room for a desk or other living space etc, but I think it might make a cool set up for a crib underneath. Or what about a full or queen size one in your room for you and your husband and the kids down below?? my DH was afaid I'd fall off getting down for a feeding, but it was my idea for us. We're going for the 2 bedroom instead, but I thought it was a good idea. Hope eveything works out for you.

You may try a playpen to put him in for sleep. It doesn't take up as much room and tends to be cheaper. You can put it in the corner of your room. Thats what my husband and I did when we only had one room.

Hi 10 mo old waking up too much.
I have a 10 mo old as well and just heard from the pediatrician that their sleeping patterns are going through a big change again. Their first few months of waking up are hunger and restlessness where as the change is now because the baby needs comfort in the night. Start regulating naps during the day (1 hour in the am and 1 hour in the afternoon) it will help a ton. I remember my baby's pediatrician stating he didn't need to be fed in the night anymore. It's more as a comfort to us mom's. It worked just rocking him back to sleep (took about a week, but worked).
I think it's way past time for the bassinett and could be one reason the baby is waking (due to a comfort level)..I would try to get a crib...and fit it however it'll fit in the home. It's more of a safety issue with the bassinett. Talk to your dr, and get some rest! Hang in there...You'll make it.

I would definitely try getting a Pack 'N Play or a crib from Ikea (they are MUCH smaller than "regular" cribs but still big enough). That might fit in your room or with your daughter. I think kids sleep better in their own beds (once you pass that initial first stage if they want to be with you!). Good luck.

For one thing, how many naps does your ten month old take during the day? It could be he is taking too many, and therefore getting too much sleep during the day. Is he fussy when he's waking up in the middle of the night? How are his normal body functions? (ie diaper related functions) Also could he be teething?

As for a bed for him right now with the space you have I would suggest getting a pack n play/playpen. If you are concerned with him climbing out or if it becomes an issue you can always get a net tent piece for it that goes over the top (think like a pup tent but made out of netting).

Check out Dr. Sears' "Baby Book." He offers many techniques to help you and your baby during the night. He is a wonderful doctor who believes in loving and nurturing your baby throughout development. What mom would disagree with that approach? It is such a natural inclination for us all, but I know we get afraid of spoiling. He is a successful pediatrician, married to a nurse, and they have five successful children who have all become doctors/nurses and have families of their own. They must have done something right! :) I could never let my baby just cry and he doesn't think it is necessart either. -Just another option for you.

well first off its gonna be hard transitioning the 2 to one room . But the baby wakes up because he is conditioned to do so I also had the same problem the pediatrician told us it may take a couple times but no more feeding in the night . Let the baby cry a while then about 5 to 10 minutes go comfort the baby let it know that your near by maybe let baby fall asleep in bed first but its bed time soon the baby will willingly sleep throguh the night and wake up in the morning to eat . The bunk bed is a great idea make sure there is a rail on top so the 5 year old can not roll off and start there when the baby is sleeping more throguh the night or if you feel the baby will not wake the five year old up invest in a side rail for the bottom and im pretty sure the baby will be fine . But the longer you keep the baby in your room the harder it will be to transition ! Its really about routine also maybe a bath and a book to let the baby know ok its almost bed time and make sure that baby goes to bed on a full tummy . I used to mix the baby food with rice or if your willing to give baby table food already .

Hi,

Might I suggest an 8 oz bottle of milk mixed with oatmeal or rice cereal. Make it thick enough to stick to his tummy at night. Give him a warm bath with some of that comforting baby bath wash stuff followed by some comforting lotion. I have used this on all my children and they have slept very well since they were wee bitty things.

As for him sleeping with you. Some children are slower than others to get out of your bed. Trust me, I have five kids and four of them slept with me till they were almost two. When I decided it was time to transition them, I put them in their own beds after they fell asleep and added a few pillows just to make them feel they were in my bed. My 15 month old is now going through her transition. She and my 3 yr old share a room with these cute bunk beds that aren't too high from the floor. The 1 yr old is on the bottom with a bed rail attached. The top bunk is secure enough for the three year old but even she gets an extra rail. We also have a crib mattress on our floor for the sick.