6 Month Old Waking Again at Night

My kids' sleep rhythms always got messed up when they were teething; you could try the snack before bed as suggested below, but I would also suggest Daddy (or anyone but you) if you are breastfeeding be the one to try to offer comfort and sooth him back to sleep. Maybe try Tylenol one night and see if it helps?

Hi S.,
As a family therapist and mother of two, my advice is: let him cry it out. It should take about 4 nights, tops, and you can expect he'll cry a little longer the second night than the first, but if you can hold steady and not cave in (easier advised than done, I know!) he'll go back to sleeping for you.

I mentioned to several moms that had this problemm I did and it worked for us...

I had the same problem of my child waking up every 2 hours through 2 years of age. Breastfeeding is awesome, but your baby is waking up out of habit--maybe to breastfeed? YOU HAVE TO GET this book--it will change for you in 3 days. You can order on Amazon or go to Borders. Here's the book:

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About me, WM of 4 beuatiful kids 2 years to 21. Teacher/Instructor high school through Business Mgmt.

I went through this a few months ago (I have an 11 month old). She was sleeping, then started waking to eat. I made sure to give her some cereal before bed along with her breastmilk and then as she awoke during the night, I tried just consoling her without picking her up. She wasn't really hungry, but just wanted the comfort of knowing someone was there. I rubbed her back, turned on her night-time turtle with music and sang a lullaby or 2 and she would drift back to sleep. Although it was hard not to pick her up everytime I went in her room, eventually, we both got used to the pattern and now she sleeps beautifully through the night. Good luck and god bless you and your little one!

Hi S.,
My daughter was sleeping through the night from 5 weeks to around 6 months old and the reason she started waking was because she began teething. This is absolutely normal and it will come and go as the teething waxes and wanes. Nursing helps sooth his gums and comfort him while he's in pain.
Also, in conjunction with the beginning of teething, brain development is also exploding and he is more stimulated by his environment now.
Check for other signs of teething, feel in his mouth, and notice his mood. Teething tablets and Tylenol can both be effective in helping him sleep better. Please don't let him cry it out, he's waking up because his mouth could be hurting. I also have a psych background and have a very different view about crying in out, especially when their is real reason why he is waking. He needs soothing and comfort and assurance that you are going to help him through this particular time.
Hang in there, this time of development isn't easy, but it will pass. When my daughter got all her teeth in she was back to sleeping through the night and in between teething she would also sleep through the night.
Blessings,
-M. R.

Good Morning S.,
It's been a while since I have had a baby. But I remember my oldest used to do something similar. What I did is feed him some Gerber Rice Cereal or Wheat Cereal with formula right before bed (sort of a bed time snack). That seemed to keep him happy for a solid 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Then he'd wake up have breakfast, play for a while, and take a mid-morning nap for about an hour and a half or so. Instead of sleeping 12 hours in one go he'd sleep 7/8 hours at night and two naps during the day. Yes, Chris would still have breakfast, lunch, and dinner by Gerber and formula, juice, and water bottles during the day. It was just enough extra food to keep him happy. Now he is 5' 11" and still growing. LOL I hope this gave you hope if nothing else.

S.,
Maybe he needs to nurse more during the day? The solids do not keep him full as they are generally lower in calories than milk. Offer the breast first, then the solids, no juices or water are needed.
You will probably need to have him cry it out as he now has a new learned behavior. You can also speak to your pediatrician.
A.

Hi S.,

this is a bit "out there" but i am am energy worker and can see the energy body; lots of new babies are not all the way in their bodies and it is scary or uncomfortable sometimes. if you take your hands and lightly brush through their bodies, especially down their back and legs, and hold their feet and ankles with love, sometimes that will soothe them and help them sleep. good luck!!

A. m

the same thing happened with my son and he was getting his first two teeth. hang in there.

I think he has gotten back in the habit of eating during the night. He doesn't need the food, so I would stop feeding him. Offer him less and less each night, and possibly offer a pacifier if he wants to suck. My daughter is the same age and loves to suck on things. His sleep patterns are changing now, but I think he has formed that new habit of eating in the middle of the night. Just slowly offer less and less. Good luck

Hi S.,

I'd bet he's teething. If you don't want him eating at night just don't feed him. I had to have my son's dad do evening soothing for a while because the sight and smell of me meant food and I couldn't handling the pawing at my breast. It made me feel really bad! Dad did great and ds got the picture and stopped waking to snack.

That being said, when my son is teething he wakes up 1 or 2 times a night until the teeth come through. He's just a little restless and does some tossing and turning trying to find a comfortable spot. We love the Hylands Teething Tabs...you might want to try those. :)

Good luck!
T

p.s.
whatever you choose to do, be consistent. If you change your plan of attack every couple days it gets really confusing to your little guy. Of course I'm sure you already knew that it's just a gentle reminder. Tired mamas sometimes forget... :) xoxo

As others have said, could be teething or even about to hit a developmental milestone (is he already sitting up well?). Our pediatrician's advice was just to not feed our son when he woke up at the time that I had basically "trained" him to wake. I used to feed him at 10:30, before I went to bed. Our son was a preemie, only 2 lbs 6 oz at birth (though over 13 lbs at the time the doc said this), and the idea of not feeding him terrified me. You might not be able to get 12 hours again, but you should be able to get at least 6-8. I followed the doc's advice, and everything was fine in a few days.