I have an almost 8 month old. I used to put her to sleep a 6pm (per the sleep program we used at one time) and she has consistently woken up betweeen 3am-5am for a feeding then goes back to sleep until about 5:30-6am. So, now I tried to fox it and stretch her bedtime to 7pm. It has made zero difference. Still waking up and still getting up between 5-6am for the day. I bet this will just last forever, but maybe someone has some advice on what I can try. I feed her solids already and she does get a full bottle right before bed and she has regular daytime naps. Thanks!!
I thought our son would never make it thru the night without a feeding. He is now 14 months and has only been sleeping thru the for about a month now. Up until then everytime he would start sleeping all night he would also start teething and that had him waking up in the middle of the night. Your daughter is doing great.
Our son is in the 90th percentile for height and weight--and he eventually outgrew the night-time feedings at about 1.5 yrs. old. Just not sure if you want to wait that long!!!
"Sleeping through the night", for a baby, means sleeping at least 6 hours straight. Your baby seems to do that. You are lucky. It's normal.
Also keep in mind that as they develop and grow, babies go through growth spurts in which they get hungrier. ALSO, as they develop physically AND cognitively, their abilities & awareness increases...as they acquire more skills they actually may sit-up, stand up in bed and not necessarily know how to get themselves back to a "sleeping position" by themselves. This wakes them. It's developmental based.
Yes, it's important to keep to a sleep routine, same nap/bed times, same place, same sequence, same everything. When my son goes through these developmental and growth spurt based sleep interruptions... I just KEEP to his SAME sleep routines, everyday. I do not diverge from it. Then, as the "phase" passes, he goes back to his regular sleep pattern. My son, who is 19 months old now, goes to bed at 8:00 and wakes up in the morning at 7:00 a.m. He also naps 2 times a day, morning at 9:00a.m., and in the afternoon at about 2:00p.m. He naps for 2 hours each, and still sleeps at night fine. I've had this routine for him since he was a baby. And I always put him to nap and bed in his crib while he is still awake.
Your daughter may just be hungry and need to feed more if she is going through a growth spurt. Keep in mind that they are changing so much each month. This can really affect their sleep habits. As adults, we too have had different sleep routines and habits all our lives as well, right? But, the key is consistency with a baby. They need routine and "knowing" what will come next. My son knows his routine he will now even "tell" me when it is his nap time and take my hand and lead me to his crib, and he gets tired at these times. I never have to force him. This is the benefit of keeping them to a routine.
If your girl is just getting up one time during the night for a feeding, you are lucky. Feed her. They are growing and need this sometimes. She is only 8 months old. Babies wake up. Each child is different... my eldest child did not sleep through the night until she was about 3-4 years old. Again, lots of children do this too. So... I would not expect a baby to sleep all night without waking up. But, you can teach them to self-soothe. For example, My boy has a stuffed toy that he loves to sleep with, and a pacifier. That is the only way he will sleep consistently. Also, if he does make noises or wakes up, I don't swoop in right away unless he is having a night-terror or something out of the ordinary. I "know" his sounds and when I need to help him. I let him go back to sleep by himself if it is ordinary wakings, and he does. He's learned to do that.
Every child is different, but a consistent sleep routine helps. I know it's not easy having lack of sleep for a Mom, but well... our babes grow up so fast, and this phase will pass. Good luck,
~Susan
www.cafepress.com/littlegoogoo
We follow a sleep program as well and we were told that if our baby is getting up around that time then we pushed her too far the night before (in terms of staying up). We were told to put her to bed even earlier on evenings when she does not nap well during the day and to not be afraid of a bedtime before 6pm. I wouldn't have believed it but it did work. Also, at 3am this may be the last thing you want, but maybe to break the habit you need to let her cry without responding to feed her. It may be more habit than hunger for her at this point. These may not be the solutions for you, but I thought I'd pass on what's worked for us just in case.
Hi S.:
How about (FEEDING YOUR BABY!! If hes going to bed at 6pm and waking at 3am to 5am, Your baby hasn't eaten for 9 to 11 hours!! Any of you young mothers,who are letting your babies cry it out,after they have waited that long to feed,are starving your children!I'm a little surprised, that you other mothers aren't tallying up the hours for this girl, and letting her know, that she needs to feed her baby.
I agree with Christa. Our 7 month old was waking up a few times a night. We started checking on him, puting in his pacifier, then leaving. He would sometimes cry, so we would let him. It usually doesn't take too long. I know it's hard to hear them cry, but it's for your sanity and your wee one's as well. He now sleeps through the night... Maybe pacifer placement once, but he goes right to sleep now. As with any training for the baby (including having them put themselves to sleep at the beginning of the night) the rough part is over usually within about 3 days. (Of course all babies are different... but that's the norm)
