How Can I Get My 9 Month Old to Stop Eating So Much at Night?

My almost two-year-old still feeds twice a night. Some babies are just like that... She is in the 95% percentile for height and weight, so a large child, but my friend's baby is the same age and is in the 5% -- the absolute opposite end of the scale and also feeds twice a night. Not all babies can make it through the night -- they do most of their growing while they sleep and that takes calories. The brain is developing at an incredible rate for the first 2 & 1/2 years and who would want to deny their baby's brain some critical nutrients? Basically, you have to adjust and just ride it out till he is older. At least for me, it is helpful knowing that other Mamas are struggling with sleep interruption too -- hope it helps a little to know you are not alone. Sending you cyber support!

Have you tried putting rice cereal in his last bottle before he goes to bed? You add it to his formula, cut a little bit bigger hole in his nipple(or get the niples that have a little x in the tip), and make it thick enough that he can suck it through, that might help. Sound like he might need something to "stick to his ribs". Good luck.

Dr. Weissbluth in his book Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child recommends giving up the third nap in the late afternoon and putting the child to bed at an earlier bedtime. He recommends experimenting with 20 minute increments until you find a time where your child will sleep through the night until his morning wake up time.
He also recommends dropping the night time feedings through extinction. If he is eating well during the day, he should not need to have two bottles at night unless he was premature. If you choose this route then he may cry for 20-45 minutes during the times he would be fed at night, but that will eventually end in about 3 days.

Sounds like he is hungry if he is gulping it down like that. It won't go on forever - I would keep feeding the little guy. Every child is different and he might be burning it up fast. My little girl is a year old and still wakes to nurse once a night. She is on the low end of the weight chart so I acquiesce. (sp?) Best to you and your little ones!

I agree with most posters that every baby is different, and although your daughter slept through the night at 9mo, your son may just not be ready for that. If he seems hungry, he probably is, so you should feed him. My daughter is 16mo and I can definitely count on 2 hands the # of nights she's slept through without waking to nurse. It's usually just once, but we'll go through patches where it's twice...and then there are nights like last night where she woke every 1-2 hour demanding to BF. I atribute it to 1) being hungry, 2) teething and needing mama love, or 3)nightmare or woke up alone/scared and need comfort. Either way, I'm unable to let her CIO and if she needs me, that is the commitment I agreed to when we had her. It can be tedious and exhausting, but I feel I'm doing the best by my little girl. At some point she'll wean and start sleeping through the night consistently...but that means she's growing up and growing independent, too. I'm not ready for that quite yet and will treasure this limited time when she is dependent on me, comforted by me, and wakes to want only me (OK, maybe the milk...but geesh, I gotta tell myself something!). Give it some time and keep meeting his needs and this too shall pass.

Being a first time mama with a 14 mo old...I have sworn on the sleep book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Marc Weissbluth. Sounds to me, as written in the book, like your little man is maybe going do bed for the night too late. At nine months of age, they should be able to sleep through the night no problem. Dr. W states that a lot of babes will wake up during the night if overtired...and seem to want to eat(more of a comfort thing than hunger). If your son is put to bed earlier perhaps he won't wake up? Just a thought. I know every babe is different...so just a suggestion:)

Hi E. - congratulations on your little boy! It sounds like to me that he is just hungry. I think every mommie handles it differently, I can share with you the advice my ped gave me......"during the first year feed them on demand, if they are crying and hungry they will eat - if they are crying a not hungry, the bottle will not help. A baby will not willingly overeat." The stage will pass and he will soon sleep through the night. Good luck to you and your family!

Your baby is hungry please feed him. He is still a baby and needs to be fed on demand. My son woke up every 2 hours to eat at this age. He can be growing now. In that case he needs to eat more often. I was very tired but he's is worth it and babies depend on there mommies to take care of them. As I say the more you meet your babies needs now the more secure he will be later. He needs you. As I was told by a CHOC Dr. you can not spoil a baby. I would make sure he isn't teething or has anything hurting him. If you look on the left side of the mamasourse page you can see different topics and there are other mom's with the same questions. There is lots of responses to this question He needs his mommy now.
Sue

I don't think it is wierd, I think he is just hungry. Seems like normal sleeping for that age to me. If he is in the 50% in weight he is not eating too much so I would just feed him. Every baby is different and you can't expect him to be just like your dd. If he is active he may need more calories. Good luck.

HI, I had this experience before with my boy too. Try to make sure he eats enough during the day time. And, Check it out if he is on the growth spurt which usually last for around one to two weeks. If not, you may try to give him water when he wakes up at 3/4 am, but, try not to pick him up if he will go back to sleep. I have tried this with my boy for few days. It may take you multiple times getting up and giving him water bottle. Then he only sucks a little then, spit out. But,It worked. After like a week, he didn't wake up anymore. I believe he was not actually hungry and he just wanted a comfort with milk or your hug.

It sounds like your son is just nursing for comfort, not because he needs food. If you feel he is eating enough during the day, then you have to stop the night feeding cold turkey.

As far as your hubby goes, I know he has to work, but it takes two parents. Guess what - he is one of them. He needs to either actively engage in solving the problem, or he may need to sleep in another room.

One solution for the sleeping may be to put him in a bathroom or in the living room while you sleep in the bedroom. If there is any possibility of moving, that would be a good idea. And once he is out of the habit of eating at night, you can transition him to your daughter's room.

Good luck.

Hi E.,
My son is 9 months (b 12-26) as well and on just about exactly the schedule you describe. Our first son was also waking at least two times a night until he was about one year old. It does seem insane when you are in it, but I now look back and I am happy that I just fed him every time he accepted. (When I was pregnant, I used to wake up absolutely famished in the middle of the night, so I figure it's not unreasonable for these little guys to be hungry at night.) I will send you some good energy in the middle of the night when we are probably both awake feeding our little guys.
Best wishes with getting through this time-
S.

At this age he should be sleeping almost 10 hrs without a bottle. For 3 weeks put the girl in your room in a portable bed and him in the room alone.....no bottles after 10 and before 7 am.....after a few days he'll get the idea and then put them in the room together....start this asap....I also have a 4 1/2 yr old and almost 2 and now they are light sleepers because ive also always had 1 in my room and they didn't share.....850 sq ft condo.

Hi E.,

I had some success with the "Dream feed" method described in the "sleepeasy solution." Essentially, you give the baby a feeding about an hour before he would normally wake up, and then gradually diminish the amount each night until you wean the night feedings completely. So in your son's case, you would give him the full 8 oz at 9 or 9:30 and again at 2 AM. The second night, do the same thing but cut it to 6 oz. Repeat each night until you cut out the feeding completely. He might still wake up and cry a little, but will probably get over it quickly. This allows him to transition his hunger to the day time gradually. you should see an uptick in consumption during the day. it was not totally perfect, and there was a little crying when we cut the final feed, but it was minimal, and far less than with the Ferber method. good luck!

Hi E.,

Well, my son didn't quit his night time feedings until well after a year. :-) One thing that helped us was to start cutting back on the ratio of formula powder to milk, so the solution was more dilute. I think we went to half-strength, then down to 25%. He didn't really quit the night feedings until he got sick, and was so zapped from that he didn't wake up.

Check with your ped. first, to make sure that's OK.

Best of luck!
C.

I would just wait and see what happens. Babies change so much, so often that it may just be temporary - or maybe he needs his routine adjusted to meet his current needs. Maybe he needs his evening meal and bedtime pushed back a bit - 7pm seems rather early.

My boys were like this too. I added 1 teaspoon of rice cereal to the nighttime bottle (8pm) and that helped them sleep longer at night. I gradually added more rice cereal until it was up to a tablespoon. You have to make sure the nipple hole is larger to make sure that he gets the cereal. I just used an old nipple and cut the tip a small amount.
PS I started my boys both on the cereal at about 4-6 weeks old. My oldest slept through the night starting at 6-8 weeks and my youngest started sleeping throught he night at 4 weeks.

I would(haha) give him a bit of cereal in the last bottle, or even a small bowl/snack of it then. I know that if they don't get enough sleep they will sleep less,but be cranky too. He is still a BABY, so he might (as all are different) not sleep through the night for several more months.I had one that did not sleep more than 3 hours in a 24hr period until he was 18months old(seen specialists too, just did not need it, too bad I did). He will eventually get it, but right now, if he is only 50% he is burning off what ever it is you are feeding him. Try doing 4 meals a day, plus your snacks(more meals less snack), he will probably absorb more nutrition and become a better sleeper in the process. When kids share rooms, they tend to ignore one another very quickly. Usually takes a child 7-10 days to learn a new routine or habit. So what ever you do, give it some time.If I were to cut back the night time feedings, I would cut the early morning one, back a little each night, the first one you are still up so that does not sound like it is so hard? Then feed him a GOOD hearty breakfast first thing;) Good luck, best wishes!