My 8 Month Old Will Not Sleep Through the Night!!!

As my child has never slept through the night, I cannot help with that, but i do know that you should never never put babies down with bottles or cups or anything of anysort that is food or drink. It's horrible for their mouths, gums and teeth. and is not developmentally good for them.

I recommend the No-Cry Sleep Solution! It takes some effort, but it is worthwhile!

He's only 8 months and he's teething he's going to wake up. He may be preping for the 9 month growth spurt or learning a milestone.
Try giving him motrin instead of tylenol , it is the pain med of choice for dentists , it gets rid of mouth pain better than tylenol.
You can try putting a bottle of water in the crib with him so when he wakes up he can find it and use it if he needs it.
If he is getting ready to learn something new he will wake more often than normal.
There are MANY things that cause a baby to wake in the middle of the night.
Pick up the " no cry sleep solution" by elizabeth pantley.

Also this sounds REALLY bad and this is what our grandparents used but rubbing her gums with a TINY bit of rum or vodka on your finger will numb her gums better than any of those gels.

I sympathize with you. My first born son never slept through the night once until he was about 2 1/2 years old. Nothing was wrong- he just wanted to be awake, so he wouldn't miss anything going on. I later found out that this is very common in bright children and he turned out to be very smart and creative. Just try to be patient with the baby- he is only doing what comes naturally to him. I don't think there is any way to make him sleep. If there is no medical problem with him, just take comfort that someday it will get better. Good Luck.

oh goodness, I'm so sorry...some kids are just bad sleepers, I know mine was. My best advice (if you're not willing to just let him cry it out of his system) is to just take turns taking naps during the daytime...I had to let mine finally cry it out at about 6 months old because we weren't getting any sleep either, but it was fairly excruciating, he cried for what seemed like forever for 3 nights...but after that no more crying! He still doesn't always sleep through the night at 3 years old (nearly 4) :) but at least now I just groggily tell him to go back to bed, "it's not morning yet" hehe...good luck!! It will get better...or your body will get used to less sleep ;)

Oh! and just so you know (now that I've read the comment below mine)...every child is different, some are great sleepers from the start, some never turn into great sleepers...it is not something that defines how good or bad a job your are doing as a parent, or what book you have or haven't read...I have a friend who has 3 children and one of her 3 has been a horrendous sleeper and still is, she has done the same thing with all three and only two of them will sleep through the night...every child is different...good luck!

So many little ones are up during the night. Very, very common! It sounds like teething and growing are the culprits and he's just too young to be able to do anything about it but cry for you. You'll have to get through this and it may take a long time. I'd bring him into my bed so we could all get some more sleep once he wakes up. Having him in your room is probably very comforting for him, so you're on the right track there even though it you wish it could be otherwise. A lot ofkids are around 2 or even older when they finally sleep through the night. Rest the best you can around the clock and be sweet and comforting. He's absolutely too young to understand your struggles with this situation. He can't help it and is turning to you to help him through it. If there's a lot of stress, it will only worsen it and make it last longer. Hang in there, N.!

I will give you advice purely based on my own experience. I found that having my baby in the room with us is detrimental to both of our sleep patterns (I know a lot of moms will disagree with me but this was my personal experience). Babies (just like us) wake many times during the night - it's all part of the natural sleep cycle. The difference between babies and us is that we know how to easily put ourselves back to sleep. I know with both of my kids (I have a 3.5 yr old daughter and 10 month old son), when I sleep in the same room as them, I wake every time they stir. And then my waking leads them to wake.

Is there any way you'd be able to have the baby in a separate room? I know that's probably not likely, given your living situation... Another way to help may be to have a sound machine or fan in your room that drowns out some of the natural noises your baby makes while he sleeps so that you don't wake with every little noise...

It's definitely natural for babies to still wake from time to time during the night at this age (ESPECIALLY when teething) but it is also possible to "teach" them how to self-soothe themselves back to sleep.

If you can't put him in a separate room, I highly suggest the method in the book "The Baby Whisperer".

Best of luck!

I have to respectfully contest comment below that it is normal for children not to sleep through the night until they are 2-3 years old. I have two children - 2 years old and 8 months old. The 2-year-old sleeps 10-11 hours a night and the 8-month-old sleeps 12 hours a night - no waking - and she's on the verge of getting her first tooth. Both children began sleeping long, 12-hours stretchs at night around 4 months old.

I am a HUGE fan of the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" written by a doctor who has done sleep research on children. It talks about what the biological sleep needs are of children at different ages, their sleep cycles, and how what we do as parents greatly affects that.

I'm not sure what to do in your situation, but the book offers a whole lot of troubleshooting advice. Go to the library or book store and at least take a look at it.

I guess from what I've learned from the book, I'd advise you to have white noise like a fan going, the room dark, a consistent/soothing night time routine, a regular nap schedule during the day, and let the baby fuss and have the opportunity to put himself back to sleep during the night. If I were you I would put in ear plugs and then you'd only be responding to the baby when he is actually crying (which I can definitely hear even with ear plugs in).

Anyway, I hope that helps and that you guys can get some much needed rest before your baby is two years old!

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This is completely normal. My son didn't sleep through the night until he was two or three years old. But he cosleeps with me and was breastfed so I didn't have to completely wake up to nurse him and get him back to sleep. Babies don't have the same schedules as us. They need to eat a lot more often than us, even at that age. Is there any possibility you could co- sleep? Especially since he's already in the room with you guys anyway. Even though some mothers and a lot of fathers aren't so comfortable with this it can often make things a lot easier and more tolerable in the end. Baby is easily comforted and goes back to sleep. Sometimes even doesn't wake as often because of your reassuring presence. I know this set up is not for everyone but it' might be worth a try if it gives you a good night sleep. I know I tried having my son sleep in his own bed after my boyfriend and I started dating but it was traumatic for me and my son was up half the night and I was in his bed comforting him and would end up so exhausted and frustrated that it just wasn't worth it. And if you're worried about co-sleeping being dangerous I read recently that it is more dangerous for bottle fed babies and that's because of where those babies sleep on the bed- they're usually up closer to the pillows and move around a lot whereas breastfed babies are tucked under there mothers arm where she's more aware of them and they're safer. So you could try that. Having him in bed and keeping him next to your side if possible. Also if you're okay with this but the father isn't, realize that sometimes they feel jealous or pushed out of the equation, if you can explain that you're doing it so you'll both get more sleep and that you do want quality time with him and this could help your mood and lead to that then perhaps he'd go for it. Hopefully some of this will be helpful to you. Know it's not for everyone but thought I'd share my experience. Good luck to you and your family!