My 9 Month Old Still Only Sleeps 2-3 Hours at a Time!

Hi A.:

Have you ever given her a bath right before sleep? My oldest one was like that as well and the only way I could get her to get a good nights sleep was: I would give her a nice warm bath and than some nice arm milk and snuggle with her and than she would be out like a light within a half hour and sleep perfectly. Hope this helps.
G.

One of the other moms suggested a bath. Johnson's has the Bedtime Bath that you put a capful or two into the bath water and it helps relax them. There is also lotion scented the same. It may not get her sleeping thru the whole night but it might get you another hour or two. Also, my daughter seemed to relax even more with the Soothing Vapors bath stuff, also by Johnson's. After a bath with that stuff, she would practically fall asleep as soon as she was in her pajamas.

Hi A.,

I am in the same boat as you, so I don't have a lot of advice, but I feel your pain! My babe is 9 months and probably wakes to feed 8-10 times a night, at least. We co-sleep, so I don't really wake up enough to count every single time, but it's often uncomfortable and very restless, especially by the time 4 or 5 AM rolls around.

I am thinking of putting her in her crib at the first of the night, and then when she wakes the first time after I've gone to bed, she can come in with me. Then at least we'd both get "alone" sleep for awhile. Also maybe the "alone" sleep may last longer & longer, I am hoping. We don't do "cry it out" but in the long run, I don't believe there will be a need. I have been really desperate, but I don't want her to distrust me because of that.

I know at the 9-month period, and anytime they're going through a lot of new milestones and/or teething, they'll suddenly sleep restlessly. Lately my babe will breastfeed while sleeping & laying on her side, turn on her tummy while feeding, and then wake up & grin like she just did a magic trick! I think it's just a matter of getting through the phase. I'm holding out hope!!!

I just went to a mother/baby lunch group where this was the topic of discussion for a couple hours. One mother had a similar 7 month old, and she said it took two weeks to get the "Cry it out" method to work, but it did eventually work. She stood next to her baby the whole time she was crying. Periodically she'd pat her back or maybe pick her up to burp her... just to make sure something "real" wasn't bothering her. She said that she cried up to three hours on a couple occasions, and these were the hardest hours of her life. But after two weeks, her baby now sleeps through the night. The main thing I concluded from this luncheon was that, if you ARE going to do the "Cry it out" method, you must stick to it. If you always "rescue" them after, let's say, 20 minutes of crying. Then they just learn that they need to cry for 20 minutes.

I don't envy you. good luck.

A.,

When my son was four months old I would put him back asleep by rubbing his back and giving him a pacifier. With my daughter it was completely different. She wouldn't even lay down for me to rub her back. As soon as she saw me enter the room she would get excited. She would want me to hold her and would not stop crying. Finally two hours later when I put her down, she started crying again. I realized I just can't go into her room at all, what's the difference if I go in and she cries or I don't go in and she cries. So....... when she was 9 months I decided that was it and I just let her cry. It took three long nights of listening to her cry her heart out, but after that I guess she realized I wasn't going to come in there and she's been sleeping through the night ever since. Good Luck!

My 13 month old is still waking up at night but this helps us.
We have a night time routine. Bath,story and dad usually puts her down. I'm trying to get her out of nursing to sleep. I love room darking blinds. They keep out the late day sun and early morning sun too.

Well maybe it's not normal, but apparently it happens often. I am going through the same issue. My 9 month old son doesn't fall asleep until about 10pm and then is up every 2 hours (almost on the dot) until 8am.... I am exhausted and so is he. I did all the "fix it" things, feeding him rice cereal before bed, feeding him the oatmeal cereal, turning music on so that other noises wouldn't bother him, the ferber method... which started to work, but I get so worried that he will wake my daughter and my husband that I always give in. My doctor says that a baby will get as much sleep as it needs... and that he will learn to put himself back to sleep eventually. (eventually doesn't really work for me) So if I figure it out I will definately send you a message!
I know that this probably didnt' help at all, but at least you can know there are others out there doing the same thing... You aren't alone!! lol