Problems with 8 Month Old Sleeping at night...schedule Issues???

I had some of the same issues. My sons schedule is
600 - wake up
730 - breakfast solinds
900 - nap (1-2 hours)
1100 - solids
1200 - nap (1-2 hours)
200 - bottle
500 - dinner solids
630 - bath time, lotion time, book time, and breast feed (or bottle)
700 bed

My son eats ALOT during meals and has been. He was waking up every 2/3 hours to hang out. I would even have him co-sleep with me because I was so tired. Then one day I had had enough and let him cry it out. He cried for about 45 minutes at a time. But finally got it after 1 week of doing it. Then he got ill and it was back to the drawing board because he was up sick and I wasn't going to let him cry when he wasn't feeling well. When he was better I let him cry it out 1 night and WAM back to normal. Now he sleeps 11+ hours a night and I get some time for myself. THings I learned through the process.

1. IF you go in and check on him don't talk more than just a nighty night or a hello/you're ok.
2. Change diaper only if you can tell their is poop
3. Keep a specific bed time routine so your baby knows it is bed time- if you sister can't be consistent at least you can.
4 When you get home from work make sure you are spending quality time - better than quantity. - less need to hang out in the middle of the night

This worked for us. If you are against letting him cry it out I don't know much other options, maybe talk to your dr. Mine said it was ok and that he didn't need the food during the night he was big enough. Do what feels right to you.

Good luck :)

C.

ok, you have to lay down the law with your sister, its YOUR child and you have a say on what goes on. shes not the boss of you and she doesnt know your child the way you do. however, it is convenient for her to have them down for nap at the same time.
anyway,
babies should eat when hungry, and sleep when tired. thats all there is to it.
giving cereal immediatly before bed usually keeps kids awake because digestion interferes with sleep. so be careful there.
my son didnt sleep all night until he was between 15-17 months old. he was waking up around the same time - between 3 and 7 in the morning, coming into our bed, and going back to sleep. sometimes we put him back in his bed, sometimes we let him stay in ours. he sleeps like a dream now, at 2 years old. he doesnt fight bed or nap times, and he goes to sleep around 730 and gets up around 630-730
bottom line, ONLY YOU know your son like you do. your sister should respect your wishes, no matter what she thinks. she may be a great mom to her 2 kids, but you are the mom for your son. she will NEVER know him as perfectly as you do.
just keep doing what you gotta do.
dont worry so much about schedule as you do about keeping him fed, changed, loved and comforted! :D thats more important than anything@!

I recommend this book to all of my friends and it's really "saved" all of us! Tizzie Hall is a baby sleep expert and if you follow her schedules you'll be amazed at how quickly your baby will respond and become much more content and happy. The book is: Save Our Sleep. You can also download schedules off of the website: http://www.saveoursleep.com/
I'd also recommend using an essential oil like lavender or roman chamomile on him tummy to sooth your baby before you put him to bed. You can also add a little bit to his bath which helps start to relax them and it's good for their skin.
Good luck and I hope you are all sleeping through the night soon!
M.

Go to Ask Dr Sears Web site. It has never failed me. Is your sister caring for your child or just giving advice? Know that while those around you want to be helpful, you are the one who gets to make the final decision. Pleasantly respond with "Thanks for your ideas and input, I will give it some thought" and then do exactly what is best for you and your child.
As for how long he should nap or sleep, his body knows. Does he seem well rested and content when he is awake? I remember my MIL asking how much my daughter sleeps and she didn't think it was enough and I should contact my dr. How ridiculous! She sleeps when she is tired and is awake when she is rested. She also eats when she is hungry and stops when she is full, a concept I wish I could grasp! I love to keep eating because things taste good, not because I am hungry!

The waking thing is challenging, but have you tried the family bed? We love it and it gives all of us the most important thing - sleep! If your baby wakes, just roll over and comfort him and keep snoozing yourself. Read Night Time Parenting by Dr Sears, it saved my life with baby number 1!

A great bit of advice someone gave me when I was a new mom to baby #1: Watch the baby, not the clock or the calendar. They will tell you when they need and what they need.

Good luck and enjoy your little one! The days may be long, but the years are short. This is a special and fleeting time in your lives.

J.

My guess is if this started after you went back to work he is using the waking up at night to be with mom, not to eat. They are smart little guys and catch on quick that if he wakes up at night he gets to spend extra time with mom. At 8 months most kids are at 2 naps a day, about 3-4 hrs after he wakes up he should have one and again 3 hrs after he wakes up from that, then up for about 4 hrs and bedtime with a goal of 10-12 hrs of sleep at night. He still may need to eat once during the night but not more than that, especially since he is a good eater on solids and formula. My son was waking up just to see mommy until we started making sure he fell asleep in his own bed (not nursed or rocked to sleep) then if he woke in the middle of the night I'd give him 10 minutes to see if he fell back to sleep (about half the time he did) before going in, I'd check diaper and give him a snuggle then leave and usually he was out cold again in 10 minutes. Let me know if you have questions about any of this, good luck K.!

I found the "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" book by Marc Weissbluth to be so helpful as we went through each stage of our baby's sleep changes. Here's what I learned that might be helpful for you:

Your baby IS old enough to sleep through the night by 6 months: he doesn't need to eat during the night anymore, and is old enough to be able to put himself back to sleep. You, as the parent, just need to give him a chance to do it. For us, this meant letting her cry when we laid her down, and if she woke throughout the night.

His bedtime strikes me as a little late, but it depends on when he wakes up. Is he getting around 12 hours of sleep each night? If not, try putting him to bed earlier, even if it means you don't get to see him much at night.

This age is a "transition age" when lots of developmental changes happen, so their sleep routine changes as well. He's probably transitioning from 3 naps/day to 2 naps/day.

This site has some good advice for your son's age: http://www.babycenter.com/0_baby-sleep-basics-6-to-9-mont...

Good luck!!!