Sleep Problems in 10 Month Old

Updated on September 30, 2007
M.K. asks from Edmonds, WA
9 answers

My son has been sleeping in bed with my husband and I for the last 6 months or so. Up till now, he slept pretty well -- waking up once or twice during the night to nurse and then falling easily back to sleep. In the last week, he's had lots of trouble falling asleep and then he wakes up frequently. He doesn't seem hungry and just wants to move all over -- crawling and sitting up, rolling over and wiggling. It's like he's just had a huge cup of coffee and has a ton of energy. This arrangement is keeping my husband and I up all night, and I'm sure my son is not getting the sleep he needs. I've avoided the "cry it out" method up till this point, but I really think we need to get my son out of our bed. We have a pack-n-play in our room and a crib in his own room that would be options for him. Should we stay in the room while he cries and hopefully just falls asleep? Leave him alone and return at regular intervals? What if he doesn't calm himself down? Any suggestions?

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So What Happened?

Well, we tried letting him cry it out last night. It took 12 minutes for him to fall asleep, then he woke up once and cried a bit around 2am for a few minutes, and then slept through until 8. 12 hours! I think he must have been ready to sleep independently. (Up till now, he's slept in bed with us, and recently had been having lots of trouble falling asleep and staying asleep...). I was completely against this method before I tried it. It goes against all of my insticts. But it worked and is helping our whole family get more sleep.

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P.P.

answers from Richland on

I went through a similar situation with my daughter. We put a chair in her room and would sit with her until she fell asleep. The first night she cried for about 45 min. I never picked her up, but I would talke to her to calm her down. She finally layed down by herself. We did that every night for about a week, the crying getting shorter and shorter. After a week she would just lay down and go to sleep. The big thing is just not picking them up. They will learn.

Hope this helps.

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A.O.

answers from Anchorage on

Get the book, "Good NIght Sleep Tight, the sleep Lady's Gentle guide to Helping Your Child go to Sleep, Stay asleep, and wake up Happy." It is a nice alternitive to not just crying it out. Good luck.

A.

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J.F.

answers from Seattle on

I have 4 boys and they have all slept with me until about 1-2yrs old. I know it sounds crazy, but they sleep so much better and so do I. If you are trying to ease your baby out of your bed somethings you can try are a bottle of camomile tea before bed and stuff 'um up with as much food as possible. In most cases I think they get hungry and wake up. All of my boys sleep in their own room, except of course my 11mnth old. Every now and then my 2yr old creeps into my room. I do what is comfortable to you every child is different, being that I have so many kids we don't even use cribs they have become too dangerous as the bigger ones want to get baby out of the crib you can only imagine what happens then. They are so uncomfortable have you ever laid on a baby crib mattress. Yuck! Good sleeping Jen Oh he may just going through a growth spurt too, this too will end soon enjoy the cuddles those will definetly be over soon

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J.S.

answers from Spokane on

My daughter is also 10 months old. She started having this problem, about the time she turned 10 months. Then she got her first 2 teeth & she's been better. We've tried the "Crying it out" method...and lets just say, it doesn't work. She's stubborn and would cry all night if she could!!!! We usually have to get her up from her crib, and let her crawl around, get the energy out for about an hour, then put her back to bed, and HOPE that she'll sleep for a few hours.
Good luck!

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K.S.

answers from Seattle on

Hi M.,

Here is one of the most important books I've had since I had my son, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth, M.D.

There is a ton of information, helpful advice (and not just one solution, but usually some options, like for the cry it out method, vs. checking in less and less), and lots of information, if you're interested in the medical reasons for sleep patterns and the benefits of healthy sleep, too.

Some of the medical stuff is kind of involved, but the strategies and suggestions for healthy sleep at night and naps are clear and easy to understand.

I LOVE this book. My step-sister, who has a Master's degree in Infant Care/Early Childhood Development, recommends it, which is plenty of an endorsement for me.

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E.N.

answers from Seattle on

I had the same issue with my daughter at about 6 months old she was sleeping in bed with us, waking up and wanting to nurse every hour all night long. I was becoming depressed. I was too upset by her crying to let her cry for even a minute. But just over this past labor day, my husband and I transitioned her to her crib. I bought an electric mobile with a remote control and started a bed-time ritual. She gets a bath and then a little massage, PJ's and nurse in a chair next to the crib (no more nursing in my bed!), while nursing turn on mobile, nurse both sides and then put her in her crib, talking to her gently telling her what is happening, then I leave and the first night she cried for 5 minutes then talked for 3 more and then was asleep. She then woke up every two hours and my husband went in to turn on the mobile and if that didn't put her back to sleep after 10 minutes of crying, I went in sat in the chair, turned on the mobile and nursed her. She then started to skip waking to where she now wakes 2-3 times a night and needs nursing, but sometimes just putting the mobile on works too. Now she is getting to the point where she plays quietly in her crib when she wakes up because she loves it in there. I think you can find a way to let your son cry without being heartless and cold about it, make a soothing ritual, have a good mobile and some toys that stay in the crib, he will learn to love it in there. You also can tell the difference between a whiny cry and a desperate one, and when it is desperate I always go in to my daughter no matter what the clock says. And my husband and I have our bed and our sexlife back.

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H.O.

answers from Anchorage on

This could be his way of telling you that he is ready to be in his own bed. I suggest trying to gradually moving him to his own room. Try putting him to sleep in the pack-n-play next to your bed and as he gets use to being on his own move it farther from the bed. Otherwise he might feel abandoned and if he wakes during the night its okay to see if he will fall asleep in bed with you. My son is almost 2 now but until he was about 15 months he would occasionally wake during the night and since it was exhausing for me to try getting him back to sleep in his own bed, he would end up with us. Sometimes he would get really wiggly and I came to the conclusion that it was because he was feeling cramped in between my husband and I. I've never been a big fan of the "cry it out" approach. Where does he sleep for his naps? Putting him in his crib at naptime might help get him us to the idea that it is a place to sleep.

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D.D.

answers from Seattle on

I suggest making sure he eats well before going to sleep at night. He may be having a growth spurt and therefore is hungrier without realizing it. Make sure he eats something that will stay with him and is healthy - preferably not sugary products - maybe even fruit or vegetables topped followed by mommy milk.

Also, it might be time to lessen the nap time during the day. His sleep requirement might be lessened, so you need to have him ease up on nap time so he can sleep at night.

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L.R.

answers from Seattle on

Does he nap in his crib? You could start there... And then put him into his crib at nighttime. My daughter slept with us in the early morning hours, which didn't allow me to get much sleep, finally I just left her in her crib after nursing her and she sleeps until morning. (We still get up every 2-3 hours to nurse and she's 9 mos. old... !!!!)

There are lots of reasons he could be waking at night. He could be working on something, teeth, standing, walking etc. He could be waking because of your sleeping sounds. He could be trying to get more mommy time. The list goes on.

Good luck

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