Tired Mommy Seeking Advise on More Consistent Sleep for My 6 Month Old

S.,

It sounds like your little is experiencing a growth spurt and this is totally common. My son used to require night feedings during growth spurts, at an increased interval. Not sure if prior to this she was night fed, but I did feeding on demand and this helped to get more sound sleep at night. By this age about 5 hours at a time. She is crying most likely because she is hungry and my only evidence is the 1oz. of formula she takes and then sleeps. My son would take a bedtime bottle and wake to feed 3-5 hours later during growth spurts. I fed him 3-4oz at night and just let him take what he would, this would give him a fully belly and longer sleep periods. Just make sure you clean her teeth with a washcloth after she feeds.

Teething could also be an issue at this stage, so you may want to check her gums for bumps or growth. Hyland's has some teething tablets that I love and also you may want to check out Clove Oil which I used and have used since my son starting teething.

Remember if she is crying and not settling herself back to sleep in a good amount of time then, she needs something. I would give my son about 10 minutes to settle but, I would listen to the sounds if he sounded like he needed something I would pick him up and not wait, but if he was just rustling around he'd usually settle and sleep. Babies don't cry for no reason and I promise once you figure out what she really needs, then the sleep will come.

Be patient and it will work out.

6 months old is:
1) a growth spurt time. They need more intake, all day, and still feed ON demand. Their body is growing and they need the intake to keep up with them. Or they can't sleep. Hungry.
2) it is a time of major developmental changes and milestones... perhaps even sitting up now and rolling over and more gross motor skills. THIS tweaks them because their body and impulses are changing, YET they do NOT have "control" over their bodily movements... thus, they wake. THey will even roll over or sit-up or pull-up in the crib, and they can't help it. THIS is how they "practice" their skills and they do it over and over.
3) it is a time of teething. You can use Tylenol or homeopathic teething tabs.
4) It is a time of "separation anxiety." Per my Pediatrician, it starts now from this age. BOTH my kids went through it from this age.
5) Not all babies KNOW how to self-soothe yet. They are still very young. So, don't expect too much too soon. But sure, have a consistent regular night-time/bedtime/nap time routine. Allow for even 1/2 hour PRIOR to their nap/bed time for them to UNWIND, first.
6) Over-tired or over-stimulated babies/kids CANNOT fall asleep well and wake more. So make sure baby is napping regularly and not keyed-up prior to sleep.
7) feed her more. She seems to need it. Feed ON demand, for the 1st year of life breastmilk/Formula is a baby's PRIMARY source of nutrition, NOT solids and NOT other fluids.

Babies at this age are going through ALL of these things at the same time. It is a LOT for a mere baby to handle much less cope with. Thus, they have sleep troubles.

To me, she is too old to be swaddled. By this age, their motor skills and appendages are going to flail... and they may not like their movements restricted, via swaddling at this age. At this age, a baby is going to naturally start to have MORE motor skills... ie: rolling over, sitting up etc. So if swaddled, this will restrict their normal natural development to do so.

For me, what I did was make my son's crib all cozy and comfy... i had baby safe stuffed toys in the crib with him, a Fisher Price Ocean Wonders crib toy... which he loved. And white noise too. From this age, my son LOVED sleeping with his stuffed cow. Its his buddy. So... your baby, to me, is just having natural changes... she is not an "infant" but a 6 month old baby now. So... even though it may not be easy... go with the flow and see what she needs. BUT I would definitely increase her intake as well. Only giving her 1 ounce, is nothing for a 6 month old. I agree with Deanna Leigh on this too.
My kids both fed a LOT at that age... as 6 months old is a major growth spurt time. If a baby is hungry, they won't sleep well, won't grow well, won't develop well, and will be restless.

All the best,
Susan

Your child may be prodigy or advanced. You may want to purchase books on prodigy & advanced children, indigo & crystal children - Amazon.com. Sometimes children who seem to be a problem are just on another level and need a different type of communication and interaction.

Be well.

N.

at that age i remember having to put my son in the stroller sometimes ..give him a bottle and push it back and forth to get him to sleep..she may need to be propped up..i would have him sleep in the stroller..a lot of people use the swing..have u tried that? good luck it does get easier..at 9 months i did CIO and it's been a lot easier since..make sure she doesn't have a summer cold right now.

My daughter was the same with the swaddle. check out woombie.com. It's a different kind of swaddle. harder for them to get out of but still allows some movement.

After her bath where both of you are relaxed and happy to be together, give her a quick massage. Check our www.babysfirstmassage.com to find a practioner in your area. I'm in Thousand Oaks.

My 4 month old daughter was waking up 12-20 times a night. No kidding! I just couldn't do it anymore. This week I "sleep trained" her following the Sleep Easy Solution by Sleep Planet. I pushed her bedtime back to 6:45pm, put her in her crib, let her "cry it out" (generally for 4-10 mins) and she's been sleeping 12-13 hours EVERY night this week. It's amazing!!!!!! I slept 8 straight hours tonight and have enough sanity now to write this email. PS She's still alseep!- www.weelicious.com

have you tried putting her to sleep in a baby swing? it worked miracles for my little guy! he slept all night long in the swing!! of course it killed us on batteries, but totally worth it for a full nights sleep.

S. A

Your daughter should like a charmer. Now your fun begins, she is teething, and has found she can move her arms, legs, and more. She will also begin to try to crawl and explore. Enjoy the journey, it only comes once for each child you have. You will have sleep deprivation while she is teething, use some oragel, and baby aspirin for the pain and fever caused by the teeth that are coming in. You will do the right thing about the swaddle, just a thought try tucking her in by tucking the edges of the blanket under the mattress of her crib, this too will feel like swaddling. Since she is beginning to see her arms, feet, and head can move independently she will find this more enjoyable and still have the same secure feeling of the swaddling. My now grown children didn't like to be tied up with swaddling after they began to cut their teeth, this is also when they decided that it was time to explore and learn how to move about the house. Have fun on this joyous journey, it will show you how to rediscover your world as well as hers. Good Luck.

HI S., it probably has more to do with teething than with swaddling, although she is too old to be swaddled. Her hands should be free so she can use them to soothe herself. Try some Motrin for the teething, better than tylenol. When you let her cry for awhile and then go to her and feed her, you are only teaching her to cry until...until you pick her up. Then she gets rewarded with milk. If she is truly teething, meaning the teeth are close to breaking through the surface, then do what you can to comfort her until they break through. After that, you are going to have to let her fuss and not go in or pick her up. Should only take a night, maybe two.

Good Luck,
K. Smith- Sleep Consultant and Parenting Coach
www.theindependentchild.com

I agree with the people that say it is a growth spurt or teething. We just went through the same thing. What I do with my daughter is put her to sleep on her stomach. I know that all the books/experts say not to do this because of SIDS, but I am comfortable with putting her to sleep on her stomach and it helps her sleep much better. Then her arms are not flailing and waking her up. She has the strength to roll over to her back if she wishes. I also have an air purifier in her room which is white noise that seems to help also. If I were you, I would try to stop swaddling her and lay her on her stomach to see if that helps...if you are comfortable doing that. Good luck!