Tips on getting 8 month old to sleep more...

jojo_2012_2

I agree with what others have said about keeping baby up later, and having her/him go to bed without the comfort of a bottle and a full tum.

In my experience this doesn't affect them going to bed at a set earlier time when they're older and more active in the day, for instance nursery school age.

mildred1978

Spendless wrote: »

I think you need to look at changing his bed time to one that suits you both, bath-time too if that is what makes him drowsy -otherwise you'll not keep him awake after one.

Agreed. My son (now 18 months) has never gone to bed before 9pm, more often than not 10-11pm. He'll sleep for 11 hours solid waking at about 9am which is perfect for us all. I've never understood the obsession with 7pm-7am sleeping.

pukkamum wrote: »

I would also stop giving milk in the night at 8 mths i assume baby is eating three meals a day and should not need the extra milk, baby has now got used to being fed to go back to sleep.

q
Eh? Advice now is to start weaning at 6 months, and that 'food is for fun' until 12 months. Even now my son sometimes needs some milk in the night. A BF baby would be fed on demand still at 8 months, remember.

Mrs_Imp

You have my sympathy OP. I can count the number of times my son has slept through the night, in the past 10 months, on the fingers of my right foot!

His bedtime routine is ok - 6:30 porridge, then 7 into pyjamas, BF milk then story while he's in his cot. He'll settle well and usually sleep till 12ish then be fidgety till about 5ish. If we tend to him straight away he'll be back to sleep before he's aware of it, but if we leave him he can get in to such a state that he needs rocking back to sleep for ages.

It sounds like you need to let him know that 5am is not getting up time. Try settling him back down with his teddybear/dummy/soother/whatever. I try to avoid talking too much or being too cheerful and noisy when my son wakes up so as not to stimulate him before 'getting up' time.

We phased out his dream feed gradually at about 8 months. I stopped picking him up for it, and let him wake up and ask for it. It slowly moved later and later. Then I started settling him back down, and if he woke again within 10 minutes I fed him. Over about 2 or 3 weeks he stopped wanting it

I hope you find a solution that works for you (remember that they can take time to start working so don't give in on the first night if it doesn't work). And just remember that sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture, so to survive this long is great!!

mokba43

Hi there, im a nanny and this has worked on most mums ive worked for.

cut the night feed at 11, by 8 months they shouldnt need it. Instead, feed him an extra ounze after bathtime. do a whole routine thing, bath, books, milk. Turn the light off and dont go in again. No matter what until at least 5am next morning (if he has been awake for a while).

Sometimes when they wake up at the same time night after night just wanting to play it means one thing and one thing only. HABIT. If you go in, every night at 3am and play and soothe him why stop?! is great!!!

In my experience is just a question of breaking the habit. Is not easy and there will be lots of tears. Just be strong! If you find yourself unable to stand/sit there hearing him scream his eyes out, try controlled crying which basically means soothing without eye contact or talking, so he gets the idea that you are there, but he needs to go back to sleep cos is not playtime.

Also, have a look at his sleeping pattern throughout the day. At this age i recommend a half hr nap at 9:30, midday 2:30 hrs max to wake up no later than 3. By restructuring his naptimes he will be able to fall asleep for longer at night.

Im no expert!!! But i have been working with kids for years!!! And (touch wood) this has never failed me.

Good luck!!!

mildred1978

mokba43 wrote: »

Hi there, im a nanny and this has worked on most mums ive worked for.

cut the night feed at 11, by 8 months they shouldnt need it. Instead, feed him an extra ounze after bathtime. do a whole routine thing, bath, books, milk. Turn the light off and dont go in again. No matter what until at least 5am next morning (if he has been awake for a while).

Sometimes when they wake up at the same time night after night just wanting to play it means one thing and one thing only. HABIT. If you go in, every night at 3am and play and soothe him why stop?! is great!!!

In my experience is just a question of breaking the habit. Is not easy and there will be lots of tears. Just be strong! If you find yourself unable to stand/sit there hearing him scream his eyes out, try controlled crying which basically means soothing without eye contact or talking, so he gets the idea that you are there, but he needs to go back to sleep cos is not playtime.

Also, have a look at his sleeping pattern throughout the day. At this age i recommend a half hr nap at 9:30, midday 2:30 hrs max to wake up no later than 3. By restructuring his naptimes he will be able to fall asleep for longer at night.

Im no expert!!! But i have been working with kids for years!!! And (touch wood) this has never failed me.

Good luck!!!

I couldn't disagree with you more.

A bath wakes my son up. You have no hope of getting him to bed within 4 hours of a bath. Never have. I know many many children who are the same.

Children regularly have growth spurts and need extra milk in the night.

There is research that shows controlled crying to be potentially harmful to babies, as children and in future life. As for ignoring them regardless until 5am is just stupid. What happens when they're upset due to teething, or poorly? What about when they learn to stand and fall over in their cot, banging their head or hurting themselves? What you are advocating is cruel and neglectful IMO.

My son co-slept with us until around 14 months. It's only recently that he's preferred to sleep in his cot, without us being around. It's believed this is because he knew for over a year that we were there and wouldn't abandon him. He's a very secure and confident child.

I'm saddened to think of the children you've 'cured' using these techniques

minimoneysaver

It could just be that you need to accept that maybe your son doesn't need as much sleep as some 'text book' babies. My daughter was and still is similar. She's never needed more than about 10 hours of sleep a night.
As others have said, full belly, cuddles and routine will lead to eventual routine. Your baby is in a routine as you described and it is up to you to change the routine to something a little more acceptable to you and your partner.
Good luck!

victory

susancs wrote: »

Great advice which worked for us too in regard to the porridge. The waking up for milk during the night was because the baby had got into a routinue of expecting it-like as adults we begin to feel hungry often at our lunchtime. Ready Brek Porridge (made with milk) fed just before sleep worked really well as they sleep well on a full stomach.

Yes you are right, we did it very milky and it looked runny thinking well this won't work but slowly we increased it to being more stodgy and it made him sleepy such a full tummy and off he went from around 7.30 to 7am in the end, it was bliss, we tried everything but the porridge was an out and out winner and we still remember the sleepy nights he had from it and that was a decade ago:rotfl:

dottydee854

Know this may sound a bit obvious, but did you say he was on BLUE sma?? If so and he is over 6 months, he could go onto the 6 month plus tin (red) More nutrition to compliment the weaning diet. Might help??? Or i think Hipp or something do a night time milk... I think it is good luck really. My little lady who is 8 month this week, she has nights of full sleep and others of waking at 2-3ish then getting up and 6am. Unfortunatly it's just luck of the draw i feel at this age. It will happen in time Try take it in turns. My partner is kinda luck as he works nights so isn't around to get the disturbed sleep at night, or during the day as he is out for the count and don't hear a thing Hope little one sleeps through sooon!! x

lilrahi

Both my LO's have been cruel to me when it comes to sleep. Eldest who is 4, still sometimes wakes up crying in the night for no apparent reason. Sometimes he wakes up and he cries and cries and he won't even say what's the matter. Now I just sit by him and let him cry until he settles himself back to sleep.

LO, who is 13 months has days when she is good and days when she cries all night. Most of the time, she cries herself to sleep and there's nothing I can do about it. I've tried rocking, soothing noises, lullabies, music, walking about with her in my lap and even just getting toys out because I've thought she's not sleepy but nothing works until she just falls asleep by herself. Other times, she just goes to sleep and wakes up once in the middle of the night, some gentle patting and away she goes into the land of nod again.

My two have naps during the day. 4 yr old will not go to sleep at 8am even on school nights, after I got rid of naps for him so now I have reinstated them otherwise he goes to bed at 11pm and wakes up at 7.30am. They usually have a nap about 3pm till 6pm and then bedtime is 10-11pm. The reason for such a late bedtime is I'm a SAHM (for the time being) and my hubby works evenings and doesn't get home till 1am-ish and so we all get up quite late in our household, about 10am.

jediquigley

a book that i have heard recommended a few times is the baby whisperer by tracy hogg - if you search for this on amazon it comes up with quite a few different books

my husband and i are expecting our first baby next year and i will definately be buying one of her books

Laura