How do I get my 9 month old to sleep though

tizzy2_2

How do I get my 9 month old to sleep though the night by himself?
its all my fault, when i had my son i had a c-section and the first night home from hospital, i could not sit up to get him out of the mosses basket, so my oh passed him into bed with me and he moved into the babies room!. we where fine and i got better and he got bigger but now he won't stay a sleep in his cot.
we have a bedtime routine bath, play, love, cuddles and songs (even if nackered!) and a breast feed off to sleep and he is a sleep when put down, then a hour later he wakes and i get him of to sleep with a 5 to 10 min feed and then he wakes maybe an hour later or 2.
we did when he was about 7 months old do the controlled crying and i only lasted 4 nights of not feeding him after 11pm and putting him back to bed but he would only sleep for about 20-40 mins and wake up again and i could not take not having any sleep as i would lye awake waiting for him to wake again.

pegginout

My boy had a 'grobag' like a baby sleeping bag.
he slept thru the day he had it. Theyr fab, come with a room thermometer so you know what to dress them in, and cant get legs stuck in bars etc!
Controlled crying is fab but vv hard on the parents, once youve done it once its easy tho, promise! its just a battle of wills, parent v child!!!
good luck!

Counting_Pennies_2

Hi, I think that it is a case of consistency in terms of whatever you decide is the right method for you to get him to go to sleep, and also ensuring he doesn't fall asleep while feeding.

The key thing is for the little one to settle in to their cot before they go to sleep, so it isn't a shock to wake he isn't on the breast, which is the ultimate comfort for the little one.

So much as it will be difficult in the first few weeks, ensure baby stays awake while feeding, that might mean altering the bed time routine slightly, so the feed isn't the last thing, maybe feeding while still downstairs, and then giving story and songs.

The next key thing is finding what is right for you to settle him. It might not be controlled crying. If might be a case of rubbing his tummy, stroking his nose, find what is best for you and him. Maybe a winnie the pooh dream show. Either way, the key thing is for him to settle in his cot awake.

Then if he does wake up maybe an hour later or so it might be a case of leaving him to cry it out. Maybe returning to the room every few minutes, repeating the good old baby whisperers words 'you are only going to sleep' and a rub of the tummy or whatever works but not engaging in any other interaction. Then walk out of the room, repeat every few minutes so he knows you are still there and haven't abandoned him.

It might take several weeks, if you think this is something he has picked up over the last 9 months, so it isn't going to happen overnight to change the behaviour. It might tug at your heart strings, but that is the beauty of these wonderful little creatures, they know just what to do to make you give in. So be strong.

Also as you are breastfeeding, it might be best for daddy to do the settling in the cot, if he can stick to the routine, as babies often find it had to be refused the breast when it is right there under their nose.

Good luck, it won't be easy, but you will look back on this when you have cracked it and feel a lot of satisfaction that you got there. Then move on to the next development phase which is waiting just round the corner!!

heather38

my baby did this and we did the bed time routine and put her down. if she woke up in the night we gave her water in a bottle instead of putting her to the breast. she stopped waking after 4 nights as she knew that she wasn't gonna get a feed if she did. she's nearly 7 months now and sleeps from 8pm to 6am.
i really feel for you and hope you get it sorted

MortgageMamma

You'll probably squirm at the thought of this but when I was breast feeding my babies I got them to accept bottles early on, and then every night before they went to bed I gave them formula milk because its more filling with breast milk

it went, bath, massage, bottle and they usually fell asleep on my knee with bottle and then I put them to bed. Have you thought about sleeping on one of your babies cot blankets because if he/she can smell you they might stay settled for longer

Rachie_B

Baby needs to unlearn the routine he / you have gotten into

it wont be easy

he needs to be put down awake,use lights / music etc to try and soothe

what i would use is the gradual withdrawal technique,so for the first few nights you would be right there by the side of the cot,stroking him ,patting his back etc

try not to speak or have direct eye contact and keep lights to a minimum

you will have to repeat this as / when he wakes in the night ! be prepared !

then a few days later try sitting near the cot but not touching him,
it may just sake a "sssssssssshhhhhhhhhh" from you to calm him without having to actually have contact with him and stroke him etc

then move further and further away over a period of time until he can go to sleep in the cot without seeing / feeling you there

i agree with a grobag,it makes babies feel secure and they dont get kicked off !

tizzy2_2

thank you for your kind words and advice, we will start him on monday and see how it goes thanks once again.

tizzy2_2

i have a grow bag that he sleeps in and now can sit up in!, thanks for kind words of surpport really need,

LilMissEmmylou

they say it takes only 3 days to create a habbit but up to 10 to break it. if thats the case it may be a rough 10 nights but you can rest assured he will get the hint by the end of it.

my little girl is 5 months and currently sleeps from 8/9pmish to 4ish for a feed and then up for the day. To put her to sleep i let her lay on our bed with a pillow either side as she like to stretch out a bit. i then go in an hour or so later to move her into her cot.

Does your little boy take a dummy? It may help settle him back to sleep if he is just looking a comfort suck rather than food.

Good luck x

*edit to say up for the day after her next feed at 7 lol not at 4am! cor blimey that would kill me!

Gingham_Ribbon

Is there a particular reason you want him to be out of your bed? Is letting him sleep with you and DH a while longer an option? Maybe then he'd wean himself off milk during the night in his own time?

I'm not suggesting you SHOULD do that, just wondered if that might help. (DS1 went into his own cot at about that age. Unfortunately, he was not a good sleeper until he dropped his daytime nap at around 17 months.)

pegginout

re grobag!
my boy used to waddle around in his when he was walking!
all my friends kids were climbing out of cot at 1, mine was bagged up till he was 3 and stayed firmly in his cot!
in summer when it was hot he would just have nappy on and he would cry bag bag bag coz loved it so much!
epidurals & grobags are the BEST!!!!!