Baby 6 months old next week but still not sleeping through help!

immoral_angeluk

Our youngest is 6 months old on the 29th (:eek: where did that go??) but it still waking up a number of times a night. Most of the time we'll give her her dummy back and she'll go back to sleep and sometimes she won't settle until she's had a bottle. She's weaned and eats well during the day but has really gone off her milk and water recently.. probably only having about 12 oz or so a day of milk and sips of water/juice.

I'm exhausted and at my wits end..... HV was no good and she just said she'll start sleeping through soon.... but that's no help!

This is her typical day..

7/8ish - bottle (4oz usually)
10 - breakfast
11ish 1/2 hr nap
1 - lunch and pudding
2ish - 1/2 hr nap
4 - Tea and pudding
5/6ish 1/2 nap
7/8ish - bottle (max 4 oz) then bed.
11ish - bottle (max 4oz) then back to bed

she then wakes up a number of times a night. She has a dummy as well and will have sips of water or juice through the day.

I just don't know what to do???

littletiger

Hi

Is she possibly not getting enough calories during the day? There arent many calories in a bit of mashed up carrot etc and if it is putting her off her milk then she might be missing out?
I think that 1 pint a day (20 oz) is the suggested minimum for a child under 1 year.
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/startingsolids/milkat6mnths/
http://www.drgreene.org/body.cfm?id=21&action=detail&ref=857

looneyleo

Hi IA. It's exhausting when they don't sleep. My first child was 24 weeks when she finally slept through, so I braced myself with number two and he slept through from 9 weeks! Kids are wierd and have there own way I suppose.

Could you try to knock off the 1/2 hour nap at 5:00-6:00 pm and try to get her to have a longer nap after lunch? That way she will be more tired when she does finally go to sleep at night. I notice you are giving her two bottles at 7-8, and 11:00pm. Maybe if she does drop the 5:00 nap you could give her one bottle at 8:00 and then put her down to sleep? I don't know...worth a try maybe? Good luck and hope she does sleep through soon.

LilMissEmmylou

I think too much pressure is put on getting a baby to sleep through. Some babies just wont until they are much older. The average age is 6 months, however this means some will sleep through from 8 weeks, others nearer to a year. My little girl is just over 7 months and still doesnt sleep through, she will wake at least once or twice for milk and her day is as follows:

7am milk
8am brekki
10am milk
11am a snack of fruit puree or something
1pm lunch and a cup of water
4pm milk
5pm dinner
7pm milk and then some fruit if she is still hungry 30 - 45 mins later.

Bed around 8 - 8:30 and she will generally wake up at around 12:30 and 5 or so. She gets plenty of calories, but she just isnt ready to sleep through.

Edit* She also has naps between 7 - 10, 10 - 1, 1- 4, and sometimes between 4 and 7, although she has started to not take it anymore. Her naps last about 45 mins to an hour

moozikgal

Hi,

Your little one might be waking as she is hungry. Have you tried the formula for hungry babies as it might fill her up a bit more and make her sleep a little longer?

How many times is she waking a night? My LO is almost 13 months and still doesnt sleep through. All babies are different and will sort their sleep patterns out at different times.

How long does she sleep for in one go? sleeping 5 - 6 hours is classed as sleeping through now. Her nap times during the day, does she only sleep for half an hour at at time or do you wake her. Babies of 6 months need about 2 naps a day, around about an hour each. I would see if you could change your routine slightly and see if that helps.

Try breakfast when she first wakes up and follow it with a bottle. She will drink what she wants but if you use a breakfast that you can make with milk like ready brek she will get more milk that way.
Try a snack between 10 - 11 along with another drink.
See if she needs a nap after this and see how long she sleeps for
12.30 - 1 lunch and small bottle
2.30 - 3 snack and small bottle
4pm nap if she wants
5-6pm tea time
then before bed have some really active play which will make her sleepy, wind it down with a bath and cuddles with a story and a bottle.

She might wake up again for another bottle in the night but you could try offering water in case she is just thirsty. If she isnt and is just waking up, knowing she will only get water might make her sleep longer.

Let us know how you get on

sunshinegirl_3

Hi

It's hard isn't it. My LO didn't sleep through until after 7 months, we realised though, that she was waking by habbit and expecting a feed rather than needing it. It took a few nights of hard heartedness from my husband and I but we used the controlled crying method.

I agree with looneyleo that dropping the 5-6.00 nap would be a good idea, I never let my LO sleep beyond 4.30pm as she needs to be tired when she goes to bed.

Then you may need to do one thing at a time. Either continue with the 11.00 feed but not give in during the night or drop the 11.00 feed and feed her in the night for a few more weeks, then drop the night feed. Either offer her water or just put her back into bed and use controlled crying or some other method you're comfortable with and be strong.

It think it's the hardest thing teaching your child to sleep but it's worth it.

Good luck and I hope you get some sleep soon

winnie81

I think some are later sleepers than others and in time they will find there own way with sleep.

DD1 has only just in the last 6mths stopped getting us up at night - shes 6 in sept
DS slept through from 10days YAY
DD2 still wakes up to 5 times a night she is 1 next weekend
I am due another bundle on 2nd Nov and I am hoping its another good sleeper boy!

Good Luck

eira

Any tips are just that-you ned something that works for you and your child. As I've posted before my eldest was the everlasting child. These are the things that worked for me and her

a) Plug in a nightlight (safe ones are the ones you put in sockets) so you can see where you are going. If the baby wakes up give them a drink and a cuddle but no chat or entertainment and keep the light off. Once the drink is finished -cuddle/kiss and leave the room. She was never left to cry for prolonged periods but at night there were no chats or games. Took many visits over a period of weeks but she got the message

b)I used 'womb noises ' tapes from the time they were born and those worked a treat for the first few months.You have to start them from birth though ,but some music might help

c) I have also pratted on about this in other posts but can't recommend books highly enough. From a very early age (and you start with cloth books or plastic ones for safety) you can get kids looking at them and learning to keep themselves occupied

d) Contrary to accepted wisdom some kids don't need as much sleep as others-keeping daughter up later worked as well. I tried the accepted bedtimes and it just didn't work- no one had any advice. I did eventually see the GP to check whether there was anything wrong. I just got told that some kids needed less sleep than others (never saw that in a baby book though !)

immoral_angeluk

littletiger wrote: »

Hi

Is she possibly not getting enough calories during the day? There arent many calories in a bit of mashed up carrot etc and if it is putting her off her milk then she might be missing out?
I think that 1 pint a day (20 oz) is the suggested minimum for a child under 1 year.
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/startingsolids/milkat6mnths/
http://www.drgreene.org/body.cfm?id=21&action=detail&ref=857

She's having proper meals that we'd have but pureed as well as the odd jar. For example today for tea she's got beef casserole with carrots parsnips and mash with a yoghurt for dessert.
We've been offering her 8oz bottles every time but she won't physically drink any more.

winnie81

eira wrote: »

d) Contrary to accepted wisdom some kids don't need as much sleep as others

I have to agree with this as DD2 ( number 3) will sleep from 10.30-11pm till 6am and wake up bright as a button even though shes usually been up 3-4 times too :rolleyes:

She is tired enough runs around all day and shes been walking since 10mths she just doesn't need very much sleep

immoral_angeluk

moozikgal wrote: »

Hi,

Your little one might be waking as she is hungry. Have you tried the formula for hungry babies as it might fill her up a bit more and make her sleep a little longer?

We haven't but might give it a shot, thanks.

How many times is she waking a night? My LO is almost 13 months and still doesnt sleep through. All babies are different and will sort their sleep patterns out at different times.

It varies. Last night for example she woke at 1, the 1.30, then 2.30, then 4 when she had a bottle. The times before that though she settled with her dummy.

How long does she sleep for in one go? sleeping 5 - 6 hours is classed as sleeping through now. Her nap times during the day, does she only sleep for half an hour at at time or do you wake her.

Well she goes to bed around 7/8ish the same time as our 2yr old as we wanted to get a bedtime routine sorted for them both. She'll then sleep til about 11ish, maybe waking once for her dummy. She'll then go back to sleep but wake up at various times during the night.