8 months- still waking at night. PLEASE help

I know this is like my 6th post about this in as many months......

CIO does NOT work- she will go (whining/fussing/crying) FOREVER and not put herself back to sleep. Last night I waited 45 minutes HOPING she'd finally settle down before I finally went in (this was AFTER I had gone in 3 hours earlier and nursed her).

She goes down FINE, but usually wakes at least once in the night (last night it was twice).

What book/method do you recommend. What did you find works for you? Generally, I am the one getting up with her most nights because DH gets up for work at 4.

I am finally at my wits end on this issue- I need a full night's sleep.

Thank you for any and all replies.....

Re: 8 months- still waking at night. PLEASE help

Have you look at other "reasons".

- Is she cold at night?
- Is she congested?
- When do you feed her before she goes to bed?
- What time does she go to bed?
- How many naps per day? When is her last nap?

ETA: DS has to be in our bed first to go to sleep. That's what works. He is propped on my pillow. Takes 5 minutes. When he is tired he starts to be cranky. Then I transfer him to his crib.

Message edited 2/23/2008 11:43:14 AM.

Re: 8 months- still waking at night. PLEASE help

Thanks for taking the time to reply

- Is she cold at night?I don't think so- she never *feels* cold
- Is she congested?Sometimes- but lately, no.
- When do you feed her before she goes to bed?She nurses right before going to sleep- but she's always put down awake
- What time does she go to bed?Between 7:30 and 8pm
- How many naps per day? When is her last nap2 naps, lasting betwen 1.5-2 hours. Her afternoon nap is usually at around 2:30-3, but sometimes that one can be hit or miss

Her ability to sleep at night doesn't seem affected by how well she ate/slept that day. Some days she'll nap like a champ and be up all night, others she barely napped and is still up. My doctor is telling me to just let her cry- but she will just keep crying. Then, when I go in, she'll get herself so worked up it's impossible getting her back down.

I can't believe at 8 months I am STILL dealing with this

Re: 8 months- still waking at night. PLEASE help

i have no advice b/c at 9+ moths we are still waking to nurse too. hang in there.

Re: 8 months- still waking at night. PLEASE help

We are still a hit or a miss at 14 months.

At 13 months, I could not take it anymore and night weaned him. No feedings between 11-6. I have stuck with that.

He's getting better, last night he slept for 8 straight hours. I really think I just have a cuddle monkey who needs human touch

Re: 8 months- still waking at night. PLEASE help

Posted by Janice

We are still a hit or a miss at 14 months.

At 13 months, I could not take it anymore and night weaned him. No feedings between 11-6. I have stuck with that.

He's getting better, last night he slept for 8 straight hours. I really think I just have a cuddle monkey who needs human touch

Re: 8 months- still waking at night. PLEASE help

Can you give her some cereal before you nurse her for her bedtime feeding? Maybe the milk is not enough to sustain her through the night

Re: 8 months- still waking at night. PLEASE help

Posted by MsMBV

Can you give her some cereal before you nurse her for her bedtime feeding? Maybe the milk is not enough to sustain her through the night

Re: 8 months- still waking at night. PLEASE help

from someone who feels your pain....I waited and waited....the past few weeks, he started going till 4am. We were doing store brand formula and one day DH brought home Enfamil Prosobee cuz they were out of the store brand....well wouldn't ya know, he slept that night!

Last night was our FIRST 12 hour night. We had one waking (a toy went off in his room and DH rocked him) and that was it till 7am when I heard him fuss, and nothing till 8am when he heard his sister.

I use Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child. Both DD and DS fell into the 2 hour magic window. Sometimes DS will go 2.5-3 hrs between the last nap and bedtime if I push him.

Sleep does beget sleep.

First, try waking her up at the same time everyday. Do a journal of when she eats, her drowsy signs and at what time. See if a pattern exists. Heck...try formula!

Try regulating her nap times, how long, etc.
I can lend you my copy of the book if you like.

Re: 8 months- still waking at night. PLEASE help

Re: 8 months- still waking at night. PLEASE help

i think HSHHC would be fine to use at 8 months. i've found the principles in it to be very useful.

jonah had been getting his last feeding at 6:30pm, and then getting up at 1:30 and 5 to eat. this may be a bit controversial, but we started picking him up and giving him a feeding at 10pm (he's half asleep but still eats), and that way we eliminated the 1:30am feeding.

good luck

Re: 8 months- still waking at night. PLEASE help

I'm not suggesting this for you, but I started giving DS formula at night and he has been sleeping better (started about 6.5 m and he's now 8 m). He gets BM throughout the day. But I had a very good supply and a large freezer supply.

I do have to go in to put the pacifier back in maybe once while I'm sleeping.



For my first - I used the sleep lady method. He was really bad and it helped, but he was never great until around 2 years old.

Re: 8 months- still waking at night. PLEASE help

DS finally started seelping through the night at about 13 + months. I coul dnot figure out what ws waking him. FInally, at 7:00 pm I gave him a bowl of oatmeal then at 7:30, a bottle and for the most part this did the trick. I didnt think that he was hungry but I guess he was.
I know how tired you are...
Good luck!

Re: 8 months- still waking at night. PLEASE help

It could be possible that she is still hungry since she is getting more active now.

What food does she eat during the day? Would you try giving her a few ounces of formula at night before bed - that seems to help alot of babies.

Also - maybe she needs to go to bed a little bit earlier? By 6 o'clock Jack is def. ready to start his bedtime routine.

I loved Healthy Sleep Habits - that helped me understand ALOT about his sleeping.

Jack goes down at 6:30 and will sometimes wake at 5 for a bottle. I don't mind bc he has already slept for 11 hours - after the bottle he is out until 7:30-8:30 depending on the day.

Re: 8 months- still waking at night. PLEASE help

Gosh, you're still going through this?

Re: 8 months- still waking at night. PLEASE help

far from being a hero...I say mean things in the middle of the night.

dragonfly posted this link
night weaning

I don't have a family bed, but it did work.

My LC has me giving Josh greek yogurt right before he goes to bed. After dinner, bath, before final nursing session. She said the protein boost helps them from hunger.

Re: 8 months- still waking at night. PLEASE help

Is she teething? DS would wake up every night multiple times. He just starting sleeping through the night at 15 months.