Still not sleeping through...

VS11

My little girl is 7.5 months and is still waking throughout the night. We start our nightly routine at around 7:30-8, which is about 2.5 hours after her last nap. Nightly routine consists of putting on PJs, sleep sack, reading a few books and nursing. Once she's done nursing, I put her to bed fully awake with her paci & her lovey. She falls asleep on her own in about 5-15 mins. After that she is up every 2-3 hours (on a good night) - last night she did 2 hours and then up every 30. Sometimes after she wakes I just pick her up, give her paci & put her right back down, other times she wants me to nurse her but falls asleep 2 seconds later and then I put her back in crib. I work full time and I'm really struggling with the lack of sleep. We never did cry it out and I really don't want to start - in any case, I don't think it'll work with her bc she puts herself to sleep. Any advise? I'm starting to lose all hope here I feel like she'll never sleep through.

Thanks,
Sleepless in NY

Bigboobsmcgee

I think that picking her up is a problem and causing her to continue waking. She knows you will come.

Yes, I get that babies want comfort and when they wake in the night they would love to cuddle with mom or use the boob as a paci but eventually you will lose your mind from lack of sleep. She's old enough to learn that each time she wakes in the night she doesn't need to be comforted back to sleep...she can do that herself.

FWIW, my 7.5 month old DD still wakes once a night to eat and I'll wait for her to wean on her own but other wake up's I had to do something about. She usually goes down for the night around 7 or 7:30pm after a HUGE bottle. For a while she was waking up 2 hours later and I knew she didn't need anything and that she was just waking out of habit. So I left her. She fussed for about 5-6 minutes then fell back asleep. Each night she did this, 2 hours after bed time, I left her. I said that if she went past 10 minutes of crying I would go in, but she never did.

I think you need to do some interval checking. Maybe 3, 5, 7, 10 minute intervals and just rub her back, don't talk to her, then leave. You might want to read up on this process so you know more about it but there are TONS of other sleep training options besides CIO.

Whatever you decide, you have to be 100% consistent night after night or she will get confused. GL!

themrs83

It totally sucks. I think some kids are just crappy sleepers. My youngest is 6 1/2 months old and gets up 2-3 times a night and sometimes stays up for at least an hour. My middle child didn't STTN until 2 years and my oldest started at 5 months (he tricked us lol).

Good luck. Hopefully you get some rest soon!

lms2012

My doctor suggested to give my 7.5 month old a little water instead of full feeding when she wakes at night also it could be teething that is keeping them up.  Good luck!

purple2779

We're in the same boat. I've tried leaving him to see if he goes back to sleep but he doesn't always. By 4am he ends up in our bed because I'm too tired to keep checking on him and giving him the pacifier. I'm hoping it's just teething.

Bigboobsmcgee

lms2012 said:

My doctor suggested to give my 7.5 month old a little water instead of full feeding when she wakes at night also it could be teething that is keeping them up.  Good luck!

Your doctor really recommended this? Wow.

 

cecimaire

I heard about giving them a little bit of water. There is not need to feed them at night when they are suppose to be sleeping.

kendra0784

Alothough I didn't really have this problem with my son except for when he was a newborn which is normal. My son has been sleeping through the night since he was 5 months and he is now 7.5. I had to adjust the time we started the night time routine. I first started around 7-730 but realized that was to early so I started around 8 and it works gteat for us. Also try feeding her first, bath, a lil play, and then read. On a full belly and a lil fun has my son knocked out at the perfect time.

Bigboobsmcgee

cecimaire said:

I heard about giving them a little bit of water. There is not need to feed them at night when they are suppose to be sleeping.

Um what?  Says who?! Babies at this age could legitimately still need food in the MOTN. My DD does and she's an October baby.

Do what you want, obviously but the bolded statement above is ridiculous IMO. I can't even come up with a good enough response to it.

ANBsmom

Bigboobsmcgee said:

lms2012 said:

My doctor suggested to give my 7.5 month old a little water instead of full feeding when she wakes at night also it could be teething that is keeping them up.  Good luck!

Your doctor really recommended this? Wow.

 Dr. Strange.

I would think this would just reinforce the waking up and not solve the issue at all.  If your kid is waking up to be fed, feed him or her. 

ANBsmom

Bigboobsmcgee said:

I think that picking her up is a problem and causing her to continue waking. She knows you will come.

Yes, I get that babies want comfort and when they wake in the night they would love to cuddle with mom or use the boob as a paci but eventually you will lose your mind from lack of sleep. She's old enough to learn that each time she wakes in the night she doesn't need to be comforted back to sleep...she can do that herself.

FWIW, my 7.5 month old DD still wakes once a night to eat and I'll wait for her to wean on her own but other wake up's I had to do something about. She usually goes down for the night around 7 or 7:30pm after a HUGE bottle. For a while she was waking up 2 hours later and I knew she didn't need anything and that she was just waking out of habit. So I left her. She fussed for about 5-6 minutes then fell back asleep. Each night she did this, 2 hours after bed time, I left her. I said that if she went past 10 minutes of crying I would go in, but she never did.

I think you need to do some interval checking. Maybe 3, 5, 7, 10 minute intervals and just rub her back, don't talk to her, then leave. You might want to read up on this process so you know more about it but there are TONS of other sleep training options besides CIO.

Whatever you decide, you have to be 100% consistent night after night or she will get confused. GL!

YES to all of the bolded.  We did not do CIO, but we have taken our 8 month old from 2 hour wake-ups to maybe one in a couple of months with just waiting to see if he can put himself back to sleep or just rubbing his back or head.  I don't pick him up unless he is frantic, which is very rare.