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6 months old - please help with sleep issues!

CancunSunsetBrideCancunSunsetBride member
in Babies: 6 - 9 Months

Since DD was about 4 months old, she started having a few nights a week where she would wake up in the middle of the night and need our help soothing her back to sleep. At first I thought it was just the 4 month sleep regression I kept hearing about - but now 2 months later (Still off and on) I'm starting to think it's more than a phase and we need to intervene in some way. 

It starts by her moving around in her crib - and moaning/slight crying... I always give her a couple minutes before I even think about going in, because she can something fall abck asleep on her own.  After a few minutes I go in because her cry has escalated, or because she's now moving around so much that she's hit some body part off the sides of the crib, or because I know at this point she's past the part of being able to coax herself back to sleep.  I'll try the paci first, but at this point she's usually beyond it.  I give in and end up getting her out of her crib and rock her... she's usually at this point so mad that she's squirming a ton, and I have to hold her arms down to calm her down :(  Lately I've been so tired that I end up caving and bringing her into bed with us... a habit I HATE and want to end right now.

 Her first tooth just popped through, so I now that could have been it - but now it's through so I think the pain would have stopped, but maybe there's another one coming?  She also has a bad cold again, the second in a short period of time, so that's another reason why I've been giving in to soothing her because I feel horrible that's she's sick :(  Anyways, because it's been going on for a while, I'm hesitant to think it's because of the teech, or cold, but probably isn't helping. 

Time for the Ferber method???  TIA!

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Re: 6 months old - please help with sleep issues!

  • Pennylane824Pennylane824 member
    I have no advice but just wanted to tell you that you are not alone. Hannah is a horrible sleeper and it's becoming miserable really fast. 
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  • RomeRomance06RomeRomance06
    DD had a sleep regression around that time. She was a great sleeper through 4 months and then things just got progressively worse right about when I was going back to work. We did Ferber right at 6 months - I highly recommend reading the book - and it was rough going for about a week. But, it worked completely. Now, DD loves going into her crib, and sleeps 12 hours straight. She doesn't even use the paci anymore, but uses her thumb to help get herself back to sleep when she wakes up. She still rolls around a lot too. It wasn't easy and I probably cried about as much as she did but she's such a happy baby now, I totally think it's worth it.
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  • kimbo1216kimbo1216 member

    Hmm.  How does she go to sleep?  Do you rock/sooth her to sleep?  Or does she go to sleep on her own?  If you are soothing her to sleep, it just may be time to start Ferber so that she can learn to go to sleep on her own and when she wakes up.

    We aren't doing Ferber, but we are doing a modified form of cio.  Anytime she it put down to sleep or wakes at night, she is given ten minutes to work it out on her own.  Then we intervene.  We typically don't stay in for more than a minute or two before leave giving her another ten minutes if necessary.  The first night, took almost an hour of checking every 10 minutes.  Since then, it's hasn't taken more than 15 and now that's a rarity.  If she wakes, it's the same routine.  However, if I know for a fact she is hungry I go ahead and feed her.  Or, if she is hurting from her teeth I will go ahead and give her some teething tablets or a dose of Tylenol if it's really bad.

    GL.  We just started sleep training 2-3 weeks ago and it has done wonders for our previously horrible sleeper.

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  • angiekillaireangiekillaire
    I had a very similar issue with my LO. We let him CIO at 5 1/2 months and its been MUCH better. I really think by picking him up we were waking him up more and making it harder for him to fall asleep. We started going in after 5 mins of crying, staying in for a max of 1 min, then again after 10mins if needed. he was crying for 45mins- 1 1/2 hours when we were trying to rock him to sleep. He would scream and freak out in my arms. The most hes ever cried for when we've let him CIO in his crib was 20mins, and thats very rare. Its not perfect, he still wakes up 1-3 times a night, but he can usually put himself back to sleep. He sometimes needs us to go in once now.  He was waking every 30mins-2 hours before we let him CIO.  CIO worked great for us, once LO was ready for it.
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  • rjveldmanrjveldman

    Here's an article on kellymom  that I found really helpful. I don't know if it'll help give you ideas on what to do, but it might help to know what is and is not a realistic expectation for your baby when it comes to sleep.

     https://kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/sleep.html

    When my LO was 5 mo old he was having difficulty falling asleep, especially with me holding him, it was almost a relief to him to put himself to sleep. He sometimes cries when I put him down for a few seconds, but if it goes on for much more than that I go back in - usually he just needs a little more cuddling to wind himself down. Sometimes babies just need a little mommy time. Maybe your LO is just in need of some night-time attention or snuggling. I wouldn't feel bad about having her in bed with you. Babies adapt really well, so I don't think it'll be a hard habit to break. Hang in there - and follow your mommy instincts. 

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  • Andie_83Andie_83 member

    imagePennylane824:
    I have no advice but just wanted to tell you that you are not alone. Hannah is a horrible sleeper and it's becoming miserable really fast. 

    Ditto for my DD.

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  • Leperfish2Leperfish2
    imageAndie_83:

    imagePennylane824:
    I have no advice but just wanted to tell you that you are not alone. Hannah is a horrible sleeper and it's becoming miserable really fast. 

    Ditto for my DD.

    Ditto here. DS has never slept through the night. Up every 2-3 hours, all the time, always hungry. And I gave up on putting him in his own crib. He sleeps with us (me), and takes naps in someone's arms or in his stroller. It'll pass.

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