Night time nursing in 8 month old

smm5 · January 2012

I loosely follow AP and need some nursing/sleep advice. My 8 month old has had a variety of health issues, nothing major, but enough to always mess with his sleep (reflux, ear infections, tubes) and just recently the stomach flu and traveling. Needless to say his sleep is at an all time low. He wants to nurse/comfort suck every 30-60 minutes ALL night long. We have tried co-sleeping, but he just seems to get anxious/cries and rolls all over the place and won't settle down. I am against CIO, and even went to my towns "sleep lady" she told me to cut out night nursing cold turkey and make dad do everything. I think that would emtionally scar my baby. So any suggestions on how to get him to sleep past one sleep cycle without wanting to nurse? I work and have a 3 year old and this is greatly messing with my ability to function during the day.

ncbelle · January 2012

Hugs mama! While I think some night nursing is normal at this age (and Eleanor definitely still night nurses!) I can understand wanting him to sleep longer than an hour at a time. Sickness can definitely make for more restless sleep - as can teething and hitting milestones. We are dealing with more night restlessness right now as E is about to get some teeth. But I think you can still cut down on the nursing without CIO or night weaning altogether.

Have you read the No Cry Sleep Solution? She offers some suggestions on breaking the nurse to sleep association and replacing it with something else - that should help. While I don't like the "cut cold turkey" advice, I do think the sleep lady was at least partly right on getting daddy involved. It's good for all of you (including daddy!) if daddy can get LO to sleep too. Not sure how you are getting LO down at night but I might start by letting daddy figure out something that works for him. So nurse, but not to sleep, and then let daddy take over. For my DH, babywearing has worked well. Then maybe figure out a plan for night wakings - some you nurse and some daddy tries to get LO back down (but I'd only try cutting one at a time so it's not too much at once).

You might also try - or have daddy try - going in right as he's hitting the end of a sleep cycle. If you can shush and pat right before he starts to wake, he may go back to sleep and learn to get over that sleep cycle hump. Not sure if by co-sleeping you meant bed sharing or not - if you meant bed sharing wasn't working, maybe just try having him in his own sleep space in your room. That will help you and daddy get to him before he fully wakes - and keep you from having to get up as much too!

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Night time nursing in 8 month old

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