10 mth old sleep issues

cshuman0303 · June 2014

My dd is now 10 months old and most nights is still waking every 2-3hrs wanting to nurse. She sleeps in her own room in her crib, I get up and let her nurse maybe 5 minutes and she's right back to sleep. If I don't nurse her she cries and cries.... We aren't fans of the cry it out method. Also she still won't take any type of bottle or paci never has... She just now will drink a little water/juice from a sippy cup during the day.
Any advice on helping her sleep better at night? During the day she nurses every 3/4hrs also. Thanks

charmcity82 · June 2014

You must be exhausted, I'm sorry you are having to go through this every night. I know that some will tell you that if you keep nursing her back to sleep she will "always" need that in order to get back and won't learn to fall asleep on her own. But I don't think it works that way, at least not for every baby. I think you need to figure out what's best for your little one and what's best for you. If she just nurses for 5 min now and goes back to sleep, it's probably nursing for comfort and not hunger, so maybe you could try to introduce a pacifier right after nursing while she's very sleepy? If she is like my son "crying it out" is just not an option because he is a very determined child and will cry himself hoarse. I have never been okay with that so I go in and soothe him when he cries at night. He has gradually woken up less and less so that now it's just once in the early morning. It's been a slow, gradual process but one that has not involved long periods of crying and that is just what works for us.

The bottom line is, it sounds like your daughter likes the comfort of nursing back to sleep, so if you want to wean her off this you need to help her seek comfort in something else at night. She will need help figuring this out though. Whether it's a pacifier, thumb, or blanket, you can try and work to find something that will work.

Good luck! I hope she gives you some longer stretches of sleep soon!!

PrimRoseMama · June 2014

I fail to see the issue?

You can try to get her to take a lovey or a pacifier. My son & daughter refused lovies. DD will take a pacifier & eventually outgrew this at around 16 months. It doesn't last forever.

DS loves to nurse to sleep. So we do. He does the same yours does. He takes a pacifier but only if he isn't hungry. Again, it sucks, but it doesn't last forever.

The only thing I could offer is try boosting your supply? See if you can't calorie load for dinner a bit? It might be honest hunger, but it might be routine. My advice is to ride it out. I'm sorry.

frugalphillybride · June 2014

When you put her down initially, do you nurse her to sleep? If so, I think teaching her to put herself to sleep will help with the night wakeups. If she is nursing more for comfort, I'm guessing she is waking up due to her sleep cycles and doesn't know how to put herself back to sleep. You could try reading The Sleep Lady's Good Night, Sleep Tight.

https://www.betterworldbooks.com/the-sleep-lady-s-good-night-sleep-tight-gentle-proven-solutions-to-help-your-child-sleep-well-and-id-9781593155582.aspx

cshuman0303 · June 2014

Yes she nurses to sleep initially bc if I put her to bed "tired but a awake" as the books say she stands up in her crib and starts playing or either cries and wont go to sleep otherwise.
I'm sorry u don't see the issue but honestly the issue is I'm exhausted!!! Waking every 2 hrs is no way to get decent rest and it's been this way for the past 10mths so by now I thought she would at least sleep longer stretches 4-5hrs.
She refuses a paci no matter how tired she is. She has a taggie blanket she holds while she nurses but just doesn't seem to know how to put rherself back to sleep without nursing....

Sunshineflo · June 2014

Have you tried a sound machine with white noise? It won't help her from needing to nurse herself back to sleep but may help her to wake up less often during the night. Also, I'm sure you have done it but just in case-have you tried different pacifier shapes? Maybe you can find one she prefers?

Also, we did the happiest baby guide to sleep. It worked for us, as we weren't fans of the crying it out method either. You can also try co-sleeping? Controversial but if it works to get you some sleep then who cares.

Good luck and hang in there-it's difficult operating under such exhaustion!

frugalphillybride · June 2014

I feel your pain momma! We've had good luck with the sleep lady shuffle that's detailed in the book I linked above. Basically, the first 3 nights you sit next to the crib and periodically soothe (pat or shush) as needed...but you can't pat or shush them to sleep or they just become dependent on that. Then the next 3 night, you sit halfway to the door. Next 3 nights at the door. Next 3 nights outside door but still in sight.

Good luck!

BelhurstBride · June 2014

Delayed 9 month wakeful? Could she be working on a milestone that's keeping her up at night?

DD2 just went through an awful sleep regression; DH and I took turns just staying up with her. It wasn't even worth trying to sleep between her wakings. But she literally overnight started crawling, pulling up and cruising.

DD1 went through an awful sleep regression at 11-13 months. It was worse than the newborn phase. She was working on walking.

Just like stressors keeps adults up at night these types of things keep LOs up at night.

10 mth old sleep issues

Re: 10 mth old sleep issues

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