8 month old sleeping difficulties?

Question

my son will not sleep in crib, and only in bed with us and when he wakes up in middle of night the only thing that gets him back to sleep is breastfeeding anybody have any ideas how i can break this without feeling like a horrible mom and making him cry, i don't believe in the crying it out method seems brutal i tried it, it was to hard for both of us

Answer 1

Think about what you just wrote... Why on earth would you *want* to break your baby?! Babies are young for such a short time (I really appreciate that this time around so much more than with my older kids!!); try to love what you have right now instead of always worrying what you will do if this stage continues for 10 more years (it won't). Babies need to be close to you. They need *help* getting to sleep. You're doing a great job, and you *don't* need to change things!!

Answer 2

Try to make sure he is full and tired when he goes to bed. Then don't expect miracles... if he can add 30 minutes a week to the time he is sleeping, that's terrific and he'll be sleeping through the night in no time. Also, try moving his bedtime later... if he's only sleeping six hours in a row, I'd rather have him sleeping 12-6 than 8-2, wouldn't you?

I never had a problem with the co-bedding thing, so I can't speak to that. Does he nap in the crib during the day? Maybe try starting that and it won't be such an adjustment to put him there at night.

Answer 3

When my daughter was going through this I gave her a bear that I slept wiith (so it had my scent) and played quiet music (always the same music) when I put her down the first time. When she would wake up in the night I would give her a few minutes...long enough for me to get a drink or go to the bathroom and she often put herself back to sleep...if that didn't work I would just hold her and rock her (without feeding). My friend stopped breastfeeding at night and started giving the baby water...pretty soon it wasn't worth waking up to eat just to get water. Be patient. I give my daughter 10 minutes at bedtime to stop crying (time it with a timer or it will feel like FOREVER) usually she is out before 5 minutes are up.

Answer 4

This is normal baby behavior. I also breastfeed my ten-month-old and usually start her out in her crib at the beginning of the night, so we can have some mommy and daddy time. When she wakes up a few hours later she comes to bed with us and stays there for the remainder of the night. Tanking your baby up on food will not do much good because night-time nursing is more for comfort than for hunger. My DD recently went on a ten-day nursing strike following a sore throat and she slept through the night for ten days because she didn't want to nurse. If she woke from hunger then she would've cried for something to eat! Just snuggle that little baby and enjoy him while you can, before you know it he will be a teenager and won't want to be close to mommy anymore :(

Answer 5

My sister went through the same thing. There's no way to find out exactly what is going on inside the little guy to cause him to not sleep. What she did, and what I would do, is just slowly work him back into the crib. Let him fall asleep in your arms, then lay him in is crib, maybe move it into your room so that he can feel you closer to him. When he wakes up, just do not let him lay in your bed, hold him and do what is needed to help him relax. Then lay him back in his crib. He will eventually stay in his crib, and feel more comfortable there.

Answer 6

Try the book "No cry sleep solution" It is a step by step method to gently move your baby into the crib and get them sleeping through the night without "crying it out"...my tip is do it GRADUALLY...it is a painstaking process, but it avoids many tears...if you can, try to put him in a co sleeping cradle right up next to your bed, when he gets used to it, begin to move it away from the bed slowly - at first 2 inches, then 6, then 12, etc...when you have it accross the room, bring the crib into the bedroom and put it in that spot...then move the crib into his nursery...also, what helped me was getting up in the night and nursing our daughter in her nursery - it was a pain, but it got her used to being in there at night...good luck! I know it's tough.

Answer 7

I know exactly what you are going through!!! My son will be 8 months old on the 25th and he wakes up every night crying. He will cry for hours unless I get him out of bed and feed him. I wish I knew how to stop it. When he first goes to bed, he screams for about an hour, also.

Answer 8

when he falls to sleep why dont u put him in his crib? just put him there when he wakes up for breast feeding feed him then after he falls to sleep put him back in his crib. u should did that first he got born not nowcause it is going to be easier on u. try to get him crib mobile and different kinds of crib toys that will make him so happy and he will love being in his crib.. good luck.

Answer 9

then just enjoy this time of your babies life. Both my boys slept with us. I was really frantic about getting the first one to sleep in his own bed right when we brought him home, but he wanted to be with us. I am sure you have heard "the are only babies once". Trust me he will grow out of it in his own time. Meanwhile don't worry about being a horrible mom and don't worry about what other people say

Answer 10

you are so lucky he only gets up at night to eat. just give him your breast and vola he is asleep. =) i wish mine would do that. i have to get up and play with her and change her diper and then wait till she takes my breast and falls asleep. after she is all done with that it is about 2 in the morning and she gets up at around 12 in the morning. i guess like almost everyone is telling you injoy it will you can. when they grow up to be teenagers you won't have that kind of love any more but a different kind of love.