How did you get your baby to sleep through the night?

Question

My son is 6 months old and wakes up 2-3 times between 9 P.M. - 8 A.M I know at this age he doesn't need extra feedings, but he gets so angry. What method works the best for them to get to sleep? I already feed him cereal before he goes to sleep...

Answer 1

You didn't say if you had a bedtime routine, if his pants are dirty when you get up with him, or if he's really eating in the middle of the night ... I'm going to presume that's he's just waking up to wake up and you're having problems getting him back to sleep.

The first step is to establish a bedtime routine, a definate cut-off between play-time and sleeping time. We still use this with all of our children (ages 10 - 15), but it especially important with our ADD/ADHD and RAD child. It is a mental break between day-time activities and quiet, night-time activities. We use clean-up time, bath-time, reading time, sleep-time in that order.

Every night about 30 minutes to an hour before you want Junior in bed and asleep, start by cleaning up his toys -- with him in your arms, or have him help if he's crawling or walking (probably not a 6 months, but it won't be long). Then give him his cereal and milk/formula, then a nice warm bath to relax him. After bath-time, put him in clean pajamas and a diaper.

When everything else has been done and it's time to unwind, sit with him in a rocking chair in his room. He can't relax and get ready for sleep with the radio or TV going in the same room, and you want him to get used to falling asleep in his own room for when he gets older. Use this time to talk to him, tell him a story or read a book to him. It doesn't matter if he can't understand the words, he'll be listening to the sound of your voice and absorbing the cadence of the words to use later when he does start to talk. When he is good and relaxed, lay him in his crib and pat his back until he drops off to sleep. You can continue to tell him your story or read a book while you pat him to sleep.

When he wakes up in the middle of the night, the first step is to let him try to soothe himself back to sleep. This involves letting him cry a little bit. I would start at 5 minutes and gradually increase it as he grows. This doesn't make you a bad mother (or father), you're helping him learn a valuable skill -- how to settle himself down when he's upset -- and he'll need that throughout his life!

If you're sure he's not wet, dirty or hungry ... then just talk to him in a very soft voice, soothe him, pat his back, but DO NOT pick him up. Continue to pat and talk to him to soothe him back to sleep, and then go back to your own bed.

If he wakes up again, repeat all the steps starting with letting him cry it out a bit. Then talking, patting and soothing. Eventually, he will learn that he can quiet himself and go back to sleep without mommy's or daddy's help.

Answer 2

You need a routine. My baby has slept through the night since 10 weeks of age and she's now 11 months. She has her breakfast around 8:00 - 9:00, lunch at 11:30, naps from 12:30 - 3:00, a bottle, dinner at 5:00 ish and she's down for the night at 8:00.

Does your baby take naps during the day? At the last feeding, really get your baby full to help your son sleep longer at night. I warm bath, before bedtime, may help your son sleep longer also. Or....just keep your son busy during the day...play, read books, practice sitting....keep him moving to get him tired to sleep ALL night.

Answer 3

Babies will wake up at night as long as they need to AND will change there sleeping habits when the need arises. Most babies at 6 months will wake up 2 to 3 times a night to feed because they need to remember that there tummies are smaller then an adult tummy and need smaller meals more often. It is best you let you baby wake up as often as he needs to feed and not try to "train" him to sleep though the night as this could harm him. He will sleep "through the night" (by the way medically this means for 5 hours) when he is ready. Instead of dreading these night time waking enjoy them as they are special time between just the two of you that you can treasure for the rest of his life.

Answer 4

If your baby is 6 months old he shouldn't be sleeping from 9pm-8am without waking up his stomach is very tiny and he only eats but so much. Try giving him something we call here in New York called dirty water. No it's not what you think actually dirty water is for example:
If baby drinks 8 ounces of milk
Suggestion:
Give 5 ounces of milk mixed with 3 ounces of water
Eventually baby will we in off of bottle completely
He should already be eating table foods
6:30 Dinner
7:30 Snack
8:00 Bath
8:20 Warm bottle "dirty water"

Answer 5

What time is he going to bed? When are his naps? I don't let mine nap past 5:45 and she's in bed usually at 8:00 or 8:30. A bath right before bed makes my baby sleep better. Do you give him cereal & the rest of the 6 oz bottle before bed?

As for water, adding karo syrup acts like ex-lax for a baby! Don't do it. 1 oz. of water is fine a day.

Answer 6

MY LIL GIRL JUST TURNED 7 MONTHS AND SHE'S GOOD AT SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT, THIS IS HOW I DO IT. LIKE CLOCK WORK:
SHE PLAYS ALOT ALL DAY, WITH HER GRANDMA WHILE IM AT WORK,
SHE DOESN'T GET A NAP AFTER 5PM WHICH IS HARD FOR A LIL ONE, SHE HAS A BATH EVERY NITE, I LET HER PLAY IN THE WATER, SHE LIKES TO SPLASH THE WATER AROUND, THAT GETS HER PRETTY TIRED. I RUB HER DOWN WITH LAVANDER BABY LOTION, AND FEED HER A CEREAL BOTTLE. I SWEAR SHE ONLY WAKES UP FOR A DIAPER CHANGE AND MAYBE A FEW SLIPS OF MILK, BUT RARELY DOES SHE WAKE UP. HOPE THIS INFO HELPS YOU. GOOD LUCK.

Answer 7

make sure they aren' sleeping all day. make it a relaxing mood when it is time for bed. music low lights maybe read and snuggle together. Also he maybe waking up still because he knows you are goin to go in there and give hima bottle and or attention. don't let him cry it out and he will learn that waking up doesn't mean more food or attention. it might be hard but it will work eventually. and keep making sure they are changed and have a full belly before he goes nto bed like you are doing.

Answer 8

I used vapor bath from the natural foods store and fed the babies cereal. I got so desperate at one point that the kids slept with me. I was so worn out and tired of fighting with them and my hub that I caved. It wasn't so bad. If they slept all night so what. Most of the time I was able to put them in their own bed after a couple of hours. Most of the time it was seperation anxiety that was the culprit and the kids went to their own bed after a few months. It was worth it to me for the peace in the house and the sleep. The hub wasn't as pro our bed as I was, but he developed a closer relationship with the kids than he had prior. And we never rolled over on the baby or any of that happy crap "they" would have you believe. Nana

Answer 9

I think it's normal if he wakes up 2-3 times between 9pm to 8 am. when my daughter was at 6 months old, she likes to sleep at 2am in the morning and wake up at 11am. Finally I discover that she likes to sleep in cold environtment (but not so cold).

Answer 10

I had the same problem with my first baby, until the doctor told me to give him water instead of formula, he did cry a bit more the first few nights, but after that, he slept through the night. But don't give him plain water, add a little Karo syrup, the clear one, so the baby won't get constipated.