My 9 month old baby is waking up in the middle of the night again?

Question

My 9 month old used to sleep through the night; but in the past month she has been waking up at least once a night & i dont know why? She can't be hungry. My husband started giving her a bottle of formula, but when i get her out of bed in the morn. the bottle is usually still full. I tried to rock her but she just keeps crying. She used to take a pacifer but hasnt had one in about a week, so i dont think this could be it b/c this has been going on b/f we started weaning her off the pacifer. Some one tried to tell me to just give her a bottle of water at night, cause it seems like she is wanting a feeding & since she is wasting the formula, she will get tired of just drinking the water. She has already cut 6 teeth, maybe she is still teething? Please help??

Answer 1

ugh, mine is too, she is about the same age, i thought i was off the hook, lol. but maybe she is teething, i think mine is. maybe give her a little tylenol right before bed, if it works, great, if it doesnt, nobody gets hurt and you have crossed something off the list.

Answer 2

My 11 mth old started doing the same thing to me a few mths back. For us it was usually a few pats on her tummy, a kiss on the cheek, a few sucks of water and off to dreamland again. A few nights it was unconsolable crying for an hour, we never did find out why though. After around 3 weeks of almost every night waking up, she stopped doing it! I admit I put a bottle of water in her bed a few times although some might say that's a 'bad habit', and it was clear she was drinking some during the night without waking us. Make a list of possible suspects, then start crossing them off the list! Since she doesnt want a bottle, it's probably not hunger. At this age some babies start waking due to separation anxiety. It's now that she understands you are separate from her and she doesnt want to lose you. Does she have a favorite stuffed animal that has your smell on it? That might help. Perhaps it's teething, were there problems with her first 6 coming through? My girl had # 7 and 8 come through at 10 mths, but thankfully none of her teeth gave her problems. Any sort of changes in your lives recently? Babies can be easily affected by change. I know someone made a comment to cut out her afternoon nap, but everything I've ever read counters that suggestion. An overtired baby sleeps poorly, so what might be happening is she hasnt slept enough during the day and is waking up as a result. My girl started fighting naps harder and harder around this age... I mean, I cant blame her as she was having so much fun crawling around on the floor and trying to stand up and all. She's completely obliterated her afternoon nap now, so I've had to move up her bedtime by half an hour to compensate. Try that a few nights and see if it helps. If it continues after all your tries, take her to see the Dr if you havent already just to rule out any sort of lingering illness like an ear infection or something. Good luck!!

Answer 3

OK first of all gatesfam... the comment about breast feeding WAS NOT necessary... I want to see you breast feed a baby who is teething ok. Anyways with that off my chest, my son is 10 months old and started doing to wake up thing when he was teething which was at 6 months. So, more then likely she is teething. I find Tylenol works. If you already gave her some and it is too soon to give her anymore try a small bottle of water/formula or whatever she likes. Turn on some soft music, check the diaper, get them back in there most comfortable position ( for my son its on his side with his blankie snuggled up to his face) this way they get back into that sleep mode and they will relax. Do not turn on lights unless you have to. Try a soft light, I usually use my cell phone bc I can still see and it doesnt disturb them too much. I try not to get him out of bed bc this also signals that it is time to wake up. it is really hard but self soothing starts now, and it is really the only way you are going to get a child who can put themself back to sleep. She might cry a lot at first and it will not be easy to sit there and wait, but it really does work. Maybe rub her head softly or her cheek to relax them a little too. Sorry that was long winded but this is my method and it works. :)

Answer 4

Well, first of all, formula is a big problem. But, I'm not going to fight that battle right now - Breastfeeding is natural and best for the baby.

Now, what it could be - being as that she is a formula baby - is a bad case of gas. If that's the case, all you can do is get her up, and get her out of the laying down position - put her head over your shoulder and just rock her. Rub her back, soothe her. She'll eventually either burp, or toot, and she'll be back to normal.

Has there recently been a change in her diet? Did you switch formula brands? Is she starting to eat solids? Dietary changes can be an implication as well - to gas - or stomach discomfort - which is usually why babies wake up. Something is making them uncomfortable, and they want help - they don't know how to do it themselves.

Good luck!

Answer 5

There is a good chance that it could be teething.

More likely is the fact that she woke up previously because she was teething, or for some other reason, and she liked the attention she got. If she doesn't seem to be in pain, isn't hungry (this seems obvious) and doesn't seem to be uncomfortable in any other way (maybe too warm or too cold?) let her be and see if she can get herself back to sleep. I know it can be hard to not respond if she's crying, but if you want a good nights sleep, for her sake as well as yours, try it. Not forever, but for like ten minutes. And then after a couple days if she's still waking, leave her for fifteen minutes, etc etc etc.

It works very well, as long as there isn't a good reason for her to be waking up. I went through this with both of my kids and it only took a few days for them to start getting themselves back to sleep and sleeping through the night.

Answer 6

It is all soooo temporary! It could be dreams/nightmares, a sound waking her up, growing pains... on and on. I have 4 kids and all were terrible sleepers as babies but outgrew it and sleep fine now. Just give your baby lots of love and reassurance that you are still there, (especially if she's being weened from pacifier). This is a phase that will seem so small when you look back on it. Even as adults we have phases when several nights in a row a restless and who knows why.

Answer 7

Give her a bottle of water when you put her to bed. When she wakes up go to her but don't pick her up. You can pat her a little at first. Lengthen the time it takes you to respond gradually and gradualyy stay farther away(until you are just coming to the door and speaking to her). She may just be waking in search of the bottle or she may be lonely. At any rate what you are trying to teach her is to be able to sooth herself back to sleep. Make sure her naps are not too close to bed time. (not after 3pm if you want her asleep by 9). Good luck! I envy you

Answer 8

Mine's eight months and is doing that. I put the nuk in her mouth and she is fine. I use to give her a bottle but she doesn't drink it so her nuk is just fine. I think it has something to do with teething. Try baby orajel. That stuff is a blessing. Good luck and sweet dreams.

Answer 9

I would say it is teething. These hard periods usually change. My nephew has gone through being easy to get to sleep to being impossible and now he is easy again and it just depends on his teeth and he is growing fast so they may need more to eat sometimes. But since she isn't drinking her bottle she may want that secure feeling her bottle gives her or she may just be going through a rough spell. Stick it out and if she gets worse or doesn't change I would talk to my Dr. I also agree that it could be her diet and tummy pain!

Answer 10

I think she is just teething. Try giving her a little tylonal and some baby orajel when she wakes up in the night.

Answer 11

I'm thinking its just night terrors. Unfortunately kids do start getting night terrors so young. and you wonder what they are dreaming about because you wouldn't think that they should be dreaming about something scary. My daughter has woken up in the middle of the night screaming and crying but you can tell she is not awake. if he keeps going and you think its to much for your son to handle, you can take him to a doctor and they can test him, because they do have medicine for it.