I can't get my 6 month old son to sleep at night?

Question

My son is 6 months old, and the youngest of 3 children. His older brothers had normal schedules... this one refuses to sleep at night, no matter how hard I try. I'm up with him until anywhere from 3 to 5 am every night. He sleeps a full 8 hours, allowing me to get a full 8 hours, but the fact that he has his days and nights confused is slightly frustrating. I don't mind if he is awake until midnight, because I usually am, but 3 or 4 am is ridiculous. I've tried putting him to bed early, keeping him up and not allowing naps during the day, waking him up earlier, etc etc... but no matter what I do, he refuses to sleep at night. Anyone else have a similar problem?? Is there anything I should be doing that I'm not?

Answer 1

Even if he's not cooperative, start a routine and stick to it.

By six months, my kids were either having a bath or some quiet cuddle time around 7:30, and put to bed around 8. Then I would go in when I was ready for bed (around 10:30 or 11). I wouldn't turn on the lights, make any noise, or change diapers. I just eased them out of bed, nursed them, and slipped them right back into their crib. Usually, I could get them right back to sleep, and I could count on them sleeping until 5 or 6. Then my husband would get up for work, and I'd bring the baby back to bed with me. After a quick nursing session, I could usually get another hour or so of sleep.

Routine is your friend.

It doesn't ever work for some kids, but you won't know until you've given it a serious try.

So just decide how you want bedtime to be, and then try to keep it that way for two weeks. You'll know by then if you need to change anything up.

PS: an overtired child finds it hard to sleep. So not allowing naps is counterproductive. You want a short nap in the am, maybe around 9 or 10. And a longer nap in the early afternoon, maybe around 1? Then there's a nice long period in the late afternoon and early evening for your baby to eat, play, socialize with the family, bathe, etc. And that should tucker him out enough that he can sleep when you want him to.

Answer 2

I've heard of the turning the baby over trick to readjust their clock too and it always makes me laugh but some people swear it's solved their problem so hey, try anything once right???

No naps during the day won't likely do the trick. It doesn't make much sense, but an overtired baby will sleep even less.

The people who have said ROUTINE are exactly correct.

M daughter's just turned 1 last week and since day one we've played lullaby CD's @ naptime and a constant heartbeat (Conair makes a little sound machine with waves and rain and stuff - we leave it on heartbeat) all through the night.

My daughter hears one or the other and does what she has to do. She sleeps for an hour or two with the music and the heartbeat is a cue for her that it's night time and she won't be seeing us until morning. The constant rythym soothes her back to sleep whenever she wakes up.

From about 4-weeks she's slept from 9:00 p.m. until 9:00 a.m. (We wake her up at 11:30 pm for a diaper change and to nurse one last time before I go to bed) but she's practically "dream feeding" for that one, she's never really awake.

Also, if your little fella uses a soother at night then keep a spare one in the crib in a VERY consistent location so if he loses one in the bed (or drops it out) he can easily find another. We started doing that at about 6 months and it's worked like a charm until the past few weeks when my daughter's decided that she only likes the YELLOW one not the pink. (So maybe make sure they're the same brand/style/colour too.) Lucky for us she doesn't get upset if she loses the soo-soo. (She only really wants it when she sees it.)

She also has a "Taggie" blankie that she uses to soothe herself. I orignally gave her a couple dolls, a stuffed dog and the blankie and let her decide which she'd get attached to. After a few days she picked the little Taggie blanket and now she doesn't really ever sleep without it, but she sleeps like a dream with it!!

Good luck!

Answer 3

If you don't already, maybe you should try starting a bedtime routine (like give him a bath to help him relax at 7pm if you want him in bed by 8)...after bath, read him a story and rock him a little while, then put him in his bed and see if he'll go to sleep on his own...maybe try to play w/ him more during the day (easier said than done w/ a six month old, I know)...I know how frustrating it is to not get sleep, especially when you have two other kiddos to take care of also...best of luck to you!

Answer 4

i know that this is very frustrating, but this might mean that you will have to try and keep him awake during the day, playing with him more, letting him sleep for shorter periods. This way he should get use to knowing that day time is for playing and short bursts of sleeping maybe 1 -2 hrs every 3 hours of play. my 1 wakes at 7:30am I get him changed and feed and play with her for a while then shes back to sleep at 9am, she will sleep til 12 pm and i do the same thing but only letting her sleep for 1-2 hours and waking her up at 1 or 2pm. I then let her stay up for 5 hours and then get her to sleep at 7pm or 8pm and usually she sleeps right throu.

I wish you luck coz its not that easy getting them to sleep when they been that way from birth.

Answer 5

This is going to sound funny but it happened to me. My daughter would not sleep during the night and my other daughter was up all day so I was exhausted and called my parents to see if they would take the kids so I could get a couple hours sleep. When I got there my father took the baby flipped her over backward and said there she will sleep tonight she just had her days and nights mixed up. Me being over tired and like right dad went home that night and your not going to believe this she went to bed and slept through the night. My father called me the next moring and said did she sleep? I had to swollow my pride and tell him he was right. Good luck. I hope it works for you

Answer 6

Lack of sleep in children can cause serious
health problems.If parents follow some simple
techniques for making their children sleep,
it can be avoided. I found useful information
at http://nosleep.in/sleepchildren.html

Answer 7

It happens. Nothing you can do about it. You're lucky you get 8 full hours sleep.

Answer 8

Here is what you have to do, at night when you lie him in the crib, you need to take his binkie, and dip it in some cough medicine(then let him suck on it), i know someone who has done this, and they swear by it, there son is now an honor roll student in high school, ask your doctor, if you can do this....

Answer 9

Maybe check what & when he eats/drinks. Maybe he needs more "mom time" & thats the best time to get it.???

Answer 10

babies are on their own time. sorry that it doesn't coincide with yours. it will even out in time.

goodluck and sleep when you can!