How do I get my 10.5 month old to sleep through the night?

Question

Please help me. My son doesn't sleep. He wakes up almost every 2 hours & he won't go to bed before 11. Sometimes he sleeps 4 hours. We are exhausted it can't go on forever. We recently moved & had to live in a hotel for 2 month. During this time he transitioned from cosleeping to crib, but slept in the same room. Now he has his own room but he won't sleep by himself. He sleeps fine with us in bed, but is this healthy? How can I encourage him to sleep alone? What can I do? I get NO sleep. I am worried about letting him "cry it out" I can't seem to do that b/c I love him so much & don't want to neglect him. If I go into his room when he is crying - SOMETIMES, I can sooth him back to sleep, but usually he cries as soon as he hits the mattress or when he wakes up he cries. He is teething, but still, he is cutting his 8th tooth, so he is at least familiar with the process. (not that it doesn't hurt, but it isn't his 1st)

Can anyone help me please??????????????????????????

Answer 1

First, for teething I use Baby Orajel. Even though a child has been through it before, it's still painful and they are too young to understand that it will pass.

As for sleeping through the night, it will happen when it happens. You know he can sleep all night since he did it before, so the best thing for you to do is to stay out of his room. You are not neglecting him. You can try a method where you let him cry for 15 minutes, go in and sooth him, like rub his back or belly, but DO NOT pick him up. Sooth him for 5 minutes maximum, then leave, even if he is still crying. Wait 20 minutes, then sooth again. Keep waiting longer between soothing sessions. Eventually he'll fall asleep and stay asleep. Once again, do not pick him up. It may take a few nights, or weeks, of this, but eventually he will sleep through.

Make sure he is warm. My son always woke up at least once in the night until we bought a larger blanket that he couldn't kick off, now he sleeps almost ten hours.

Answer 2

we were having the same problem with our son, then i stumbled onto a book called save our sleep by tizzie hall. The first day we used the routine in the book, he slept through!! He was only 4 months at the time, the book has a lot of useful information about pretty much everything. I would reccomend giving it a go. I't not about controlled crying, i don't agree with that at all......we now put our son down for a sleep and the most he will grizzle is about 5 minutes then he is sound asleep, so i would highly recommend the book. give it a go!

Answer 3

Ohhh honey, it will be ok! First of all, you need to decide what you really want to do. If you really want to let him get the most sleep but are worried about co-sleeping, then keep him in your bed! Many more parents co-sleep with their children now, including myself! As a matter of fact, the US is the only country in which co-sleeping is so frowned upon because we are convinced that babies need to be "independent." The truth is, your baby can't feed himself, he can't bathe himself, he can't dress himself, why should you expect him to suddenly know how to sleep by himself in a dark room? This is not to say that babies who sleep in their cribs are unhappy or that the parents are wrong, it's just trying to make it understandable that for centuries babies slept with their parents and in most countries they still do! Just make sure you don't drink/smoke before bedtime, and be sure that all smothering hazards are taken out of the bed.

Now, if you want to put him in the crib, there IS a wonderful, gentle way to do so!!! Read Elizabeth Pantley's "The No-Cry Sleep Solution." You sound like a wonderful, nurturing mother. I agree that crying it out is not the best option. It makes your baby feel abandoned, makes his heart rate raise, his blood pressure raise, and puts strain on his tiny body that doesn't need to be there! I hope you'll take a look at this book, and I'd LOVE to help you more if you want. You can get your kiddo sleeping better and happier, I promise. Please email me at [e-mail] if you have any other questions!

Answer 4

You have to stop giving in. If he cries you have to let him cry, you have to give him time to give up and he'll go back to sleep. Just don't give in, and especially do not let him sleep in bed with you.

He'll have to learn that crying is for when you really need something, and that if it's the middle of the night that it's sleep time.

Also consider wrapping him up, he might be moving at night and becoming uncomfortable. There's a way to do it that's safe, just look around online.

Answer 5

Its completely healthy to let him sleep with you... it is done around the world! It typically produces very healthy, well-adjusted, secure adults. He will transistion out of your bed when hes ready... for most this happens between 2 and 4 years. I mean, didnt you ever go climb into bed with your parents when you were little? didnt you grow out of it? If he sleeps best with you, and you get more sleep because of it, theres nothing wrong with that.

Im sure you will get many responses telling you to 'cry it out'. What is your ultimate goal? Is it more important to have your child sleeping on his own, or to raise a secure adult? 'Cry it out' has been shown to have a negative effect on an infants brain development... you just have to deside where your priorities lie.

Answer 6

Its ok to let him sleep with you since he is going thru so many adjustments right now.

Im a grandmother what else did you expect me to say? LOL

I say do whatever suits you and your family. It is your life and your baby. Do what you need to and get some rest.

Good Luck.