6 month old will only go back to sleep if I lay with him?

Question

I have a 6 month old who sleeps through most of the night. Lately he's been waking once or twice a night but I give him his pacifier a d rub his head for a little bit and he will go back to sleep. But he's been waking at 7:00 am lately and the only way for me to get him back to sleep then is to lay him with me. Then he'll sleep til 8:30-9:00 am. He has a full bottle and either veggies or cereal. He's also teething. Are there any suggestions to how I can get him to sleep longer? I know many parents say not to let baby sleep with you b.c he will not want to sleep in the crib but he does sleep in his crib and he is only sleeping with me for an hour or two. Is this ok?
Thanks for the help.

I forgot to mention he goes to bed around 10-10:30 pm as I don;t get off o work until 9:00 pm.

Answer 1

You are doing just fine!!!!!

Do not worry too much about what some of the "new age thinking" people may say.

Babies tend to sleep on their own schedule...what we do as "grownups" is try and get their schedule to acclimate/adjust to ours. Sleeping through the night...that's a "grownup" concern...while your baby (and every other person's baby) was in the womb...it woke/slept as it saw fit. Day/Night and "people-schedules" were, and are, of no concern to him.

I have the same pediatrician as several internationally famous celebrities...I only mention this to show the level of credibility that her opinion should carry...and she has been there for us with both of our boys. When I asked her about sleeping through the night and sleeping with mom/dad stuff (like you just did) her replies were (paraphrasing, of course):

..... your baby will acclimate to your schedule over time as it develops a sense of routine, sunrise, sunset, etc etc...one thing that does help the baby sleep longer though...is having a full tummy. Typically a baby wakes up because he is hungry (i.e. sucking on the pacifier simulates eating). So, she recommending making any babyformula with a thicker consistency so that the baby has more "substance" in his belly...which takes longer to digest, provides a "fullness" that lasts longer, and therefor the baby sleeps longer. You can also do this with more "protein-based" foods...versus carbohydrates which are absorbed by the body much faster.

.....as far as sleeping with mom...it's really a personal opinion/preference...(anyone telling you different is either mis-informed or self-righteous about their personal beliefs). However, sleeping with the mom/dad.... provides a sense of comfort for the baby because while it was in your womb it was "part of you" literally(!!!) and heart every little sound your body make...especially your heartbeat/rhythm...when the baby sleeps with you...it is soothed by that familiar sound and the warmth of your body (98.6 versus airconditioning?). The same feeling of comfort we feel when we as adults hug/cuddle with someone...up to this point in the babies life...that sound/feeling has been all its known...and yes, the sense of security that mom's still here allows/helps him sleep longer. (The argument against doing so with your baby is: 1) you may roll over and smother it 2) you need to break that bond...personally, I believe moms have slept with their babies since the dawn of time and we've survived just fine and isn't "cold-turkey" techniques a bit harsh for an infant?)

Other than night time...the baby has his own needs of how much sleep he needs...just like you know when your body wants/needs food. Play with him, and feed him till he's full of "protein-based" or "thicker-mixed" formula and he will sleep as much as is reasonable right now...combination of tired and full. (be sure to give the baby time to calm down before placing him in bed/crib for the night too).

Sorry....I'm not taking the time to "edit" and "clean up" my ramblings here...just offering common sense and passing along "professional opinions".

Answer 2

7am is the typical time that a 6 month old baby wakes up. He should then be fed and played with until 9:30 or 10 when he should then be going down for a morning nap.

Answer 3

I think you have a different perspective on when babies should be waking up each day. It sounds to me like he just wants to get up that early... 7:00 is not early...
I do not think you should be sleeping with him... at 6 months, he is plenty smart enough to know what is going on... I think he probably isn't tired, but just goes to sleep because you're warm and comfy... this will be a hard habit to break as he gets older and he actually does have to get up on time...
If you let him get up at 7:00 and start your day then, I bet he'll take an excellent nap mid morning or so...

Answer 4

get him a crib carosel put him in the crib and let him be if he cries just let him eventually he will go to sleep and he will get used to his personall time and stop with the pacifier he only cries because you respond everytime do not worry about him being mad at you your the parent and he will appriciate it trust me I have been there my son is four now and has slept in his own room since about 6 mounths.and when he gets up just get up it's his turn and he will go to sleep earlier which means more relaxation time at night for you start putting him to bed around 7:30-8:00 and see how quick it becomes second nature to the both of you.Good luck.(Don't forget to check out www.photo-tran.com)

Answer 5

i myself have a 6 month old, and he tends to go to sleep between 9 and 10 area, and every morning hes up between 6:30-7:30, and hes just ready to start his day. he will nap again between 9 and 10am for about 30 min. i would tend to say your little one wants to join the world at 7am. so allow him to do that. good luck!!!

Answer 6

a lot of babies wake up at 7am...sounds like maybe you want to sleep a little longer. your lucky he sleeps that long. he may just be ready at 7. get up with him, play with him. he will probably go down again in a few hours later in his own bed and that way he won't get in the habit of sleeping in bed with you.

Answer 7

maybe he's just a little early bird!
what time does he go to sleep at night? if you want him to sleep in a bit more, you may need to keep him up a bit later.
i think if he sleeps well in his crib already, then it would be ok to let him snooze with you for a bit.
after all he's mommy's little guy being close to you is comforting to him

Answer 8

My son is about to turn 7 months and thats the time he has waking up since he was about 4 months old. He goes to sleep at 9pm and sleeps until 7am. It depends what time you put your son done, but 7am sounds pretty normal to me.

Answer 9

It is ok. People all think they know ever thing about how to bring up a Kid and none of them tell you the same thing. Do the best job you can! The bes thing I have found to do is find someone one you know in real life that you think has "Good kids" and ask them what they think you should do. Then do what they say or don't you will find that all most all mom's have been down this road.

Answer 10

Maybe he's ready to get up at 7am and doesn't want to sleep until 9!