My 6-month-old son will take 2 naps a day, but when it comes to be around 10 or 11 o'clock he is wide awake. He usually doesn't go to sleep until 2 in the morning and wakes up 3 to 4 times a night. I have tried the cereal in the bottle and all of the suggestions people have told me to. Can I please get some help? Is there anything I can do?
6
-
5Our 18 month year old still doesn't sleep the whole night.– Dave ClarkeCommented Sep 3, 2013 at 6:13
-
Is 10 or 11 his bedtime? That's way too late. Try moving it 20 minutes earlier every 3 weeks until it's before 8 at least, more likely between 6 and 7 but he'll show you his sweet spot. And 2 naps might be too few at 6 months - he might do better on 3. How does he show he's ready for his naps? Does he seem hyper? More info will help us give a better answer.– justktCommented Sep 3, 2013 at 23:56
-
I agree with @justkt. More information gives the oppertunity to better answers.– Mike de KlerkCommented Sep 4, 2013 at 9:44
-
Agreed, 10PM is way too late. Try 6:30 - 7:30– superluminaryCommented Sep 4, 2013 at 14:18
-
@DaveClarke - my 18 month old occasionally doesn't sleep through the night, but that doesn't mean I think that's a good thing for her or her parents. When that happens we make a change in her schedule if needed or tweak our routines as needed.– justktCommented Sep 4, 2013 at 16:33
|
Show 1 more comment
3 Answers
Try slowly move his day sleep earlier, engage him more, so it will get more tired. Cereal before night sleep will help but not for entire night. Even at 6 months it can't refrain from food for 10 hours. So he will wake up. If he was very tired and fully fed he can sleep for 6 hours along, then wake up for feed and sleep again for 4-5 hours.
Again, in the main, you should move his sleep time by getting him tired a little bit earlier, so in few weeks you will get it to the schedule you want.
One more thing is that every baby have the time that he growing much, and sure it needs more food then and the mother don't have enough milk yet, so check out that he really get enough milk (as it's yet his main food). My wife was feeding the baby every hour before the night sleep and when it wakes up at morning, because the baby can't eat much in one time.
It's normal, lots of children don't sleep through at this age. My daughter still wakes up wide awake in the night time sometimes.
I'd suggest implementing a policy where you don't turn on the lights or take him out of his room in the night time. When he wakes, go in to him, cuddle, sing quietly, be nice, possibly offer a bottle but on no account take him out of his room. Keep it dark, quiet and still.
The idea is to show him that night times are boring, there's nothing going on and nothing to see.
Over time progress to not getting him out of his cot, so just stroke him and pat his back, but don't get him up. Possibly offer a bottle if you're using them. He might soothe on it.
I used to tell my daughter about all the people who love her, and how they were all asleep, then sing her a nice song about how safe she was in her bed and how she was growing so big in her sleep. Now I can just go in and say the magic word: "snugadeen" (don't ask why but it works) and she does.
I didn't personally find that cutting a nap, or keeping her up in the day helped at all. She just got overtired and didn't sleep soundly.
It takes time and patience, but all babies get it in the end. When he's a teenager you'll probably find you have the opposite problem!
-
Agree that cutting naps or reducing daytime sleep is unlikely to be helpful (unless the baby in question is sleeping 5+ hours during the day). But I don't think that giving a bottle is helpful, at least not to sleep. That sets up a nasty sleep association problem. Now for hunger purposes yes, nurse or give a bottle. But make sure that the baby goes to sleep off of it. The sleep help fading approach you suggest does work, but it's trickier and longer versus an approach like Ferber. That doesn't mean it's bad - for many families it's perfect. Just takes time and timing.– justktCommented Sep 4, 2013 at 16:23
according to my experience/researches on this same matter, i have come to know that 6 month is starting age for many kids to start having a good night sleep of 4-6 hours together,
but it's not true/must for all kids of this age. time varies from kid to kid, and 6 month is just starting time for this to happen. i would say wait 1 month or so, and still if nothing seems to be changing in sleeping duration, then ask kid's doctor. i tried many suggestions to get my 6 month sleep through night at least wished he sleeps for 4 hours straight, but never happened until he reached 8 months. now he sleeps through night waking up 1-2 times. but yes he still sleeps not before 12-1AM in night, till then he plays with whole lot of energy, but can't help that.
all you can do is make sure you don't make his near sleep time so active from your end, be passive form your end when you feel it's time your kid gets to sleep, and eventually will start getting bore and will sleep early. also make sure to feed right amount(filling your baby right), when your kid seems nearing to sleep. also make sure at night your kid is covered just right so that neither feels too cold/hot which further makes them sleep badly. I wish and hope your baby starts sleeping more through night soon...
-
I think the answer contains some good points but I'm horribly put off by the spelling and all the smileys. Commented Sep 5, 2013 at 7:27
-
@hroptatyr: m not sure why u felt so wrong about spelling, as i can only see one word misspelled that was "form" in "time varies form kid to kid",rest all were all right,only thing is that i used chat kind of shortcuts like wud for would,ur for your and similar.did you feel this way of using shortcuts with chat kind of words are bad, if so would take this as suggestion and try avoiding that, really never knew these can be taken as wrong someday. about smileys, yes may be i shud avoid that,when i wrote, i just let the feeling flow with use of smileys to reflect my feelings about words i wrote. Commented Sep 5, 2013 at 11:44
-
yes I meant those chat abbreviations, I personally find them very difficult to read (even in texts) Commented Sep 5, 2013 at 12:38
-
@hroptatyr: i felt you are right, so have updated my post. Commented Sep 6, 2013 at 6:54