So I've been pretty relaxed with Noah since he was born, giving him what he wants when he wants, feeding on demand etc. Since weaning he has got himself into a sort of routine and I've been following his lead. Daytimes are great and I can usually predict his naps and feeds though he has no set schedule apart from mealtimes. But nights are a nightmare. He STILL wakes between 4 and 8 times a night (when he's teething it's can be up to 12 times )

Where am I going wrong?? He's a brilliant baby during the day but he's like a monster at night. We transfered him into his own room a few nights ago and nothing has changed apart from when he wakes, he's much more distressed because we aren't in the room with him. I'm actually losing my mind!

Due to my supply drying up he's been getting formula aswel as boob throughout the day but he does a lot of feeding at night, I've tried holding him off and ssshhing him to sleep but he gets himself into such a state he stops breathing and the only way he will settle is with a bottle or breast.
He had 29oz of formula and various bfs so it's not like he's not getting enough milk and this has been going on FAR to long to be a growth spurt!

This is roughly his routine:

6.30/7am - wakes and has bottle (3/4oz)
9am - breakfast then will nap (30mins)
1pm - lunch
2pm - bf/bottle 5/6oz then a short nap (20mins)
5pm - bf/bottle about 3/4oz
6pm - dinner then bath
6.30 - short nap (20mins)
8.30- bottle 7oz
9pm - bedtime
12am- this is when the constant waking and screaming starts until he wakes at 6.30

Please can someone help me and tell me what my doing wrong!! I've thought about cc and CIO but I just can't do it, he gets so distressed he starts choking so it's not really an option, I've tried pick up put down and as soon as he goes down hes screaming again

I'm actually losing the will to live, I dread night times and I should be looking forward to them!

Hmmmm, I'm just not sure that you are doing anything wrong, sounds all "right," to me. Maybe your lo needs a longer nap instead of so many short ones? Umm, my lo is 10 months and she still takes about an 1hour in the early morning (but she does wake up at 5am because of OH waking her up by accident, so he says). Then she takes a late afternoon nap for atleast an hour, then sometimes, but more often then not she will take a short 1/2 hr nap before bath, book, etc routine. I find the more she sleeps during the day the better sleep she has at night... Also, we rely on black out blinds and white noise (fan), which were the turning point for us. Now she is starting to get to her 7th tooth, so all bets are off when sleep comes into play. Last week was a struggle, she did not want to nap at all. Fun, fun, fun!!! Good luck! Btw, we are pretty much baby lead as well.


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Thanks for replying! Noahs 8th tooth is just cutting which obviously doesn't help matters!! Sometimes he will nap less and nap for longer but it depends on how Little sleep he's had the night before

How does he fall asleep? Also his naps during day are just not enough!


Here is our usual day (although I am baby led but as ur lo, mine created his own routine)
06:00 bottle 6oz
07:00/30 wakes up
08:00 breaki (BLW)
09:30 nap 30 min
11:00 bottle 4-5 oz
12:30-13:00 lunch (BLW)
14:45 bottle 4-5 oz + fruit snack
15:00 nap for 1.5 hours
17:00 snack
18:00 dinner (BLW)
20:00 bottle 7-8 oz
20:01 asleep

I really think you are doing a great job. To be truthful, I don't know how you are getting through each day with him waking up so much. Our LO is 8 months and has recently taken to waking up more during the night and it's made me knackered (but still not as many times as your LO). I think you are doing an amazing job.

The only thing I can suggest is that Noah may be over-tired? My Health Visitor is always saying that 'sleep promotes sleep', so I wonder if he needs to go to bed earlier than 9pm? I think people assume keeping them awake more in the day and making bedtime later will tire them out but apparently the reverse can happen. I also think if he can have longer naps in the day that would be better too, although I know how difficult that is to achieve.

I do hope things improve for you soon x

This is what i was thinking. If he is getting up that early and only mini napping he is probably over tired by the time bedtime comes, just a thought. My LO only mini naps, she has 3x naps a day between 20-40 minutes long, but she is in bed asleep by 7pm and wakes between 6-7am, even then she can become overtired and wake grumpy from naps. Atm she usually wakes 1-2 times a night, but last night she sttn! Sorry, didnt mean to rub it in. I hope you get some well earned rest soon

Btw, i did notice that if she missed naps in the day she slept worse the same night. Like someone said, sleep breeds sleep and i do think thats true

Thanks everyone, il try and get him to bed a bit earlier, any advice on how to make him nap longer? X

I agree with PP, I think an earlier bedtime and longer naps, if you can, would help. Isabelle used to be a right pain between 7pm and 10pm, she would wriggle and fuss and cry, but as soon as I started putting her down at 7 she was a different baby.

My 'guide for baby's sleep' says that 8 month old babies need 12 hours at night and 3 hours during the day, roughly.

I see that you have a bath associated with a nap and not bedtime, so maybe try introducing other sleep cues for the real bedtime, then you can drag these cues back to 8pm and then to 7pm depending on when you would prefer his bedtime to be?

I love the name Noah by the way!!

90% of the time he falls asleep in my arms then i put him to bed, should i be putin him down awake? he always falls asleep when feeding which makes it a bit harder x