8 month old wakes up to 8 or 9x a night

[kellycontrary]

Hi everyone


My daughter is 8 months next week and has never slept through the night, that isn't a problem- my son didn't sleep through until he was almost 10 months but was predictable and woke like clockworkat 2am ever night for a bottle! My daughter however...complete guessing game! She might wake at 9 or midnight or 2, or most often between 3:30-4:30. I wouldn't mind so much but sometimes she refuses milk and screams even more!

Sometimes we have to resettle her every 15-30 mins. The real problem is we have now had to move her back into our bedroom as she was sharing with our son, but woke so much she was waking him. She still manages to wake him every night even in our room and I spend the time going between them to settle them (my son is 4). I return to work in 4 weeks time, and my husband works away 4 days a week so I'm dreading the exhaustion of it all as I'm struggling now without work to contend with!

We had a week when her last two teeth came through that she slept 10-6 (she goes to bed between 6&7) which was amazing. All this time we have put it down to teething as she already has 6! But I know her signs now and I'm pretty sure she's not right now but still waking herself. Her new one is refusing milk for a good 20 mins and just screaming, then when I try again taking maybe 3oz. Which makes me think she's just using it as a sleep aid. Although she's never slept through the night, she had gone al night without milk, I'm pretty sure most of the wakings aren't because she's hungry. Anyone experienced this and have any suggestions?!! TIA!

 

[JumpingIn]

Time to sleep train before you crack up. I lived with this for 8.5 months (only worse than your description) and would have ended up having a total breakdown if we hadn't hired a sleep consultant. This situation is unhealthy for all of you

 

[kellycontrary]

I agree and we've thought about a sleep consultant but they are so expensive aren't they?

 

[xdxxtx]

I sleep train, too. I cannot live like that and will get extremely depressed if I don't get enough sleep. I don't know how you're managing right now. I just trained my now-11-month-old a few months ago. I always start with Pick-Up-Put-Down, which was all two of my kids needed. Two of my four refused more gentle methods, so I ended up using controlled crying. Some people will disagree with my methods, but I'm well-rested with four very happy kids. Even after training, my babies all like(d) to cry when first put down for bed (& nap time, even if I was holding them). After they get that last bit of energy out, they go to sleep once they've learned to self soothe. I did this myself using internet research & tips from other parents.

I think the most important first step, however, is developing a very solid sleep & eat schedule. I schedule by time, as I have so many (currently also raising another 4 year old along with my 5, 3 & 2 year olds and 11 month old). My babies get tired naturally once they've started going to bed at the same exact time each night.

 

[noon_child]

If this is a recent change (for example she wasn't waking this often at 6months) it is likely to be down to developmental changes. Sleep training gets children used to new habits and routines but if she isn't waking through habit but instead because she is genuinely distressed then sleep training may not work.

Frequent night waking is often caused by overtiredness - what is her daytime sleep like?

My LO would also do the screaming but not wanting to feed thing and I still have no idea what was wrong. I wondered if weaning on to food was causing gas pains etc. I couldn't do the letting her cry thing as we'd had too many occasions where she genuinely needing something like changing from a dirty nappy, medicine for a temperature, to nurse because of a growth spurt, picking up so she could fart etc. I guess it's just whether you think something is actually wrong or not.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

How is she if you hold her? Co sleep?

 

[kellycontrary]

Thank you for all your responses! We spoke to a sleep consultant in the end who advised us to put her back in the room with my son for a start and then do a little bit onf controlled crying. We put my son with us for four days and by night two, she slept through for the first time! Then last night we moved my son back in and she woke him at 3am! The technique we were given/had been trying, I think she was just hungry and unused to sharing with her brother, new noises etc! Went straight back to sleep after a nappy change and milk so hoping it's just going to take time to adjust. Shame we don't have a bigger house - next year!