Sleep zzzzz

[Sunshine Star]

Hello ladies,

Please someone help! Haha! My little one who is nearly 9 months old is such a great wee thing however, he is, like many, up several times a night! I would love to cut this out but I've no idea where to start. He's a fantastic eater! For example, Porridge in the morning, mince and potatoes for lunch followed by yogurt and water and salmon and pasta at dinner followed with fruit and water. (Snacks of fruit and a healthy biscuit during he day) I'm breastfeeding him morning afternoon and bedtime. He goes down at 7.30 and will do the full 12 hours however, is up 11,2, and 5 for feeds which last around 10 minutes.

I put him down at night snoozy but awake and he gets himself to sleep. He's never been able to take a bottle but will take a cup with water, not super keen on formula or my pumped frozen milk, which means I've never been able to leave him for more than 4-5 hours.

He has a nap in the morning and one in the afternoon circa 1 hour each time.

It's so tiring and I'm aching for a full nights sleep! But no idea where to start!!! Would love to have advice!!!!???

Thanks in advance! Xx

 

[jessmke]

My LO was the same, and the only thing that helped was time. We tried all sorts of sleep training methods and they never worked. Then suddenly two days before her first birthday she slept 15 hrs straight and has slept through ever since. Nap during the day of you can and try to just ride it out, one day he will sleep!

 

[Sunshine Star]

Thanks Jess. I wish there was something I can do!! 🤔

 

[_Meep_]

Since he's waking up for feeds, maybe he isn't taking in enough milk during the day? Just a thought. He does seem to be eating a lot of food - which is great of course, but babies at this age still need to get the vast majority of their calories from breast milk or formula, so I'd maybe try offering an extra feed or two during the day, perhaps in place of his snacks, to see if that makes a difference.

If he's just waking for the comfort of breastfeeding then that's an entirely different story lol!

 

[noon_child]

I didn't introduce snacks till nearer 11 months and I did it because there were times when she was too active or interested in something to want to nurse. There's no guarantee that offering milk instead of snacks will stop night wakings (it is still very common for this to be a regular thing at that age) but it might be worth a try - especially if snacks are usually something watery and sweet like grapes rather than something carby and filling like banana.

 

[Sunshine Star]

Thanks ladies, I will try offering another feed and see how that goes. It's just trying to work out when that is a good time, so that it does hinder his meals.

He seems to be taking full feeds when he wakes up at night, so I assume it is more than just comfort, but maybe it might be worthwhile trying to give him a cup of formula when he wakes. He only problem with this is he would wake completely up as apprised to sleep bf feeds. Thanks so much for your input.

 

[noon_child]

... maybe it might be worthwhile trying to give him a cup of formula when he wakes. He only problem with this is he would wake completely up as apprised to sleep bf feeds. Thanks so much for your input.

If he is going to wake anyway you may as well feed him in the easiest way that's most likely to have you both asleep soonest. There is zero evidence that formula helps babies sleep longer, it takes longer to prepare and costs money.