10 Month Old No Longer Sleeping Through the Night

All I can say is please don't let him cry it out. The psychology experts I listen to, and my psychology professor at college, say he will develope trust issues that will affect him for life. I have three children and I could never handle the ferber method. My children are now 7, 5, and 2. The oldest and youngest were boys and they slept with me. Which, by the way, is customary in every other country. My husband doesn't mind until they are 2 or 3 then we move them out. My daughter always slept wonderfully all night in her crib. Sometimes I think it can be a difference in personality. She likes her space. The boys seem to need a lot of extra comfort. Good luck and remember this is only a stage.

WOW S.! I'm amazed that at 10 months he was sleeping that long of a stretch! I think it's normal for babies to go through phases where they wake up more often. Most of the time it has to do with their developmental stage or another external issue (did you just move?). You should read the book called "The No-Cry Sleep Solution" by elizabeth Plantley. It's GREAT! It helped me with my sons sleep issues. We still deal with them from time to time, but I always refer back to that book for help!!! Good Luck,
K.

It sounds like a growth phase. It is really possible that he may need a little less sleep. Have you tried bumping his bedtime to maybe 8:00? Or his afternoon nap, move it a little earlier, or make it a little shorter. If he is playing, he is telling you that he is not sleepy.
I do remember when my babies woke up earlier than I was ready, I placed some toys in their bed (while they were sleeping) so that when they woke up, they could play and entertain themselves until I could get there. Ideas: soft books, soft blocks...maybe favorite things will entice them to play rather than cry for you.
TommieAnne

Try putting him to bed a little later, and making sure he gets some fresh air during the day. Hope this helps.

The good news is, Highland is pretty small, so it shouldn't be too hard to meet people! lol As for your little guy, maybe he needs a later bedtime, or maybe a sippe cup at 3 am instead of nursing...either way, it's just a phase of life, and while there are no "easy fixes" it won't last forever either :)

Hi S..

You are blessed! My first didn't sleep through the night until she was 12 1/2 months old!

You could try putting him to bed at 10 pm or so (or whenever you go to sleep). Maybe that would help. Perhaps he just doesn't need 10 hours at a time any longer.

You could investigate what you are eating/drinking. Caffeine affects babies through breast milk, etc.

I encourage you to nurse as long as you can. I nursed my three 13 months, 25 months and 11 months. The one nursed the longest is the least affected by allergies. I didn't nurse him often, but usually before naps and bedtime and when he needed comfort. Believe me, he won't "be attached" to you forever! This time of bonding is so wonderful, enjoy it as long as you can! He'll be independent soon enough, and he'll benefit with each extra month you give him (and he'll be smarter too!).

Go online and do a search with Google on the "benefits of breast-feeding".

Blessings to your little family!

R. W

S.,

maybe your little boy is teething. My son, who is now 20 months, did the same thing. At about 12 months he suddenly couldn't sleep all night. This lasted until about a month ago. He would wake up several times a night. We tried Tylenol and that helped a little. He would at least sleep until the Tylenol wore off. You could also try putting a bottle/sippy cup of water in bed with him. Maybe he's just thirsty. I tried that about a month ago and that seemed to help. You may just need to hang in there until his teeth come in. It can take a while. My son would get one tooth in only to start on another. Check his little gums to see if you can feel bumps where teeth will soon be coming through.
Hopefully that helps a little! Hang in there!
L.

The only thing that I can think of is that he gets hungry at 3:30 in the morning since the nursing helps and he ends up going back to sleep. You may already do this, but if not, my suggestion would be a snack, or a bigger snack than he usually gets before bedtime. Then, after brushing his teeth and when it is bedtime, nurse him before you put him to bed. When weaning the baby, normally the night time feeding is the last to go. Don't feel bad if you end up nursing him after he is 12 months old, especially in the night time. Also, he may need a later bed time...8 or so? Just my thoughts.

Hi S.

My son is 18 months old. When I was nursing he started to do this. He would stay up for like 2hours in the middle of the night. I found that he was just hungry. I started with formula and he quit doing it. He slept all night after that. I can't tell you that this will work for you but it might help. We also moved his bed time to about an hour later. Anyway I hope your son can get on a better routine soon.

Is he starting to do anything new? It seems to me that when my girls are working on hitting a milestone was when they would wake at night for awhile. I also recommend the No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley. Maybe he is hungry? Many babies need nurishment through the night even at 10 months, especially if he is growing a lot or learning something new.

He won't be attached forever, they never are. Enjoy those nursing sessions while you can, no need to rush him to use "things" to comfort instead of his dear sweet mama. From what I've seen nursing toddlers are so much easier!

Also... You just moved 2 weeks ago? An upset like that can affect a baby more than you'd think. Think about how much time you've used in moving. Does he just need more mama time and found that the middle of the night works??

K.

When my son was that age, he had similar problems sleeping. There is a woman named K. West who has a website www.sleeplady.com. My pediatrician told me about her. She has a nine night process to "teach" your baby how to fall back to sleep on his own. I used it and it worked. My son is now four and an awesome sleeper. Check out the website, she also has a book that you probably can find via her website. Good luck!

This is so familiar and pretty common. My little guy NEVER slept through the night. He is our second child and this was not a problem at all with the first child. The problem for us was that when he would wake up and cry I would get worried that he'd wake his sister up in the next room and would go rock him, feed him, you name it. One day it occurred to me that I hadn't slept all night long in 9 or 10 months. So, we decided to let him cry it out. He cried forever and I couldn't take it. We tried it again the next night and he got so mad he made himself sick. So, I abandoned the plan. I did this many times. I also tried the go in after 5 minutes, then 10 then 15 then.... it took forever and my husband was exhausted and I was so agravated that I quit that too. Plus, every time I did it, he would get that much madder b/c he knew I could hear him. Ultimately we went back to the cry it out routine and it worked. The difference? I was dedicated to it. There was nothing wrong with him (it is important that you establish that first). He had a very bad habit of wanting to eat at random times in the night. Every time I tried and failed it took that much longer the next time. It was a viscous cycle. So, if you decide to try something, choose one method and go with it. Don't give up. Keep it up! and please, before you get going, be sure he isn't teething or something. It doesn't sound like it, but you never know. Oh, and my daughter, the wonderful child that slept from 7 to 7 every night since she was 8 weeks old? She had weeks in there where she also woke up in the night. She soon got out of it and went back to 12 beautiful hours of sleep.
I hope that helps. After the novel of a response, my advice is, that just like anything else in parenting, once you make a decision, you have to stick with it, so choose what you will do wisely. They can spot inconsistency a mile away and it makes things harder for you and them.

Sounds exactly like my boys both of them. We made sure that we feed them a big bowl of cereal before going to bed. This seemed to help us. Might give it a try

Does he still fall asleep at 7:30? Maybe if you can get his bedtime later he may stay asleep longer. Do you feed him baby food or just breastfeeding? Try giving him baby cereal an hr before he normally goes to bed.

I found that taking the nightshirt or whatever you wear to bed, taking it off and laying it in the crib next to him when he wakes helps. It worked with my son.

Good Luck

Hi S.. One question I would have is how is he napping during the day and when does he nap? I would try keeping him up later and see how that does. Maybe he is getting to where he doesnt need to sleep as much? I wish you luck!

Try putting your child to bed a little later, and feeding cereal right before bed. He is getting older and he probably needs more food. A full tummy helps a little one stay asleep longer.

S.,

I can relate. My 16 month old little girl did the same exact thing. She was sleeping really great for awhile, and just when my husband and I were used to getting into a normal sleep pattern, she started waking up again. My ped said that they go through seperation anxiety at night. They wake up during the night and wonder where you are and what you are doing. My ped said to stay consistant. Make sure that your little one is ok, not wet or sick, try to comfort her and let her then soothe herself. I know this is sooo difficult to do. I had a real problem with this. I kept going in almost every morning and giving her a bottle at about 3:00 am when she would wake up. Just like your little one, my daughter was so used to breastfeeding in the middle of the night to help soothe her and also to fill her up. So, I kept trying to feed her to get her back to sleep quicker, eventhough she had already weened herself, and obviously was old enough to sleep through the night without eating. Finally, my husband said we had to take the ped's advice. We did and she realized finally that she had to sleep at night. I hope this advice helps. I know it is hard, oh my gosh it is hard. Like my mom always says...just when you think you have them all figured out, they change overnight!!!!! How true!!!!

I think maybe bumping his bedtime up a little is good if possible and then try a little ceral before bed to help curb his appetite. he will out grow it. I used to put a sound of a fan to help sooth the himming seems to help keep them asleep. Good luck.

He might be teething. My doctor told us to expect our daughter to start waking up again around that age. He said it's either going to be because they're learning so many new things (words, crawling, cruising, pulling up, etc) or because they're teething. After a few nights like this (OK, maybe a week or two...), my daughter has gone right back to sleeping through the night.

Around 11 months I stopped nursing in the middle of the night. Instead, I would just go in her room, lay her back down in her crib if she was up, and gently rub her back or tummy until she calmed down. Then I'd take my hand away and stand by her crib for a few minutes in case she fussed again. If that didn't work, I'd pick her up and rock her for a few minutes until she calmed down and put her back to bed. It always works for us, no nursing in the middle of the night. It's mostly for comfort anyway... not because they're hungry.

Good luck!

sometimes children begin to miss their mothers. one thing that you could do is to get your baby's bed covers and put the covers in your bed with you and your spouse. once the covers get your body scent, then put the covers back in baby's bed. this should help. it helped me when my children were younger. maybe in the daytime put baby's covers under your covers/pillows and leave there for a few hours. before bed, put coves back on baby's bed.

Sounds like a bad habit that my oldest tried...we had to let her cry it out. My pediatrician told us it wouldn't hurt her for her to cry even a couple of hours at that age. The first 3 nights were hell but after that it was back to normal sweet dreams for all of us!

How many naps does he take during the day? Perhaps it is time to cut out a nap (perhaps a morning nap) and push bedtime up to 8. Make sure that you don't encourage playtime at 3 am and that you keep the lights off. Hope that helps. Maybe you should give him cereal with his last feeding so he does not wake up hungry. Also, try to remember that the move may have thrown him off and it may take him a little while to return to his normal routine.

I would try putting to bed at 8:30 am instead.
When my youngest son who is now 23 yrs old used to do this I tried putting him to bed a little later and it worked every time.

My 6 month old had started to do the same thing. She was sleeping 12 hours a night then all of a sudden one night she woke up, I went to her and fed her. This went on for about a week then it moved up to 2 times a night waking up. Then 3 times. So I started asking around to some mothers in my area and all their children did the same thing, and all their advice was to let them cry no matter how long. Well I did that for one night she cried 4 hours straight! It was horrible to hear, but I knew she was safe in her crib. I just kept thinking, she's gonna hate me when I go get her in the morning. When I went to go get her in the morning, she greeted me with a smile. She had already forgot about the night before. And every since then the has gone back to sleeping 12 hours a night. Some children might wake up for a couple nights after that, but be strong and don't go get them, they will be fine. And if you need to, invest in a good pair of earplugs. :)

I had the same problem with my now 10 mo old. My ped. told it me that it was perfectly ok to let him go and not to nurse him because then he will develope a pattern and think that it is time to eat at 3am! My doctor reasured me that my son would not starve and he will get beck on his old schedule soon! Don't worry he did! Good luck!

I hate to say this, but I wonder if now he is waking up for a feeding? Do you nurse him right before he goes to bed? When my 17 month old son's sleeping habits change it is either because he is waking up hungry or sick or cutting a tooth. Also, I have read before that when they are on the verge of figuring out something new developmentally, they will sometimes have funky sleeping habits. The way we have worked through the early hour wake-ups is by keeping lights dimmed, playing soft music, quietly reading stories, and keeping activity low. Most often, after a couple or few weeks, they revert (mostly) back to old habits; but its a real bummer in the meantime. Thank goodness you don't have to work :)

The book 'The No-Cry Sleep Solution' has some great ideas on dealing with all sorts of sleep problems. I would recommend getting your hands on a copy of it.

My son has slept through the night since he was 8 weeks old. Anytime he is about to reach a milestone or goes through a major growth spurt he starts waking up at odd hours of the night. Within or a week or 2 it usually passes. Could this be what's going on with your son? I don't really have any advice except to stick to his regular routines and have patience, this like everything else will pass too.

Hey S.,
I am in the exact same boat as you, I sympathize with you and if you get any good information, PLEASE share! Hang in there!
M.

Here's another book recommendation, but honestly it has changed our lives. Purchase "Sleeping Through the Night" and it will help you and your baby get some rest. We've used it a lot and highly recommend it to everyone with children (0-10 years) with sleep problems. Good luck! - T.

My 10 month old was also a great sleeper....sleeping through the night at 6 weeks and for 11 hour stretches! Not so much anymore. She has taken to waking up at 10:30-11 and really just wanting to be close to my husband and I. She's content to come lay in bed with us. I love the closeness but I do not want to get her used to being able to sleep in our bed. Neither of my older 2 ever got attached to sleeping with us and I'd like to keep that up.
I wish I had some recomendations for you, but I am also in the same situation and am also looking for a little advise. Please pass on what you find out. Thanks!
And, good luck on your new home. It'll be easier once the weather is better but get out around town, join a group...you'll meet new people and have new friends before you know it!

We have an 11 month old and he does the same thing. He also used to sleep through the night. I stopped breast feeding at 6 months but all he wants is a bottle and he goes right back to sleep. We have tried everything from feeding him warm cereal before he goes to sleep, to letting him cry. Nothing works. He has been doing this for about 2 months now. I am used to it now so it doesn’t bother me but my mom friends say that by 1 they should sleep thought the night, and I should let him cry it out. Problem is, I can’t. Sometimes he will sleep through the night but most of the time he wakes up at about 3-3:30. Hope someone has a remedy!

Try giving him a bottle. Offer it to him (I'm not sure if he takes one now or not), and then put him back to bed. HE may decide that getting up for a bottle is not worth it.
You could also try putting him to bed later.
My daughter was taking a bottle after 7 mos, & she would get up EVERY night. So around 12 mos, the doctor said to give her sippy cups. When we offered them to her at night, she didn't want it, & after a few nights, she stopped getting up. So maybe try a sippy cup if the bottle doesn't work.

You gave yourself the answer after you nurse him he go to sleep. He can't talk so his way to communicate is cry. nurse him at night when he awake. Worry about the unattachment when you get to that bridge (12months) you are going to wean him.

I would suggest that you find a book called Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber, MD. It is full of ways to help your child with sleeping. It helped me with my little ones. It looks at the causes as well as how to help.

The thought that caught my attention was, your recent move. I would guess that he is a bit upset, uncertain as to his new surroundings, and just needs a bit of extra attention right now. I would suggest to not make an issue of it, just do what makes him comfortable, go back to bed until it is time for you all to get up. When child dictates sleeping hours-----all get tired and cranky! Which I am sure you already know! But things have a way of working out, in their own time frame, not others. So, I would suggest to avoid extra stimulus, sweets, at bedtime, play soft music, maybe a little night light, or whatever seems to soothe him without taking him into your own bed etc., which will only lead to other problems. I feel he will slowly adjust, as do you, and be fine and sleep "like a baby" again. Best of Luck! PR

Every time I read a post where a child sleeps like this I am so jealous. My son is 10 months old and he is just now sleeping through the night. Prior to this he was up every 2-3 hours. When he was younger he would sleep from 7:30-9:30 and then be up until 10:00 and sometimes 11:00 before he would go back to sleep. Now we just put him to bed at 10:00 p.m. and he wakes up around 6:30 a.m. I envy all of you that can get your little ones to sleep at 7:30 for the night!! My advice would be to let him take a brief nap from 7:30 to 8:30 and then wake him, feed him and put him to sleep later. And just for the record he does not sleep much during the day. Usually about a 20 minute nap in the mid-morning, around an hour at mid-day and a half an hour in the evening. He just doesn't sleep much. I hope he grows out of this!!!!