7 Month Old Mood Swing at Bed Time

My 9 month old does the same thing at times. More often when he is overly tired and he often is more fussy when his gums are bothering him. I hope I was of some help.
S.

Kids start getting funky at this age. They start becoming more aware of things around them, so they'll not want to sleep as well.

K.

Hi, My now 15 month old daughter did the same thing right around that age. We had her in a great bedtime routine where we gave her a bath, read books and then she used to go to bed fine, but one day she just started to scream when we put her in her crib. We tried rocking her, nursing her, and everything else to get her to calm down, but every night suddenly was a struggle. Finally my husband decided it was time to let her cry it out. I was not a fan of the idea, but we had tried everything else and there really was nothing wrong. Anyway, the crying only lasted 8 minutes and then she was sound asleep. After 2 nights of that, she started going to bed fine again. Anyway, this is just a thought. There are lots of methods to "crying it out" and I viewed it as a last resort, but I was surprised that it really did work. But, you have to see if your baby is ready for that or not. I mean, she actually cried for longer than 8 minutes when we were trying to calm her down by rocking her and feeding her, and everything else. So, this worked for us.

We used to call this the "bewitching hour" with my kids. It was as if they got to 7p.m. and then completely fell apart! It did get better for us but it took a few months or even longer. My friend has a seven month old right now and her daughter does the exact same thing. It's just one of MANY stages that you just have to get through.

Hi! Your 7 month old could be going through a stage. Continue your nightly routine and I'm sure your daughter will work through this. has anything changed in her life to affect her bedtime schedule?
Good luck.
From a working mom myself, it's quality time vs. quantity. I adore my kids and find I balance my profession as well as motherhood. My priority is my family so I ensure I manage my time very efficiently.

she could be teething. try giving her a bath before bedtime. rub her down with lotion and give her a baby massage.sometimes that relaxes them. i am sure it is something not to worry about too much.

I agree with a LOT of the responses you've gotten so far. It could be teeth or ears which tend to flare up at night. Watch for fever--a good sign it may be something like that.
I've always called the time from 6-bedtime "The Longest Hour" because anything can--and does-- happen! Try to establish a nighttime routine and stick to it as closely as you can. For example: bath, milk, book, bed. We used to call it: tubby, bubby, book, bed!
Good luck to you!

Is your daughter teething? Our son started to get very cranky and out of sorts at bed time whenever he was teething. He is 10 1/2 months now and we can still tell when teeth are coming by how he acts at bed time. We usually give him some tylenol when he gets cranky and rub his gums, then he usually settles down and goes to sleep. Good luck!

One night when my son was 7 months he started this too - wouldn't sleep, and was very clingy. I got really upset and thought I "spoiled" him - the next morning I saw two little teeth poking up. Is it possible that she is starting to teethe? Since he was my first I didn't recognize any symptoms at all except night time fussiness.

Also, I don't think baby sleep is a linear thing - they sleep more or less at times - just because they slept well for awhile doesn't mean they won't go through stages where they sleep less well. Sometimes getting over a developmental hump can change a sleep pattern too. Just be patient with her - maybe she is trying to tell you something.

Good luck!

could it be separation anxiety? developmentally the age seems right. the "routine" might be prompting her to anticipate that separation. they say if the baby smells you at bedtime it helps - so try to sleep w/ one of her blankets so it gets your smell and then give it to her -

peek-a-boo also helps w/ separation anxiety - it teaches the cognitive concept of "object permanence" - basically that you still exist even when she can't see you - once they grasp this concept the anxiety is usually lessened.

hth,
K.

Hi L.,

My name is I. B. I'm the mother of 4 children & Grandmother of 1. My oldest daughter Kristy 23 lives in Florida with Our very 1st Grandchild! My oldest son Tony is 19 then comes my son Raymond 4 then my youngest daughter Patricia 3. I'm married to my best friend too!

Your not alone! Every child goes through the " mood swing" at different ages. Not all go through the mood swing at a certain age. My kids seem like their ages where between 2 and 3. Patricia does that now. Try changing the routine a little bit? Try reading before her bath? Changing to a different book?

I'm a stay at home Mom ( this time around! ) I was home with Kristy until Tony turned 3 then financially I had to go back to full time myself. I felt like I missed the " growing up years". When Raymond was born I worked the overnight shift and drove school bus thru the day so he could come with me. I continued doing the same when Patricia was born. Then I found a wonderful Home Based Business I started in April 2006 by August of 2006 I was making enough money to stay home and my children help me with my business.
IF you find the time take a look at my website:

www.trisharay.candlebizfromhome.com

This is something you can do while still working your full time job. Eventually, you'll make enough money to leave your full time job and be home with your daughter.

You can earn money 3 ways: retail - fundraising - residual income

RELAX, ENJOY your little one. Her mood swing days will go away as fast as it started!

Have a BLESSED weekend & Happy Easter to ALL!

I. B.

Hi - my daughter is now 2. We found from the time she was an infant that we had to change the bedtime routine up every couple of months. She would really fuss and it just dawned on us one time to change the routine. It will stick for a few more months and we change it up again. As your daughter gets older even let her decide what she wants the routine to be. Many people say to give the child a bath. We found this only wound our child up. Sometimes a simple change could be reading downstairs and then carrying her up to bed, or reading in your bed and taking her to her bed. The bedtime routine gets longer as they get older. Keep it simple for her or if she continues to fuss try putting her to bed even just 5 minutes sooner. She could be overtired. I hope this helps a little.

Hi L.,

I am 47 and have a three yr old who recently went through the same thing. We were considering a rubber mallet by the end! :) It happens at all ages.
Rest assured it is a phase. I am a massage therapist and into natural stuff so what I did was use essential oils (young living)like peace and calming, gentle baby and lavender on her feet and belly before bed. What seemed to work best was taking a bath WITH her filled with lavender bath salts. Relaxed us both. Might be a bit young for the twosome thing, but baths definitely help. When mine was 7mos I did a lot of essential oils and homeopathic remedies. She could just need more bonding time with you OR she is playing you. YOu need to figure out which one it is. It will go away, rest assured. Good luck. They also have homeopathic teething remedies which work well also. Sometimes if all her physical needs have been met and you know she is ok you just have to let her work it out-she will.

Hey There!
Im sure its just a faze. They all go through them and she is probably just testing your will. Try to be consistent with her so this doesnt develop into a habit.
I wouldnt worry to much.
ps. I read alittle about you and you said you wished you could be with her more. I was able to stay home with my 3 children and it was such a blessing. I would love to share those ideas with you..if you like.

Hope this helped a little.
W.

Is she getting teeth? Mine can handle the sore gums during the day, but have more trouble at night. She also could be a little stuffy at night - especially as weather improves and things start to bloom. Illnesses aside, this may (I'm sorry to tell you) be the beginning of separation anxiety, and she misses you.

Stick to your guns - if you give in now, you'll be unhappy later. You sound like you have a good routine, and that will serve you well as she gets older. You can do it - be strong! And just like all things with children, this too will pass!

L., if you TRULY want to spend more time with your baby, you CAN find a way. These months and years will pass so quickly, and you can never regain those precious moments you will lose with her, just for the sake of money. Make a list of your expenditures, see what you can cut out, what are your basic needs, NOT the frills, and you'll be amazed at how much money you waste just because it is there to spend. Even if you have to sacrifice some material things, how can that compare with spending your days with that baby. You will never regret spent time with her, only the time you lost when you could have been with her. Don't sacrifice her on the altar of money and material goods.

Your little one may be teething! My little one began showing signs of teething several weeks before any pearly whites arrived. Also in this new stage of development your little one is discovering lots of things in her world that are very exciting and interesting so who would want to go to sleep and miss anything! My advice just try to come up with a simple routine you can all stick to and hang in there, it takes time to get into a good sleeping routine and it can always be disrupted by teething, colds, as baby learns new skills, doesn't want to sleep and also babies have moods to what they feel like one day can change to the next! Keep up the good work!