My 13 Month Baby Boy Still Doesn't Sleep Thru the Night

Hi N.,

My daughter was a great sleeper until 4 months of age. Then she started waking up every 2 to 3 hours and I would take her out of the crib and rock her back to sleep. Well, by 1 year I couldn't handle going without 8 solid hours of sleep. I finally told my husband he was "on duty" one weekend, and that's all it took. The first night she cried when he went in instead of me, but by Sunday night she only woke once and my husband went in and patted her back. Monday night she slept 12 hours straight through. I'm not saying it will be this easy for you, but maybe try it for 5 nights in a row and see if he wakes up less.

If you try it and it doesn't work for you, a great book you might want to read about infant and toddler sleep patterns and how to gently change them so everyone can sleep is "No Cry Sleep Solution" by Elizabeth Pantley.

Hoping you get the sleep you need,
~G.

Congrats with the baby and kudos to you on pharmacy school! - that's awsome.

Don't be influenced by what "they say" oh he should sleep thru the night by now....not true...In the big picture he is still just a baby ONLY 13mo.old...I know I get tired and cranky too when I've had little sleep..so don't distress,your not the only one. Dees your son get to see you during the day? He might be missing you. You are his bond to the world and his connection to comfort...it was your heart beating he listen too for nine months... besided that,,,there are a few things to check off...Enough to eat,enough excercise, a regular routine...with us it's dinner,play,bath,book and prayer. (My daughter is two now) also I have much older sons 16&13...sometimes I use the Nanny method of sitting on the floor near her crib looking down and not speaking and I slowing move bit by bit until she falls alseep and I leave the room. I only started recently using that method...the other writer was right,,,thru the night is only about 5 hours or so we must remember even as adults we all wake up throughout the night and going back sleep is automatic now and we don't realize it's happening but for babies they don't have the slightess notion of what's happening and they still need help. Just think for a minute if you had to sleep alone with out your husband...
Hang in there and I hope you don't think I'm being harsh, I'm just trying to help you understand and sometimes a different view helps..
A.

Hiii N.,
My daughter is now 22 months old. She has recently started waking up one or two times during the night. (eventhough since she was 3-4 months she slept through the night). I go to her try to see if anything is wrong, if not I put her down and pat on her back or play with her hair until she falls asleep ( i try not to pick her up unless necessary). Talk to him, eventhough he is only 13 months trust me he understands, and even if he doesn't with time he will. Don't worry it's a matter of time and he will be sleeping through the night; and even if he doesn't that does not mean that you did something wrong by getting him used to carrying him, EVERY baby is different in their own way. When my daughter was 3 months I didn't do anything to make her sleep through the night...she just did!
Maybe try spending more time with him before he goes to sleep. Read him a story or just play with him, if he hasn't seen you all day, maybe that will help, because I think what Anita said was right..he probably misses you!!

some kids just don't sleep through the night. I have a 3 and a half year old that just started sleeping through the night about 6 months ago. I have a 17 month old that still does not sleep through the night, but I also have a 7 and a half year old that has slept through the night since she was 4 weeks old. I really think it is luck of the draw. My mother had 2 of us that slept good and one that just wouldn't. No matter what we do, it may work for a day maybe 2 but usually no longer than that.

You should hold him and rock him and NEVER let him cry. He's not a dog that needs training, he's a tiny human being that needs your help to learn how to calm himself and sleep. "Sleeping through the night" is defined as a FIVE hour stretch.

Your husband is right - you should be going to him.

Letting him cry can cause brain damage - not to mention it teaches him that he can't trust you, the one person he's supposed to be able to count on.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/07/14/the_odd_body_crying/

Do some googling and you'll find more.

Here is some good advice:
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/T070100.asp