Night Waking - Tempe, AZ

Twins, huh? I can totally sympathize. I have twins but mine are almost 18 months old. One of my girls would do this - she'd do it for a few days and then stop. I tried the crying it out thing but in the end just ended up holding her and rocking her to sleep. Maybe he just needs his mommy :) It's probably a phase and soon you'll have it back to normal.

Hey S.,

It sounds like you have a very normal 6 1/2 month old. It's not uncommon for a baby to wake at night, and at 6 months, your little guy is probably going through a growth spurt and he's hungry. Nurse him to sleep if that's what works. Babies are not static beings; they change, their schedules change, and the best thing to do when they are this little is to follow their lead. If your little guy is only waking up once a night, then I'd say you are luckier than most of us.=)

Take care, and good luck.

Al

6 1/2 year old or month old? that took me for a spin.

Sounds totally normal. Honestly, parents should expect varying sleep patterns and times when you're up at night again. Teething, growth spurts, etc. Read The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley to make sure you're setting up good sleep habits, but don't expect a baby to never get up at night!

He might be teething or going through a growth spurt. Babies will change sleep patterns constantly through the first 2 years. They are going through so many growth spurts (physical and mental), and are teething on and off. If your baby is waking up, chances are, he just needs comfort from you. If it's teething, you can try Hyland's Teething Tablets (they are homeopathic and harmless), to see if that helps. If it's a growth spurt, just give him the comfort he needs. If it's easier to have him sleep with you right now, see if that helps for a while. I can't imagine how difficult it is with twins, and I hope you figure out something that works for you all soon. The main thing to remember is that everything is temporary at this stage. That means good sleep habits and bad ones. All temporary. The only constant is change at this age, and for the first 2 years especially when relating to sleep.
Good luck!
AND GOOD FOR YOU FOR NURSING!!! KEEP IT UP!!!

I let my son cry it out and after a couple nights he didn't do it anymore. They want to cuddle and be with you which is great until you want to get some sleep. It was the advice of my pediatrician to stop feeding in the middle of the night and he would begin to sleep the entire night...it worked.

He may be teething and or has an ear infection. They hurt at night time the most. Try the Highlands teething tabs or some tylenol, and or have a doctor check hi ears.

Mine did the same thing around 7 months. The pediatrician said that she was waking up just to be with me. We did the cry it out thing which was super hard but worth it in the end. In fact it made bedtime easier too because now we just put her in her crib and she knows how to go to sleep instead of being held to go to sleep. I know it is hard, but they will only cry for a couple nights and then you will all sleep better.

Hi S.. My daughter is almost 9 months and is going through this right now. She has always been a good sleeper, but she got the flu for a week and got TONS of cuddle time. Now that she is feeling better her sleep is all out of wack.

I choose to do interval sleep training with my girls when they go through sleep changes. It usually takes 3 days of being consistent and things get back on track. When she starts crying I go in after 10 minutes and shoosh and pat (I don't pick her up). When I leave she usually cries harder. I wait 15 minutes then repeat. Then I wait 20 minutes and repeat. I started sleep training when she was 3 month old so my intervals are long now (however she normally settles herself down after 15-20 minutes). When she was younger my intervals were much shorter.

Hannah went through a weird early morning waking period when she was 5 1/2 or 6 months old. She would wake around 5:!5am. The sleep training didn't work for this. I now think that was because she was going through a growth spurt and was hungry. So, for a couple of days, I went in her room at 5am (before she woke up on her own) and I gave her a bottle. I didn't talk to her or jostle her, I just stood by the crib with the bottle in her mouth. She would fall back asleep until I woke her up at the time I wanted her morning to start 6:30 or 7:00am. This worked and re-set her schedule. She was sleeping great until she got sick.

Trust your instincts and try what you think is best for your baby and what you are comfortable doing. It will get better-hang in there!

sounds like he is going through a growth spurt - they happen about every three months through the age of two.

Hi S.-
You're a lucky woman- imagine, having been able to sleep through the night! Bad news- he is hungry, he's just too sleepy to root. So, make sure he doesn't have to burp, check diapers, etc., then nurse him. He must be growing :-) S.

Hey S.,

Sounds like your little man is using you as a human pacifier. Get him hooked on a real pacifier and your problem might be solved. You will likely have to buy several brands to find one he likes but, trust me, it's worth it.

ALL HAIL THE BINKY!!!

Dear S.:
I also have a 6 1/2 month old boy that used to be a good sleeper and now wakes 1-2 times a night. The cause is teething. The best thing to do is realize that this period of poor sleeping is temporary and just nurse him or whatever he needs to slip back into dreamland. I highly recommend borrowing or buying The Baby Sleep Book by Dr. Sears. It helped me better understand the developmental reasons for changing sleep patterns over the first couple years of life. Also keep in mind that only 1 in 6 babies 6 months old sleep through the night. Consider yourself lucky when you get a full night's sleep. Parenting is a 24/7 occupation I learned with my 1st child who didn't sleep through the night until she was 18 months! Best wishes. R. (CNM and stay at home mom of 2)