Seeking Help on How to Get a 6 Month Old to Stick to a Sleep Schedule

Hi A.,

I'm in Charleston, where are you? I was reading through some othr responses, and can I suggest something else? I cannot for the life of me understand why you'd allow your baby to cry for you and just do nothing to comfort him.(as others have suggested) He IS crying for a reason. He needs you! At 6 months old he likely still needs to nurse often and at this age could be having a growth spurt. Ignoring your child's needs by doing nothing will not solve anything. This is a precious time and they grow so fast; follow your instincts and give him the nourishment and comfort he deserves. I would argue that Baby Wise and the Ferber method border on neglect.

~C.

I would say definitely stick to a day time routine first. A well rested baby always sleeps better at night. The best thing I ever did was Baby Wise. A 6 month old should be taking two good naps a day. I would work on getting Isaac to get to sleep on his own during the day and the night will follow. Also a good night routine usually works. Kids feed on structure. A was a nursing mom and a good piece of advise that I got was don't nurse your baby to sleep. I had my kids on a feed-wake-sleep cycle. Anyway, these things worked for my kids who are 20 months and 3.5 years old, they still go to bed at 8pm. If you find he isn't sleeping through the night he probably needs more calories in the day.
J.

My son gets that crazy schedule from time to time, because his daddy works crazy hrs and it is hard for him to adjust. I just wake him up a little early than the usual. Then I keep him active. I play with him all day, which is tiring (lol, but rewarding in the end), and try as much as I can to skip his nap time. If I can't skip his nap time, I cut it shorter. Finally, around early evening I finish his day with a nice warm bath and read him a good book. He normally drifts off to sleep by 7:30pm or 8pm. He sleeps wonderfully all night. Most moms say skipping the nap makes it harder for the child to go to sleep at night. So when I first started out having the problems with his sleep schedule I cut his nap shorter.

I would just put him to bed 30 mins earlier every few nights. That way it is gradual. Also give him cereal for dinner and then nurse him right before bed. That way you know his belly is full. You may have to let him cry it out. Give it a few nights and he will get used to it.

Read Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. It saved my life! :)

We used the Ferber method with both of our kids at around 6 mos. with great success. This website gives you a bit of an introduction... http://www.parentingweekly.com/baby/baby_information/ferb...

You can buy the book or probably find some more info. on-line. Good luck!

Are you feeding him any other baby foods ? By 6 months he is ready for that. try giving him a nice warm bath at the same time every night before bed and lay him down let him cry for a little bit try not to pick him up try rubbing his back and then leave again. This worked with both of my kids .

Hi A., I am a nurse and infant care consultant. I specialize in helping parents getting their babies to sleep through the night within three days. Check out www.momsoncall.com. There is also a book you can order. I use the popular "Moms on Call" Methods in my infant care consultations. I used the proven methods on my daughter ( who is also 6 months now), and she has been sleeping 10-12 hours a night, in her crib since she was 3m old and I also breastfeed. Email me @ ____@____.com if you have any questions.

I moved to SC in February from Germany, with my 6 month old. The time difference was a killer!!!! I used to put my daughter down in her room, with all the lights off except a night light. I learned that if you prepare your child for bed (i.e. a bath, and a lullabye) that works wonders!!! Just stick to the schedule!! That was the hardest part. Now my daughter is 14 months and has her sleep pattern down. I hope this helps you.