Son Still Won't Sleep Through the Night at 7 1/2 Months!!!

Hi M.,
I read this book before I had my little guy called "The Happiest Baby on the Block" and I'll have to say I was a skeptic at first but the advice offered in it really helped with my son. I know your son is a little older and the book deals with colic related issues but it might be worth a try to read through it and see if anything sticks. I also know that probably the best way to get a child to sleep through the night is to establish a solid sleeping and eating schedule for them. I'm sure it's very difficult working and having school full time but it sounds like your doing very well. I would definately talk to your pediatrician as well if you feel completely overwhelmed. Best of luck!

First I would check and make sure how much the day care is letting him sleep during the day. The first time I was a mom I was in the Navy working 12 hours shifts that alternated night and day, and I could not get my daughter to sleep for me at all. I was a drone. Eventually I figured out that her sitter was letting her sleep like 9 hours at a time. It was very frustrating. I had to switch several times being stationed overseas. Anyway once I found a sitter that kept her on a routine she started to sleep for me. She was breastfed until 5 1/2 months, around 7 months she was completely on formula but I got her to hold her bottle by getting one of those floor activity mats. I would put her under it with her bottle and it distracted her while she ate. I also used a pillow to help support it. But always make sure you are there when he is feeding the first few times. Hope this helps, and hang in there.

Your son might need to learn how to put himself back to sleep at night. As my doctor explained, we all wake up through the night, but look around and say "I'm still in bed, it's still nighttime, I'll go back to sleep." He just needs to learn how to do that on his own. Some don't agree with the Cry It Out method, but it worked for us, and there are a few other methods out there you can try. It will take a little time, but once he learns how to do it for himself, he'll have better sleep habits his whole life. Start with his bed time routine - keep it the same, and be sure to put him in his crib while he is still drowsy but awake. It took my kid not quite a week to really get it that he could be in his crib alone and it was fine. He's now almost 9 months, and goes to sleep with out a fight. He wakes up maybe once a night, but has gone all night here and there. Also look at how much sleep he is getting. If it is not enough, he may be overtired, and that makes it harder for him to sleep (that's counterintuitive, I know, but sleep begets sleep). And he may need to go to bed earlier. My son is in bed about 10 1/2 - 12 hours a night, plus naps through the day. Check out "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth. I don't follow it to the letter, but it's a good starting point.

As for not wanting a bottle after eating solids, he may just be full at that point. Wait a little bit for him to digest. And my son only just starting holding his own bottle at 8 1/2 months, so it will come, don't be discouraged! Good Luck!

M.,

I used the cry it out method too. And sometimes I still have to! Try feeding him a bottle right before bed to make sure his tummy's full and then lay him down. Leave him there for 10 minutes, and if he's still crying go in and rub his head to comfort him and say it's time for bed baby and then leave. He will still cry, but wait another 10 or 15 mintues and do the same. Eventually he will go to sleep. When he wakes up in the middle of the night, just go in to comfort him and say go to sleep (I give my baby a blanket now, he knows its bedtime when I put the blanket on him). Then just leave and do the same method you did when you put him to bed. I did that, and every once in a while he cries for naps or bedtime and I just do the same thing! It works!! He's a great sleeper! It's soooo hard, but I promise it'll work after a few nights!

My baby is 9 1/2 months, bottle fed most of his life and very RARELY holds his own bottle! :) He does hold his own sippy cup when I give him juice! I wouldn't worry about that, he just wants you to do it for him!

C.