Six-month old goes down at 7 only to wake at 9 and party until 11...

[ChateauMargot]

Any tips? She has three short naps during the day - probably a total of two hours' sleep in the daytime.

She goes to sleep properly at 11, usually waking twice and then starting the next day around 9am.

What we'd really like is to be able to put her down at 8ish and then have that be it, apart from short feeds during the night. But right now it's as if she has a 'practice' sleep for a few hours while DH and I eat dinner, tidy, chat, etc... and just as we're ready for bed, she wakes up and is wanting to party for the next two hours.

We feel that we're really close to having cracked the nighttime routine, except for this! Any advice appreciated :)

[ChateauMargot]

bump

[ChateauMargot]

wail!

[Fairylea]

Have you tried waking her at 7 so she starts the day earlier and is more tired by bedtime?

I'd wake at 7 regardless and start the day from then.

[Fairylea]

Meant to say I have two children and ds is nearly 7 months.. his routine is up at 6.30, nap 8-9, nap 12-1, nap 3-4 bedtime 6ish.. later if he's not tired. He sleeps through and doesn't wake between 6-6ish.

[Doitnicelyplease]

Sleep between 7-10/11pm should be the deepest sleep of the night, so if she wakes up then most probably overtired.

I second moving everything earlier in the day and aiming for 7-7 routine.

What do you do if she wakes? You should try and settle her in her room, keep it dark etc.

My DD2 is 6 months her routine is like this:
7.30am awake
9ish first nap for about an hour
12.30-2.30pm second nap
4pm catnap for 45 mins
7ish bedtime

Last night she missed her catnap and then woke up every hour after going to bed, she was able to settle herself fairly quickly though (which is a pretty new development).

If your DD is only getting two hours napping during the day I would put to bed much earlier.

[freelancegirl]

My DS is in the same sort of pattern Margot with three short daytime naps usually, all out in the pram or fed to sleep. Unfortunately these don't always add up to even 2 hours. He also just doesn't seem to sleep for more than 45 minutes during the evening (he's almost 6m). As a tiny baby he cluster fed all evening too so evenings have never been his strong point in terms of sleep.

He does sleep very well in the mornings but like has been suggested I feel I need to start waking him up earlier instead of letting us both wake naturally at around 8.30-9am which is what happens now. It doesn't appeal to me though as it's when I also catch up on a bit of sleep!

I am hoping that if I move that forward to 7.30am ish it might mean he goes down in the evening easier. But it's a toss up between wanting him to sleep earlier in the evenings as that's what other babies seem to do (and it would be nice to have some evening time) and not wanting to lose that morning sleep, as he is still waking up 2-3 times for a quick feed at night! I'm going to start by setting an alarm for 8am to see if that makes a difference. I have a feeling it will just mean less sleep for me as I won't be getting that extra hour or so in the morning.

[agnesrose86]

My six month old usually has 3 naps during the day, always in the buggy, sling or car seat. We start his bedtime routine at 6pm and put him down in his cot in his own room often before 7pm. He never stays asleep later than 10pm and from then he usually ends up in our bed being breastfed 3-4 times until our 3 year old gets us all up at 5.30/6am. I really don't know how to get him to sleep through the night. 7-7 would be amazing. I've tried not feeding him when he wakes up and trying to settle him with stroking and shushing but usually that makes him scream like he's being tortured! Do 6 month old babies need night time feeds?

[Fairylea]

Some babies do need feeding.

If my ds woke in the night (and very rarely he does) I would always feed him first. Then I would return to his cot. I truly believe consistency is the key... so at bedtime, no talking, dark room, feed and put down half awake... if they are unsettled return and pat or pick up until settled and leave again. Keep going! You want them to fall asleep in the cot, not on you.

When they wake in the night I'd feed and do the same thing. So keep lights off. Don't change. Feed and put down straight away. Don't bring them in your bed. We have a chair next to the cot so we feed there so there is minimum disruption. We did the same with dd now aged 9. She has always been a good sleeper too.

For naps during the day we do exactly the same thing. So a mini bedtime routine.

I think it helps them to know when to sleep.

But.... maybe I've been lucky!

However I'm quite strict about routines and bedtime ... I'd never co sleep for example as I can't sleep like that and I put them in their own rooms with monitors from 8 weeks. Against Sids advice I know but it works for us.

[agnesrose86]

Thanks that is really useful advice although I imagine I will be returning to settle him a lot until he gets used to it.

[Fairylea]

Probably. I think dh and I spent the first few nights, maybe even a week or so, in and out of the room (ds never cried, just sort of fidgeting and moaning so we patted and replaced his dummy etc... never full on crying, if he cried I would pick him up until he settled and then try again) but he gradually learnt to self settle from an early age and I'd rather have a week or so of that than a lot of the sleep issues people seem to have with older children as in waking up all hours or coming into their beds. I don't think I've ever had my children in my bed.. I'm not saying there's anything wrong in that for people that want to do that, each to their own, but I don't think you can bring a child into your bed for comfort and then expect them to view their own bed as as nice and comforting! :)

It is difficult though and I remember tearing my hair out for the first few weeks when both were up every few hours so I can't imagine what long term sleep deprivation is like !

[ChateauMargot]

freelancegirl, I could have written your post! Mine also still wakes twice a night for feeds, so I really like having the extra sleep in the morning. May do as you're trying, though, and rise at 8am regardless...

[freelancegirl]

Two mornings in at 8am and of course it's early days but hasn't made a difference to evening sleeps yet. Yesterday he woke a good 8 times between 7pm and 11.30! Although he also did have a couple of one hour stretches and I haven't helped the situation by keeping him out all day today out of town and not getting home until 9pm. My fault I think for too much stimulation and not enough time spent chilling out at home! Must try harder I guess.