To ask for your help with baby’s sleep?

[sleeparamadrama]

I have an almost 8 month old DS.

He isn’t a big eater during the day and settles for the night at around 7:30pm and then will be dream fed about 11pm.

Then from about 1am onwards he turns ravenous and starts wanting to devour bottles like no one’s business and often makes himself sick in the process.

Any ideas how I can get him to be hungrier during the day and start to sleep for longer periods after 1am? He’s totally exhausted and wants fed but then vomits it all back up.

Please no snarky responses. I’m only looking for some advice. I’m in Australia where it’s just after midday and I am totally shattered 😣

I should add that he’s rarely sick during the
Day and is eating puréed solids no bother. He’s just never been big on milk.

Eek! That’s rough! Honestly if he’s eating puréed solids well during the day, your best approach to milk is probably to cut drastically back at night, quite quickly, especially if he’s drinking enough to make himself sick! If he’s not given the option of milk at night anymore, then he’ll almost certainly improve at drinking milk during the day. And while milk is still important at 8 months, if he’s having purées and water in decent quantities then a few days’ transition with less milk overall shouldn’t be detrimental to him.

I’d start by cutting out the dream feed as that should be easy. No regrets move starting tonight! Then look into various sleep training methods and pick one that you think will work for your family, to try out as soon as you feel ready (heading into a weekend is typically a good idea if you have a DP who works weekdays). E.g., you could read up on the sleep ladder, limited cry-it-out...

Your DH is old enough that he probably understands more than you think. If you explain that night time is for sleeping, not for eating, and then eliminate the night feeds (unfortunately this needs to be on your schedule, not his!) he’ll probably catch on pretty quickly. Our DD understood pretty much immediately at 6 months and went from 2 night feeds to zero within 2 nights, with minimal tears (we talked about it a loooot during the day leading up to it!). Most of my friends had success with sleep training their babies between 4 and 9 months in under a week. You may have 3-5 painful nights, but it sounds like you need them for his health and for yours!

Completely agree with the previous poster. Might suck if he goes hungry over one night but he should want to eat during the day and eventually transition his feeds to more appropriate times.

They're all different but I can only go on my own two. Both had cut out night feeds by then but ate lots during the day. A sippy cup of milk before bed then nothing until breakfast. The first couple of nights will be difficult, but perhaps just offer a small amount of milk or water in the night. Could you try offering some Weetabix before bed to help fill him up?

Cut out/down the night feed. However I would suggest doing it on an evening where there is no work in the household the following day. That way you can sleep if needed. As a PP says try giving something filling before bedtime.

Sounds like my DD. Make sure you give milk before solids and high calories food not just veg and fruit.

Right so cut the dream feed....how?? He will scream bloody murder all night if he’s not fed

Do I just listen to it for a couple of nights and hope that it forces him to eat more during the day?

See it’s so difficult but I wouldn’t cut the dream feed. I would up milk in day and offer before solids as pp suggested. Expect last thing (say 6.30pm) I would give a before bed light supper such as porridge of weatabix and offer bottle after bath and story. Then teeth, sleep. Dream feed at 11pm. Then milk in morning when he wakes (say 6am) and then breakfast at 7.30pm. If he is only having purées definitely offer milk first!
Good luck

Not sure why you're being told to cut the dream feed. The dreamfeed isn't causing you issues so I'd keep it for now.

Just refuse to give him milk when he wakes overnight. Use Ferber technique to teach him to self soothe back to sleep. You'll have a tough 3-4 days but after that it'll probably settle down. If you must offer a drink only offer water.

I'd keep the dream feed going for just now, but once the middle of the night waking is resolved I'd start reducing the dreamfeed by 1oz at a time gradually then stop it.

I agree to giving more in the day but it's catch 22 because he is unlikely to eat more if he's had more in the night.

I would start by upping milk in day on day 1 and if he doesn't take it then on night 1 before bed give porridge etc and then cut the milk during the night. If things get really hard you could water the milk down. Hopefully then on day 2 he'll take more milk.

Also agree that at 8 months just purées is probably not enough. He will digest them quickly - an adult who only ever eats soup for example, will probably wake up hungry as their stomach will empty v quickly.

More substantial food during the day with plenty of protein and finger food should help.

At 8 months DS was having milk first thing with a biscuit, eating cereal for breakfast at daycare, morning snack (chopped fruit and half a cereal bar), lunch (savoury finger food, veggies and potatoes), snack (fruit pouch, baby crisps), afternoon tea (pinwheel, veg sticks), then dinner at home (1 sausage, veg, mashed potato).

Obviously we didn't feed the same thing each day these are just examples.