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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

6 month old with odd sleep habits, please can anyone advise??

16 replies

Munchkin3 · 05/07/2008 19:02

Hi there, i'm hoping someone out there can help with bit of advice with regard to my 6 month old sleep pattern. Maybe some of you have older babies who went through a similar thing. My baby normally sleeps from around 7 -6am which is great so in terms of sleep she gets roughly 11 hours sleep at night time. The problem really is during the day, she wakes up has a bottle and within an hour she wants to go back to sleep, she then sleeps for approx 45-1r 30mins in the am but instead of waking up refreshed and ready for the day ahead but instead she comes around and plays for 30mins but then wants to go back to sleep, which means her next feed is rushed so I can get her back to sleep, the rest of the day is then broken sleeps, she naps but obviously needs more sleep, she always seems to be sleeping during the day to catch up on the previous short nap!!! Has anyone had a similar situation or can anyone help with offring some advice? Feel like this is the time when baby should be able to stay awake for longer periods and is happy to do so. hv askd whether she is alert when awake and she is but not happy for long and soon turns grumpy or aggitated.....help would be apreciated!!

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violetsmile · 05/07/2008 19:43

Yes! I had this until around 8 months. ds was constantly knackered and was ready for a nap every hour and half.

He was very active, always kicking his legs and rolling around and he also grew very quickly so I just figured he needed his sleep.

He still gets very grouchy when he's tired and never seems happy to wake up. Think he just needs a lot of sleep but he's 11 months now and usually has 2 one hour naps a day.

No advice I'm afraid. Just wanted you to know you weren't alone!!

Original poster

Munchkin3 · 05/07/2008 20:17

Thanks for your quick reply, knowing i'm not alone def reassures me. Did your little boy take naps at 6 months instead of longer sleeps? My little girl is quite petite for her age, 13lbs 12oz but still quite active so maybe she is tiring herself out quite quickly. i'm going back to in oct and think it's playing on my mind that she might be still like this when she goes to the childminder and still might not have any sleep routines during the day...sorry for waffling on.

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AnyFuleKno · 05/07/2008 20:26

when she wakes up from her short naps, have you tried putting her straight back to sleep again? DD often wakes up after 20 minutes but will go straight back to sleep if I shush/pat her.

Original poster

Munchkin3 · 05/07/2008 21:28

I have tried this using pu/pd, ssshing etc but when she wakes she has a tendency to be so upset she take ages to calm down, literally could be hours of screaming if i let her (i don't). She gets so overtired it can take a long time to calm her down, tears etc quite uncontrollable.

I know she needs more sleep but fights it which means she ends up grumpy

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desperatehousewifetoo · 05/07/2008 21:33

Could you just try keeping her awake a bit longer between naps? Gradually increase the time she she is awake. Lots of play, singing, etc to keep her going.

StarlightMcKenzie · 05/07/2008 21:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

mananny · 05/07/2008 21:41

Babies of that age that I've looked after have still had 2 or 3 naps a day. 9-1030am ish, then 1230-2pm ish, then 430-530 ish then bed at 730-8pm. Babies will sleep when they're tired, no point really forcing them to stay awake or everyone ends up grumpy! An overtired baby will be harder to settle, so it makes sense to try and get them to sleep as soon as they start showing sleepy signs.

Is she hungry? Have you started weaning, or using hungry baby milk? Maybe she is waking after a short time as she is hungry, then she falls asleep again but wakes again when she is hungry?

The little munchkins are tough at that age, there's so much going on in their brains and bodies. Hope she settles down soon.

Original poster

Munchkin3 · 05/07/2008 21:45

Thanks for suggestions, there just no way I can keep her up she starts arching her back, rubbing eyes every second and then thats when she gets overtired and starts to really scream, which is the worst ever, people look at me as if she is in pain and when i tell them its because she i overtired they look at me funny as if i don't know my own baby.

I just hope she eventually grows out of it....

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callmeovercautious · 05/07/2008 21:50

DD was a cat nap baby until she was about a year old. Now (22m today!) she sleeps 8pm - 7am (normally) and an hour and a half nap starting at 11 - 12. She has never really been consistant but I take these times as guidelines and adjust accordingly.

When she was the same age as your DD she would often get up at 6 - 7, BF, clean nappy, maybe some breakfast (once weaning) a bit of play then back to sleep on me by 9am. I used to snooze on the sofa with her before we started the day for real. Naps were very hit and miss. Sometimes 10 mins sometimes 45.

Original poster

Munchkin3 · 05/07/2008 21:51

Thanks mananny, i know i have a good childminder so hopefully she will understand, the thought of her being left to cry when she wakes up after 20mins of sleep when I'm not there worries me, which may have been the case if she was at a nursery....i know some like to have rigid times for sleep and feeding.

I have started weaning and she really seems to be enjoying new tastes and textures, with regard to her sleep though I struggle to fit her dinner in without it been too close to her bedtime bottle or her middle of the day bottle. Shes not the best of drinkers only takes 5oz so would hate for her to start dropping feeds for sake of adding an extra meal. hopefully i will get the hang of it soon. Thanks again for your reply

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Original poster

Munchkin3 · 05/07/2008 21:54

callmeovercautious, did your little one seem content after short naps or did she then need to go back to sleep shortly after for another nap??

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Original poster

Munchkin3 · 05/07/2008 21:58

Callmecautios, happy birthday to your little one!! I bet it seems like ages ago you LO was 6 months old!!!

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callmeovercautious · 05/07/2008 22:43

brio · 06/07/2008 22:39

sorry to hitchike, but does ur babys still eat in the middle of the night as well? or only b4 and after waking up?

Original poster

Munchkin3 · 07/07/2008 10:37

Only before and after bed, has never been one to wake in the night fpr a feed aoart from when she was a baby. today she has slept til 7am then had feed and play the back to sleep at 8.30, awake at 9.30 then tired at 10.15am but not settling!!

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brio · 08/07/2008 14:04

my baby is five months old and always eating. he is small built but ever so hungry. i was bf him until he was 4m. he used to eat at 11pm 1am. 3am. 5am. 7am 9am 11am 1pm 3pm 5pm 7pm 9pm and again 11pm(for half on hour). and that when i was lucky!

now five months and bottlefeed he still eats 10pm 4am 7am 9am (11am) 1pm 3pm 5pm and again 10 pm

and still constantly hungry and underweight

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