Leap 10 - 11 month old consistently waking.

[Katiejanesylvia]

Hi everyone. My DD turns 11 mo tomorrow, and she has been waking up consistently throughout the night. Us as first time parents, assumed she was hungry, so for weeks we were giving her milk & she’d go back down for a few hours and wake up again. Spoke to our HV, she said to stop the milk, she doesn’t need it during the night so we did stop ... We figured we would just try and see if she wanted a cuddle. Did that, put her back down and she slept fine. Couple of hours later she’s waking back up again for comfort, I’m assuming

We will not do the CIO method, it’s personally not for us. We have just been riding it out and comforting her with hugs (no talking/kissing) and putting her back down.

I’m just wanting reassurance really, it’s awfully tiring and I hope it doesn’t last much longer… Please give one tired mumma some advise.. x

As hard as it, you just need to roll with it. Keep resettling, Eliminate other reasons for waking - cold, wind, teeth, ill etc. it will get better, honest!!!!! Also try soothing without picking up - putting a hand on/stroking back/shushing/patting etc. if nothing working you might try Co-sleeping but it's not for everyone x

Ps my 11 month old still has milk sometimes at night - it's normal x

Hi hun thanks for commenting

We have tried all of that and considered the possibilities of everything but I’m sure it’s just comfort… we had a better night last night as in she settled quicker after each cuddle but unless we hug her she will not settle. I’m convinced she has separation anxiety. Definitely doesn’t help that she’s still in our room but we are about to move into our own property…

fingers crossed it’ll make a huge difference when she’s in her own room xxx

I sympathise as my DD was terrible overnight until she hit 12 months and started sleeping through. She's 16 months now and her sleep is so much better, she's teething at the moment so is waking every so often.
My DD did struggle with separation anxiety from around 9 months to 11.5 months. I always fed to sleep as it was just easier as she was waking every 1-2hours and it was exhausting.
She self weaned from breastfeeding just before 12 months and the first week or so she would occasionally have water when she woke but then now just comes for a quick cuddle and then straight back to sleep.
We have not been successful at transferring our DD to her own room yet so she has her cot sidecar next to our bed. She sleeps well and so do we so we go with it. Tbh, I always think if it works for you then go with it as it's no-one else having to put up with constant night wakes or an upset child who just wants to be close.
My DD is definitely a child that needs to be close to us still so that's what we're going with.
Is there a reason you aren't talking/kissing then when they wake?
Also, if milk is what they want/need even for comfort then it isn't an issue to give them it. A lot of children still need milk until 2 so it isn't uncommon.
I would just go for what works for you and your DD and like most things when they are little, it'll be a phase, although an annoying one.

A lot of posters on here think the whole leaps thing is a load of rubbish. Whilst I don’t take them as gospel I do think there’s a lot of truth to them and when my LO was around the same age his sleep went out the window (he’s now 15 months)

I also disagree with CIO and sleep training. I also completely disagree with the previous poster who said don’t pick them up to soothe - that advice is massively outdated! If your baby is upset then you should absolutely soothe them and the best way to soothe is by cuddling. If you were upset and your partner just patted your back rather than cuddled, it wouldn’t be the same would it?

also, I’m shocked that the HV said your baby doesn’t need milk overnight!!! Of course they do!!! Babies don’t just feed for food they also feed for comfort and regardless, most babies are still feeding overnight (milk) so if that’s what helps then IMO there’s nothing wrong with giving a bottle

my boy has recently started to sleep through after a series of split nights. A bottle helped settle him - I’m not going to put him through half hour or crying if giving him a bottle helps calm him down and sends him sleepy