Can you 'fix' the 9 month sleep regression?

[Cadders1]

My DS is teething but also around the 9 month regression stage. The last few nights have been a bit of a disaster sleep wise. Awake around 9ish, then 12, then 4.30 and up for the day. The first night we persevered for 2 hours to get him back to sleep at 9 until my DP took him out for a walk and the last two nights we have also had to take him out for a walk for this first waking.

My question is really - should I try to fix this or should I just wait it out? General consensus seems to be that sleep training does not work at this stage - but are we setting ourselves up for lots of problems in the future by taking him out for a walk? He seems to have entirely lost the ability to self settle!

Thanks for any advice!

Anyone?

Hello, just finished putting DS to sleep (he's 9.5 months).

We started putting DS to bed really early as he would wake up at 4.30am/5am. It would take 45 mins plus to get him back to sleep but he'd be really tired hence early bedtime.

He used to wake at 2/3/4am and be wired (he'd learnt to wave so would be doing that when trying to rock him ) so it was a killer. We just took it in turns to resettle him, sometimes sleeping in his room to give the other one a break.

One thing we noticed - he would settle if we slept with him (so had him on us or next to us). So I suggest trying that - I promise you, it wont be forever!

The other thing at this age is they usually transition from 3 to 2 naps which messes with their sleep. Try and make sure your DS is getting a good lunch time nap between 12 and 2pm. The morning one around 8.30/9am should be 45 mins ish. I spent a few days making sure DS got into good sleep habits (and put him down at the same time every day - really important!) which, I think helped.

He's much better now - no more silly long night wakings but still the early mornings although they're getting later. Just wait it out and share the burden with DH so you can survive it.

Hi there I really cannot help as we are in the same situation. Well not quite, DS has always, well to say always is probably not right. DS is quite unsettled and loved being swaddled. Ithink it conforted him. With the heat and everything we stopped it as well as starting weaning around the same time (so three months ago or so) DS is 8 months. And now well goes down 7ish, and makes, well I just heard him now (DH is just on his way ) and then can wake up every hour or every couple of hours. He could take 10 mins to go down other times 2 or more hours. I just don't know what to do. We have tried feeding him at night, sleeping with us (and I must say that this helps a little), walking with him, cuddling. The problem we have is that we have DS1 3 (seperate room) and really don't want him unsettled. He has always been quite a good sleeper and well needs his sleep. DS2 now even wakes up at 4 and does not go back to sleep. As day time sleeps go, well morning if lucky is 20 mins and afternoon most times 40 mins and if really lucky 1 1/2 hours. I know he is tired but just won't sleep. Sorry Caddlers for comming in on your thread but would really like some help too. I know it won't last for ever, but sorry I LOVE MY SLEEP. I WANT IT BACK :0

boblina if you can, try putting him to bed half an hour earlier so he's asleep by half 6? It really helped my DS. Tonight he was feeding for bed at 6pm.

Also I have to make sure I get him down for his morning nap by 9am and his afternoon nap by 12.45pm (yes, I have to be that precise with him - he is a bad sleeper ) if it goes past then, it's impossible to nap him!!! It took a while to work it out.

Also I have to be careful what food I give DS - anything which causes him wind (green veg and lentils are the main culprits), I wont give him for tea. In fact his dinners are always really boring and easy to digest!

hi iggly .

Iggly speaks sense here!

My DS is almost 10 months and i think we are coming to the end of this little episode . i have to wait by his cot in a chair / leaning on the bar until he is asleep but at least he is going to sleep from awake and bonkers basically on his own. Next step will be without me in the room but considering we were all over the show in the last month or so, this is def. a peaceful improvement! Nap times are now at the same time which appears to be working too. And he sleeps better on cheesy potatoes and brocolli and fish in the evening which might be the bland thing.

I found 9 months hard - they go down to 2 naps and are tired, overwired by dedime. Igglybuff's advice is good re napping and food. You migth also find this article useful:

how much sleep does baby need?

I know you've heard it before, but it will pass...

I am soooo relieved to hear that 9 months is a known problem age for sleep - DS (never slept through so I am used to very low standards for sleep to start with) has been horrendous for the last week.

Normally feeds once before midnight, once after and then up and raring to go about 4ish.

The only thing that has been working for us is taking him downstairs and rocking him back to sleep in his buggy, obviously not ideal in the long term so I am so happy to think this might just be a phase rather than the begining of an awful spiral!