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6 month old won't go down for the night

4 replies

Serennos · 12/09/2010 10:51

Hello, this might be a bit long because I want to try to cover everything! I would like my evenings back - he won't go to sleep until 9 or 10 some nights and by then I just want to flake out!

6.5mo DS who is BF, being weaned, and teething will go down for naps in his cot (curtains drawn, music on) no problem whatsoever during the day, but will cry until rocked / fed off to sleep at night.

I usually have to feed him once or twice in the night, and then I get him up at about 8am. The night wakings I can cope with, for now (he just has a quick feed and change if necessary and is all over in 10min and back to sleep no problem).

During the day he tends to stay awake from between 1.5 - 2 hrs before getting sleepy and going down for a nap (which can be from between 0.5 - 2hrs).

At night we take him upstairs at about 7pm, dim the lights, put his music on, change him, put him into pjs, have a quiet playtime and read to him until he seems sleepy, dim the lamp a little more, then we say good night, put him into his cot, and go down stairs. Then the crying begins and usually doesn't stop until we wait 10/15/20 mins (depending on his hysteria level) and one of us goes and literally rocks / feeds him to sleep. (Yes, he does wake up whilst being put down in his cot after that, but he has to have gone to sleep first for it to work). (No bath in this routine because he gets far too excited!)

He does occasionally go off to sleep first time, but he has been like this most nights for a few weeks now.

Please Mumsnetters, what can you see in my list of things that is wrong? Up too late, too many naps, have made rod for our own backs? Any ideas of things that I could try, or might it just pass on its own before I go mad? This is DC1, so I am doing my best, but a bit blindly.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Thandeka · 12/09/2010 11:10

Have you tried a hairdryer or a loud blast of white noise? My 7month DD needs that to go off to sleep- I have recordings on the ipod- it pretty instantly stops any overtired screaming. The ambiance app on iphone is brill too- it has a car driving noise which is very soothing!

A bath doesn't necessarily need to be relaxing- can be a last tire out before bed and I defo find my dd sleeps better after a bath (in fact it is such a strong sleep cue in her now that if i were to give her a bath in the morning she would try and sleep the rest of the day).

It does seem you are putting him down quite late- so if routine starts at 7 then what would be the fastest he would be asleep by? My DD goes to sleep between 6 and 7 most nights with routine starting at 5ish- sometimes has even gone down for the night at 5.30 and we have our evenings back. Before this we were keeping her up too late and then like you were unable to get her to sleep until 9ish. I suppose your DS wakes later than my DD (6am this morn was a lie in for her!!!) so a later bedtime is more reasonable in that case but have you tried putting him down earlier?

Have you also tried those teethers that look like dummies? I leave my DD playing with one of those after some Teetha granules and teething gel and that usually stops any teething related pains but will calpol her if not. Teetha granules are great for shocking out of crying! Grin

Serennos · 12/09/2010 11:39

Thank you for your reply Thandeka! I've never heard of Teetha Granules, but I will look them up. You might well be right about the time that we start the routine - I'll give shifting it earlier a go for a few nights and see what happens. Same with bath time perhaps.

I haven't tried a hairdryer, but he does have a soft building block that makes crinkly noises and which can distract him - might be worth a go!

OP posts:
raindroprhyme · 12/09/2010 17:07

this happened to us and we brought everything forward an hour from tea time worked a treat

Thandeka · 12/09/2010 17:09

I would say try hairdryer too- dd loves her crinkly toy too but it doesnt cut it for sleep.
Good luck!

Madam is about to have her bath now (5.09pm then straight to bed (partly coz its my birthday and I want me time!)

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