10-month old waking 4-6 times a night

[HelenBusyBee]

Hi everyone,

I'm so shattered I can't think straight, so would love some clear-minded souls or others who've had the same problem to offer some words of wisdom!

In the last couple of months, our 10-month-old DS has started waking 4-6 times a night between about 11pm-6.30am. He goes to sleep easily at 7.30pm and sleeps through until 11pm.

Before his naps, I BF him but always put him down awake. He often bumbles around in his cot for a bit but then gets himself to sleep. At night, I BF him, then he has a story, then he is put into his cot and he falls asleep on his own.

He naps twice in the day, usually an hour to an hour-and-a-half in one session, 45 minutes in the other session. His cot is in our room, next to our bed. This is partly because we don't have a suitable room for him yet (it's being built!) and partly because it's easier for me to BF when he does wake up and then put him down.

DH is sleeping downstairs so he can actually think when he goes to work. He's really keen to get DS to take a bottle so he can do night duty at the w/e.

However, I don't get on with the breast pump anymore and DS does not seem to like formula (spat out every time, have been trying to offer it as an exciting new taste, not as an alternative to me yet!). He does accept the bottle itself, now, which is progress, but not the formula.

The wakefulness seemd to start when DS started standing and crawling, and then he'd do it in his sleep and wake himself up. He can definitely get down again now, but it still seems to be the thing that his body does when he wakes a bit too much.

When he does it, I give him a feed, which relaxes him again, then put him down back in his cot the first few times, after which he settles, but the times after that he's happier in my bed, although not cuddled up next to me.

I have no idea what to do to get him to sleep as well from 11pm onwards as he has done up until then! Any help gratefully received!! Thanks :D

Hi! I really feel for you, I did sleep training through a consultant with my boy and he was similar to yours. The first thing she said to me was it was unlikely he needed to be fed as he was weaned and getting all his intake in the day! so in the first few nights she told me to offer him water as he was waking out of habit rather than need. I was so sceptical but she was right, after three nights he realised it wasn't worth the effort and that was that! 7am to 7pm! Please take or leave advice, it's just a suggestion. I actually contacted a paediatric consultant before stopping night feed and he told me that in order for him to eat properly during the day it was actually better for him to stop the night feeding and that baby of his age and weight shouldn't need a night feed anyway. He was 5.5 months. Hope that helps, I know not all babies the same! But I was demented and this saved me x

Thanks, Cooper11111, that actually makes a lot of sense. Think we will try it tonight; I'll do a feed at 11pm-ish, then DH can give it a go with water and I can have sleep, yay!

DS does already eat a fair bit in the day, although breakfast is a bit hit and miss, probably because of the midnight feasting. He is a big lad though, 77cm and 11.5kg at 10 months, so he does need a fair bit of food.

Thanks again, will give it a go.

Helenbusybee are you me?! I could have written this about my dd! Will follow in the hope of some useful advice. Currently I'm working on putting down awake and night weaning. You're not alone, hopefully someone will come along and tell us what to do!

Hi Cooper11111 (and redtop1, this may give you hope!), THANK YOU! The very evening you shared your advice, we put it into action.

I slept downstairs, DH took over for the night (he is stronger willed and more resistant to baby cries than me!). I fed DS last at 11pm, then when he woke standing up, DH offered him water in a bottle. He always declined, cried for literally 5 seconds, plonked himself down again and back to sleep. I am pretty certain he was never 'properly' awake.

So, first night woke about 4 times (the usual), second night maybe 3 times. Sunday night (back to me on duty) woke 2 times, next night no 11pm feed, woke maybe twice again. And so on, until a whole night through!

It hasn't happened again since, but we're back in teething territory. However, I now know it CAN happen, woohoo. So, as it stands, he goes to bed at about 7.30pm, then wakes two or three times (when he's offered water, short cry of a few seconds, back to sleep). Currently waking properly at 6-6.30am, when I give him a BF.

Thanks again Cooper!! :)