Self settling but still wakes up during night

[E899]

My 8 month boy can self settle when we put him down for naps and for bedtime, sometimes there’s a couple of minutes of whinging but that’s it.

However he’s still waking multiple times during the night! He did used to have a dummy so I started giving him that when he woke up as nothing else would get him back to sleep (bad idea I know!) but he’s still waking up and crying for it.

Has anyone got any tips for him to self settle during the night too?

His routine is:
715 - wake
730 - bottle
830 - breakfast
930/10 - nap
11/1130 - wake up from nap and bottle
1230 - lunch
2 - nap
330 - wake up from nap
4 - water and snack
5ish - tea
615 - bedtime routine - bath, bottle, book
640 - put down to bed

He currently sleeps in his own room, Black our blinds, white noise, has a little comforter attached to the cot rail.

Thanks in advance!

[maryberryslayers]

He's likely waking because he's hungry, are you giving him a bottle or just the dummy? I'd expect 1-2 over night feeds at that age.

[E899]

Thank you, I did think that at first but he hasn’t had a night feed for a few weeks now as he kept refusing them, and once we put dummy in he goes straight back to sleep. When he wakes in the morning too he’s not crying either which leads me to think it’s not hunger.

[alwaysmarmiteontoast]

Teething pain? Is he warm enough? My DS is the same age and started waking more in the night recently and once I added an extra layer he’s gone back to waking just once for a feed again.

[E899]

Ooh maybe it’s that! He is in a sleepsuit and a 2 tog sleeping bag. His room is about 21 degrees though. Is it okay to put a short sleeve bodysuit on?

[misselphaba]

Two night feeds at 8 months?!?! I would be trying to feed more during the day if that was the case.

I'd expect some wakings for hunger around 6-7m due to weaning onto fruit/veg causing a drop in milk feedings and it not being calorific enough. But by 8mths, I'd expect that to have evened out a bit as you introduce other foods and more milk feeds during the day if necessary.

This insistence that night wakings are fine forever more is madness. Don't get me wrong -DD was still waking at night at that age and I carried on feeding her overnight for far longer than I should have. Partially because I believed those that told me it was fine for babies to wake for hunger overnight. It is not. Babies maybwake up for a multitude of reasons but they should not be waking up for hunger at 8mths. If they are, then calories taken during the day should be increased.

OP - sorry for hijacking to your thread! At the moment, I am dressing DD in a bodysuit, babygro and sleeping bag on the thinking that he should be wearing one more layer than me and I wear pj's plus have the duvet.

[June628]

@misselphaba so funny you should say that! I recently posted on here about night weaning my 8mo DD & was told by everyone that was faaaaar too early for that.

[misselphaba]

@June628 According to a lot of people on mumsnet, we should be feeding at night past 1 year and be happy to sit all day on the sofa watching Netflix whilst holding a sleeping baby.

(As it turns out, I am happily sitting on the sofa doing exactly that right now.)

Most babies will wake up to feed at night as long as you are happy to feed them. Why wouldn't they? They get to have cuddles with their favourite person in the world whilst getting fed whenever they want. The oxytocin sends them straight back to sleep so it's a win win for baby. To accommodate night feedings, they feed less during the day. There's nothing wrong with that as long as both parties are happy with the arrangement.

[E899]

@misselphaba brill thank you! Yes definitely don’t get the impression it’s a hunger thing. He’s on about 600ml formula and then three meals a day plus maybe a yoghurt or snack.

[alwaysmarmiteontoast]

@E899

Ooh maybe it’s that! He is in a sleepsuit and a 2 tog sleeping bag. His room is about 21 degrees though. Is it okay to put a short sleeve bodysuit on?

It couldn’t hurt to try? He’ll most likely wake up if uncomfortable with it on.
All babies are different and my DS seems to be very warm in summer and very cool in autumn/winter so he always wears more or less clothing that the temperature guides suggest. He’s currently in a short sleeved vest, babygro and 2.5tog sleeping bag in a 19-21 degree room. Feels nice and warm but not too hot.

[E899]

So I put him in an extra layer last night. He woke at:
10pm - went in and shushed, he stopped crying but then started about 15 mins later so put dummy in.
1.30am - put dummy in

Normally he would wake about 10pm, 1am and 5am so maybe it has helped a little. Will try again tonight but I’m thinking is he waking up for his dummy too? He falls asleep without it.

Any tips to wean off a dummy?