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Sleep

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler. Need more advice on your childs development? Sign up to our Ages and Stages newsletter here.

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Original poster

Sudden sleeping issues at 8 months

29 replies

Ourbabyava · 18/10/2021 09:47

Hi have just joined this forum after using it regularly for advice but noe we are suddenly really struggling with sleep.
Our girl is 8 and 3/4 months now but since 1 month old has been a great sleeper, she went to sleep with a feed, slept through until we woke her for her night feed then went straight to sleep with her feed again and slept through.
As she hit 8 months the weather was just turning cold so we put a blanket on her for first time in ages, she has liked to roll onto her side for a good while now and first night with blanket she woke a couple of times, we thought it was because the blanket was restricting her and it carried on for a few nights, then we had a warmer night and didn't use the blanket but she was still waking. Since this we have had very erratic nights with some nights waking once and needing rocking back to sleep, and others waking 5 or 6 times but just a hand on her chest will work, but she has gradually got worse.
We cut her night feed after about a week of this as she was starting to struggle to settle after this aswell and we were planning on cutting it anyway, we had 2 nights in a row last week where she slept right through the night, but now the last few nights it has escalated to not even being able to put her down, we get her to sleep fairly easy but then as soon as we put her in her bed she wakes crying, as soon as we pick her up she settles again but then can't put her back down or same thing happens. Last night we struggled to get her down then she woke an hour later, took us ages to get her down then she was awake again an hour later, then an hour after that.

Sorry for such a long post but we just don't know what's happening or how to help and we are so worried for her not getting enough sleep.

Thanks for any advice or info you can give

OP posts:

SnackSizeRaisin · 18/10/2021 10:30

Could be the 8 month sleep regression? If so it will pass in a few weeks.. I think the advice is to keep the same routine as much as possible while doing whatever you need to do to help her sleep. We went through it with our daughter, we didn't really notice any of the other regressions but at 8.months she suddenly wouldn't sleep in her cot. Eventually after trying everything for about 3 weeks we accidentally found that what worked was to leave and shut the door. All the cuddling and soothing just wound her up even more

Original poster

Ourbabyava · 18/10/2021 15:21

Yes have read about the regressions, how long can they last? She isn't even sleeping much in the day just 2 half hour naps and she wakes up 🙁

OP posts:

FATEdestiny · 19/10/2021 18:57

How about a baby sleeping bag instead of a blanket. It doesn't get tangled around them in the same way blankets do, allowing freer movement.

Original poster

Ourbabyava · 19/10/2021 22:20

We did start using a sleeping bag, but As she usually goes to sleep when feeding it was impossible to put her in it without waking her up, didn't want to feed her while in the sleeping bag as she gets quite hot

OP posts:

Stackycups · 23/10/2021 09:56

We've always fed in the sleeping bag,x

Fancyties · 23/10/2021 10:01

I feed in sleeping bag too. Quick nappy Change, then zip sleeping bag up, feed, wind, cuddle back down usually awake as she doesn't feed to sleep and never has done

Original poster

Ourbabyava · 03/12/2021 07:17

So we did start to feed while in her sleeping bag, things improved after a couple more weeks, were a bit up and down but maybe only waking once most nights. Then a few weeks ago she gets a really nasty cold and started waking up wheezy and stuffy. Now the cold has improved, but she still waking up, usually every 1-2 hours and never staying asleep any longer than 4 hours, and is often difficult to settle back down.
She was almost the perfect sleeper between 1-8 months and just don't know what's happened. Feel so sorry for her as she always looks tired now 🙁

OP posts:

Fancyties · 03/12/2021 08:00

May be the 8 to 10 month sleep regression? Teething?

Original poster

Ourbabyava · 04/12/2021 07:14

If it's the sleep regression how long can it last? It started almost bang on when she turned 8 months, had a couple of weeks improvement in the middle now it's worse than ever. She is now 10 And 1/2 months

OP posts:

Fancyties · 04/12/2021 07:26

Some say 8 to 10 months is worse and lasts 3 to 6 weeks. Some say longer. I think it depends on your lo and their ability to self soothe.

Original poster

Ourbabyava · 05/12/2021 06:54

She can self soothe but usually doesn't, even less at the moment. We are concerned she has got used to us picking her up everytime she wakes up in the last few weeks where she has been waking up from her cold, but we have had to as she was really struggling and holding her up for a few minutes helped clear it

OP posts:

Fancyties · 05/12/2021 08:33

I would say she needs to self soothe without you going in to help as you say she's got used to it.

Original poster

Ourbabyava · 05/12/2021 16:52

It would be great if she could, we tried at around 6 months to sleep Train her during daytime naps but she just got more and more upset, when we went in to settle her she just carried on crying and ending up not sleeping at all

OP posts:

Fancyties · 05/12/2021 19:16

It's a hard one, a lot of people will say comfort your little one. A lot will say sleep train - ferber method seems popular on here but also frowned upon.

Personally I did ferber method and it worked. I know you tried at 6 months but 10 month old is a lot older and May be easier. Have a search in mums net for some threads and you can make your own mind up.

It's frowned upon as people feel baby learns not to cry in night - my lo does shout/cry for me if she needs me still 🤷🏼‍♀️

Original poster

Ourbabyava · 06/12/2021 09:43

It was the Ferber method we tried, going in every few minutesto settle her. The odd thing is this is only a problem at night, for daytime naps we hold her for a few minutes to drop to sleep then put her down, and even if she stirs she just rolls onto her side and settles. Sometimes even wakes after a while but settles herself back. Rolling onto her side does seem to help but she rarely does it at night.

OP posts:

Fancyties · 06/12/2021 10:09

Personally I find you have to be consistent for every single nap every single bedtime. If I allow one time for my lo to fall asleep in my arms it throws everything off. But this is just me and my lo 🤷🏼‍♀️

Fancyties · 06/12/2021 10:10

Sounds like your lo is using you as a habit, and can clearly soothe themselves x

Bouledeneige · 06/12/2021 19:25

I think you've been lucky with your lo's sleeping habits till now - it's very common to go through regressions at this stage. Try to return to self soothing as far as possible.

That's why it's never wise to gloat about how well your baby is doing because they will no doubt go through backslides and regressions. Not just as babies but throughout childhood.

Original poster

Ourbabyava · 07/12/2021 09:53

Ah yes we always said don't take it for granted as we learned early on nothing was permanent! With regards to being consistent I feel we are being, we do the same thing for daytime naps and night time, it's not getting her to sleep initially it's the settling down when she wakes. Even when picking her up she doesn't always settle and just seems so restless at night time. We know she isn't a fan of the dark and have left the landing light on last couple of nights to see if that helps but not made a huge difference

OP posts:

Fancyties · 07/12/2021 11:09

I can't see it if you wrote anywhere - what is lo nap routine? Is lo overtired?

Original poster

Ourbabyava · 07/12/2021 11:24

She has a nap around 10am and another around 2 in afternoon. They last anything between 30 minutes to 2 hours but usually around an hour. She has never had the full amount of sleep they say she should have for her age, has around 10-12 hours a day, so yes have wondered if overtiredness is sometimes an issue but if anything is sleeping better during the day than she used to

OP posts:

Original poster

Ourbabyava · 21/12/2021 06:24

That's it we can't do this anymore, it's getting worse. We had 2 nights of being awake for hours trying to put her down and was even difficult to get her to settle while holding her. Now last night she has not had anything longer than 30 minutes between waking, and usually more like 5-15, and now she's awake, she must be exhausted 😢

OP posts:

physicskate · 21/12/2021 07:25

This comes from a place of absolute kindness: you can do it because you have to. Enlist help. Treat it like the newborn days. Can someone take her for a bit during the night (partner)? Can family come for a couple hours in the day for you to rest?

My dd (now nearly 3). Was like this for the first 15 months. But it did pass. I had a mattress on the floor next to her... and no support at night (and almost none during the day as dh is away 11 hours a day). Made me pretty fucking depressed tbh... so get help if at all possible!!!

FTMbg · 21/12/2021 07:33

That sounds really hard. It's not teeth is it? If you haven't already, I'd be tempted to try calpol next bedtime just to rule out pain as a contributing cause.

Original poster

Ourbabyava · 21/12/2021 09:47

We have tried Calpol, bonjela, leaving a light on in the hallway as she isn't the biggest fan of the dark. Nothing seems to help. Thank you for replying I know no one can give us a magical solution. We have grandparents nearby but they work so we really don't feel it's fair on them. Luckily we are both off work today. It's starting to affect her daytime sleep aswell now as she has always remained easy to put dow for naps but partner has been trying to put her down for the last half hour

OP posts:

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