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Sleep

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Original poster

8 month baby won't sleep through the night! Help!

44 replies

thomascb540 · 04/12/2021 15:38

Hello, my 8 month BB won't ever sleep longer than 2/3 hours through the night. Here's what we have done so far;

he has two regular naps both in the morning and afternoon to which he naps from 30mins-2 hours sometimes.
He is breastfed and eating some solids albeit right now he is just exploring the foods.
bath time is at 630pm every night, followed by a massage with baby creams and then dressed ready for bed where he has his night feed off his mum
during the day he is very active, moves around so much and is able to stand up, crawl etc..

Even with this regime every day he still doesn't sleep longer than 2/3 hours - it's killing us!!!!

Can someone please tell us what we are doing wrong / need to change...feel like we tried everything!

We don't want to start sleep training at all!!

Thank you all x

OP posts:

Thatsplentyjack · 04/12/2021 21:02

Is he being fed during the night? If he is, stop.

firstimemamma · 04/12/2021 21:04

Normal for babies to wake at night and is a good part of their development (although it's obviously shit for us I appreciate!) you're not doing anything wrong.

my ds started sleeping through occasionally from 10 months then regularly from age 1. Absolutely zero sleep training as I personally think it's wrong. He just did it one night.

CaMePlaitPas · 04/12/2021 21:04

Nothing you can do I'm afraid.

GuckGuckDoose · 04/12/2021 21:05

Yes, also saying normal. I would have killed for 2-3 hours at that stage, we were still on 1-2 hourly wakings 🙄. Could consider something like gradual retreat but also bear in mind that IME, things tend to go even more tits up at 10 months or so and you might have to repeat.

Original poster

thomascb540 · 04/12/2021 22:04

Hi - how do I encourage him to sleep longer? Thanks

OP posts:

Mummywantsaweewee · 04/12/2021 22:13

Babies are all different and it’s very normal for young children to wake.
My 2 y/o has slept through three times 😂
My three month old has slept through (occasionally wakes for a feed or nappy change) since 10 weeks old and wakes 7.30!! So I have a dream sleeper but can’t enjoy because the toddler wakes up at night and also wakes at 5.30/6am!
I co sleep because I breastfeed and it’s honestly a life saver. Also babies are designed to cry for mum because they want to sleep next to you, to be protected as they can’t defend themselves. Also, snuggles with baby are the best

allofthecheese · 04/12/2021 22:21

Mine only slept through for the first night ever at the age of 16mo it was really hard going but echoing what others have said. It seems to be developmental. Nothing I tried worked. Just one random night he slept through and did it gradually more over a couple of weeks. Now he sleeps through most nights unless sick. You'll get there!

Dryshampoofordays · 04/12/2021 22:27

If your baby is breastfed then waking during the night for feeds is important for maintaining milk supply. I find this helps me feel more positive about my own regular wake ups!

hensloe · 04/12/2021 23:47

I'd make a concerted effort to get baby eating a meal or two of solids a day and see if that helps. A lot of babies are eating three solid meals a day at that age.

Calmyourselfdown · 05/12/2021 00:09

It’s been a long time since mine was a baby, but we used to lift him for a wee dream feed just before we went to sleep.

A2304 · 05/12/2021 00:36

Hi my baby is 7 months and sleeps from about 9.30/10 pm to 7.30am. We will have the odd night were he will wake up but that's usually due to teething and all he wants is a cuddle then I put him back in his cot. I find that not putting so much pressure on a routine works as I never have, I've always just let him sleep when he wants I look for signs that he's tired all through the day that's when I will put him down for a nap and when it comes to night time I wait until he's yawning or rubbing his eyes then I'm able to give him a bath bottle then bed. If he's not tired by his usual bed time I let him still play because it won't be long before he gets tired as I would rather wait 30 mins - 1 hour for him to get tired rather than him get annoyed I'm putting him to bed when he's not tired and he will keep waking through the night. I also use white noise all night and that helps him stay asleep

Fupoffyagrasshole · 05/12/2021 00:44

Sleep training a little bit will sort that right out tbh

I put my 8months old down awake and leave her to cry briefly (usually lasts 5-10 mins then she just goes to sleep)- she has 3 meals a day now and a breastfeed right before bed - maximum we’ve got is 7-3am so far and then she’s up for a bit needing milk and we try get her back down then

She was waking hourly before

I don’t know what else Would work tbf other than a little bit of sleep training

colourfulpuddles · 05/12/2021 02:01

@thomascb540

Hi - how do I encourage him to sleep longer? Thanks

You don’t. Sleep is developmental, not linear. He’s waking because that’s normal.

HaaaaaveyoumetTed · 05/12/2021 09:02

Normal.

My first didn't sleep longer than 90 minutes until he was 18 months. This was despite night weaning and sleep training. Sleep training doesn't always work. He didn't consistently sleep through the night until 4+.

DC2 slept 11pm - 6am from 8 weeks.

I did nothing different with either of them.

By sleep through, I mean didn't cry or need adult intervention to get back to sleep.

Woolled21 · 05/12/2021 17:14

Formula before bed.
Increase calories in the day. Feed more you sound very much behind on weaning for the age.

bubblebath62636 · 05/12/2021 17:31

Although it is normal, I would be looking at ways to encourage more sleep.

I'd give a formula feed before bed (is he breastfed?)

Also is he hungry during the night? My own DC slept through from a young age so I assume he's not actually hungry?

Is he too cold/hot?

Have you tried co sleeping?

cafedesreves · 05/12/2021 20:21

@thomascb540

Hi - how do I encourage him to sleep longer? Thanks

I think it's about teaching him to fall asleep on his own. Putting him in his cot awake. Speak to a sleep consultant if you can...they will help you.

SoftPillow · 05/12/2021 22:48

@thomascb540

Hi - how do I encourage him to sleep longer? Thanks

It depends why he's waking. Why do you think he's waking up?

Can he self soothe? Does he go down awake or asleep?

If he's waking for milk I would try to encourage more solids and bigger feeds before bed. And I would discourage night feeds (I know many will disagree here)

Is he cold? Mine would wake at 5am, a friend suggested putting the heating on at 4am and that stopped the waking.

It could just be habit too. He's used to waking rather than running into the next sleep cycle, so keep the wakings boring, low key, he might soon learn that there's not much to wake up for.

Whilst waking at 8m isn't abnormal, it doesn't mean you can't try to tackle it.

Skysblue · 05/12/2021 23:30

Honestly OP 8 hrs is great, I didn’t get that until DD was two. Count your blessings!

Some kids just don’t sleep. We tried everything (except cry it out, which imo is giving up). Society is so unsympathetic if you have a child who can’t stay asleep! Any other kind of special need you’ll get sympathy but an insomniac child is apparently always the mum’s fault 🙄

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