9M DS has never slept through, GP suggest mild sedative to 'help him'

[jellybellybump]

My 9m DS has never slept through the night. He wakes every night either around 11.30pm, 1.30am or 3.30am. Or on all three if it's a bad night. We leave him for about 30-45 mins during which he moans and whimpers. After that he will start to get himself in a state and we can't settle him. Used to take him into our bed which settled him straightaway, but that no longer works.

GP suggested giving him Medised before going to bed to see if that would help, but it has had no effect (tried for 3 weeks). She has now suggested using a mild sedative antihistamine to 'break the habit'. (knock him out)

He has a good daytime routine with sleeps and solids and goes down at 7pm every night.

Am a bit in two minds about using something strong to get DS to sleep through. It seems a bit drastic but on the other hand I am at work full time with an hour's commute either end and struggling to stay focussed at work. So my question is, has anybody else used something like this before and did it work.

Only read OP but NINE MONTHS!?!? .
My dd's didn't sleep through until they were 12 and 13 months. They are brilliant sleepers now though.
He is a baby.....why should he sleep through yet? It is not unusual for a 9 mth old to wake at night surely?????
I am not upset at you as I think you are following your doctors advice, as I would, but I am at your doctor for suggesting something so bloody ridiculous.

Oh and sympathies for your sleeplessness esp with working and that commute. It must be pretty miserable .

Sorry, now read all of thread. When mine woke I fed them. When they were older and woke I would give them a beaker of milk, then made this water. Do you give him a bottle at night? It might be easier than listening to him for 30-40 mins.
And the rolling over made my dd's wake up. They would yell for me to put them back right again. It ididn't last too long though. It won't be forever , and I thin sedatives are a drastic step for something that is just not unusual in a nine month old. I am sure he is just perfect and perfectly normal too

Just wanted to agree with other posters. Really easy to feel like your baby is the only one that doesn't sleep. My DD was still waking in the night at 5 months and lots of people suggested that she shouldn't be or that basically it was my fault for feeding her (when she was hungry I might add!) My BIL told me I shouldn't BF because his DD slept 12 hours a night and she was bottle fed so that was the solution I just felt like a total failure and didn't know what to do....until I came on MN and discovered that we were completely normal and started ignoring all the helpful 'Is she sleeping thro' comments . You have all my sympathy but not sure antihistamine is the solution and really worried that your GP is suggesting this for a 9 month old baby.

My ds slept through for the first time at 2 years 3 months, he used to regularly wake for a drink.

Maybe your DS is hungry when he wakes.

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I'm sorry to hear about your night time disturbances but agree with the others that although difficult for you, this is NOT a problem that needs to be medicalised, or anything out of the ordinary

agree don't mention it to people unless you know they are not the type to make judgy comments
people are really dumb / tactless about sleep and babies

I would recommend Pick up/put down from The Baby Whisperer. It worked for my dd when she was 8 months (she is now 2.8 and a fantastic sleeper) and I am currently trying it on my 4 month old ds.

lol pelafina - 11 weeks?! I am sure everyone else just lies. Perhaps we missed that bit at the antenatal class where we were told to perpetuate the myth that babies "sleep through the night"

I have been lucky (and it is just luck!) that my ds is a "good" sleeper. However, 9 months is still pretty young to be expecting sleeping through to be the norm. Most mums that i speak to say it was well past a year when their los slept for 12 hrs straight. i am als surprised at your doctor suggesting a sedative. if yo uare all coping with things, it might be best to leave it be.

I think dc3 was about 4 before he slept through the night on his own on any kind of semi-regular basis, and even then he would frequently come into my bed at about 3am. He is now 6 and still comes to 'find me' about once a week. For some kids thats just the way it is I guess

4 years that it not 4 months

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I am in the NO camp but....

When DS was about 9 months he had infected Chickenpox that meant that no-one could cuddle him (he screamed if touched) and he couldn't settle. We had to sedate him for everyone's sanity (.25 tsp = full nights sleep). A few weeks later he got a cough for a few days, but weeks later was still not sleeping.

The GP asked if we had any of the (Valium based) medicine left, we had, so sugested it may help break the cycle and remind him what sleep was about. Gave it to him for 1 night, he slept, and the next morning I poured it down the sink as was scared of using it when I needed it!

However, it worked and he went back to sleeping.

JBB it is tough when they don't sleep and I can really sympathise. DS didn't sleep through the night until he was about 11 months old. Even now it is pretty hitty missy. Any sign of illness /cold/teething/the wind / the rain / (the moon!) and he wakes a number of times in the night. I have tried everything and I've come to the conclusion that that that is just the way he is.

Personally, I wouldn't go down any medication route but I have no medical experience to base this on, just my own 'hunch' as to what is and isn't right.

Apparently my DH didn't sleep through until he was 4.

Hi there
i agree with lots of posters about not giving medication, especially at this young age. you say your baby has a good daytime sleep and routine, could he be sleeping too long during the day, meaning he is not tired enough at night? I also read that a walk everyday after 12pm allows babies to sleep better at night. It works for my little girl, a spot of fresh air does her wonders and i try not to let her sleep too long in the afternnoon. If you can, give it a try. good luck. P.s my little girl sleeps through rarely, wakes about 5am-6am or sometimes earlier but i dont let it bother me at this stage. Good luck

So much sympathy about the no sleep thing and the pressure you get. I always felt like a failure with DD1 as she didnt't sleep through until about 15 months. ds still gets up to visot us most nights aged nearly 4, but DD2 aged 12 months settles into a good sleep and often (but by no means always, )sleeps through. Ive treated them all the same, there is no magic rule. All that matters is how you are managing to cope with it.

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FGS WTF! Never heard such crap, nine months old? My DS 18 months and doesn't sleep through every night but no way id entertain giving him a bloody sedative! As for medised Doc should be carefull what sayin, our DS had 2 bad reactions to it and hardly a satifactory answer from him! Do what you feel is best but wouldn't listen to that nonsense, sorry to rant!

By the way we have had excuses for every night that he's not slept through (slept though about 20 times!) but now im just honest and admit he's a crap sleeper and no matter it wont make him sleep! Bless em!

Have a wine chill and give few more months. (thats what we keep saying)!

Again, thank you for all the supporting replies. Last night he went to bed without any medised, just an extra 2oz milk as drained his usual 7oz. When he woke during the night we didn't roll him back on his back but let him sleep on his front. Had to go on about 3 times to settle him, but he went back quickly and without being picked up.

Also put the heating on for 30 mins around 3am as I thought it was a bit chilly in the room.

And guess what, we had to wake him up at 6.30!!!

Discussed GP's suggestion with DH last night and we decided that if this is the way he sleeps (or NOT) than so be it.

And I'll just tell everybody else what a great sleeper he is... Although they'll probably blame me for him still not having any teeth, not liking parsnips or god knows what else

your gp is a dick..

oh yes, everything is your fault. It's because you breastfed / didn't breastfeed / use a dummy / don't use a dummy / do controlled crying / pick him up at every wimper.....

and you're either a SAHM or WOHM - tut tut!!

I haven't read the whole thread Jelly but my DD had her first sleep through at 13 months and even then it was only until 5am and we've only had about 4 in her 18 months of life. Using a sedative to get your baby to sleep feels very wrong to me and I wouldn't be happy about it. Some children just take a bit longer to settle into a more regular and solid sleep pattern. My DD has got a lot better since about the year mark.

I'm also working (admittedly part time) but just go to bed earlier and co-sleep to achieve maximum zzz's.

Could your DS be teething or reached a developmental milestone? These always upset my DD's sleep.

I've heard about this prescription from sleep clinics for older children to get them through a habit of night terrors or whatever (seen threads on here about that) but not for a 9mo I don't think. That is too young, surely?

[repeats what's already on this thread, rather uselessly]