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6 month old fomo baby won’t sleep

11 replies

Anon6341 · 09/11/2025 13:16

My baby is 6 months and has basically always been difficult to put to sleep. I think up until he was 4-5months he definitely just wasn’t tired yet as Im a ftm so I was following what was recommend wake windows for their age but I’ve now realised he just has lower sleep needs! Problem is he never really shows signs he is tired until he is very grumpy and crying. For instance he slept 10 hours last night woke up at 9 ( later bedtime than usual so I just left him the extra hour ) but he has been awake now from 9-1 and just dozed off after trying to get him to go to sleep the last hour. Eventually I had to have him lay on my bed and just lay next to him ( no patting or shushing as I’m trying to get him to also fall asleep independently ) but he was just so upset in the crib I took him out laid him on the bed and he laid next to me and off he went in about 5 minutes. Usually the wake widnoe
in the morning is about 3 hours so it’s an hour over today but he has been tired since 3 hours just fighting it. Every nap is so difficult. Bedtime is usually easier he usually just falls asleep drinking his bottle tbh which I know also isn’t good cause it’s an association but just wanted to tackle naps first really as they cause the most problems ! Any recommendations on what to do, how to help anything is welcome !! I’m desperate. Also he has 2 naps a day - it was 3 until about 2 wekes ago but his bedtime was becoming 1-2am and it was too much so I dropped it down and have an earlier bedtime and wake time now .

OP posts:
IdaGlossop · 09/11/2025 13:58

Could you wear him when he needs to nap during the day? Would he go in a wrap?

Devilsmommy · 09/11/2025 14:06

Mine always fed to sleep with his bottle because he just wouldn't sleep any other way. He's probably still getting used to 2 naps so is still out of sorts. If he'll conk out quicker on your bed then just let him nap there. Mine didn't nap in his cot ever and only started napping in his room when I got his floor bed at 10mo

Astrial · 09/11/2025 14:17

Also a feeder to sleep. Why worry about it?

I am stuck with a 3 year old who still likes boob for sleep, but she can fall asleep without it, just with cuddles. If tired enough or for her dad, she'll lie down to sleep. She likes pats too.

Sometimes I think we spend far too much time trying to force things that we think will make our lives easier that don't need pushing. You're not doing anything wrong, but if working towards the outcome you want is more stress and hassle, and isnt working, then maybe that outcome (baby magically and independently goes to sleep) isn't worth working towards.

My daughter was a nap fighter, and occasionally got screaming over tired. Today she took one look at lunch and told me "I don't want it. I want lie down and sleep." Fetched a cushion, put it on the floor and did that. She doesn't usually nap at all anymore!

This phase really is so short.

Anon6341 · 10/11/2025 08:28

Devilsmommy · 09/11/2025 14:06

Mine always fed to sleep with his bottle because he just wouldn't sleep any other way. He's probably still getting used to 2 naps so is still out of sorts. If he'll conk out quicker on your bed then just let him nap there. Mine didn't nap in his cot ever and only started napping in his room when I got his floor bed at 10mo

I didn’t really think there was a huge issue on feeding to sleep either I just see all over social media that it’s a bad habit and of people trying to break that habit but it is the only thing seeming to work. Once he is asleep he is out for the count he sleeps 10 hours each night and will fall asleep drinking the bottle. Sometimes the bottle doesn’t work during the day thought but usually it does

OP posts:
Devilsmommy · 10/11/2025 09:21

Ignore the social media idiots saying not to feed to sleep. If baby happily sleeps with bottle then let him have it. If he's drinking it all then he obviously needs it. Mine started sleeping through at 15 months so hopefully your little one gets himself in a routine and starts sleeping through for you 🤞

Astrial · 10/11/2025 11:48

So, the real issue with feeding to sleep, is if you have a baby that can't resettle themselves at all in the night without another feed. If they get bigger, and are weaned, and still need milk half a dozen times a night to get back to sleep, it bad for their teeth and well - a bit of a nightmare as a parent. Not to mention that they probably won't eat enough solids in the day, because they're having milk all night.

There is also the steer from dentists that bottles and milk (not to mention) dummies at night, should be gone between the ages of 1 and 2. This is because you want the fluorine from brushing sat in their teeth, protecting them at night, not bring washed off with milk.

This is not what you're describing. Your baby clearly can self settle in the night without milk, or they wouldn't be sleeping as well as they can. In the day time, anything goes!

Social media is... such a guilt creator!

I'm not a 100pc responsible parent (maybe lazy, maybe just working full time in a stressful job and need sleep and my homelife as easy as possible). If my daughter needs the comfort of a bottle still once or twice in a month, I'll let her have some milk in one. (Though after other options.) She's usually had a nightmare or is sick. I still breastfeed as part of bedtime as it helps her relax, but she doesn't tend to feed to sleep anymore.

These things aren't "bad habits" theyre informed choices about what keeps us happiest and most sane! If the dentist told me her teeth were showing signs of damage, we'd stop.

Anon6341 · 11/11/2025 12:52

Astrial · 10/11/2025 11:48

So, the real issue with feeding to sleep, is if you have a baby that can't resettle themselves at all in the night without another feed. If they get bigger, and are weaned, and still need milk half a dozen times a night to get back to sleep, it bad for their teeth and well - a bit of a nightmare as a parent. Not to mention that they probably won't eat enough solids in the day, because they're having milk all night.

There is also the steer from dentists that bottles and milk (not to mention) dummies at night, should be gone between the ages of 1 and 2. This is because you want the fluorine from brushing sat in their teeth, protecting them at night, not bring washed off with milk.

This is not what you're describing. Your baby clearly can self settle in the night without milk, or they wouldn't be sleeping as well as they can. In the day time, anything goes!

Social media is... such a guilt creator!

I'm not a 100pc responsible parent (maybe lazy, maybe just working full time in a stressful job and need sleep and my homelife as easy as possible). If my daughter needs the comfort of a bottle still once or twice in a month, I'll let her have some milk in one. (Though after other options.) She's usually had a nightmare or is sick. I still breastfeed as part of bedtime as it helps her relax, but she doesn't tend to feed to sleep anymore.

These things aren't "bad habits" theyre informed choices about what keeps us happiest and most sane! If the dentist told me her teeth were showing signs of damage, we'd stop.

Edited

Thank you this really made me feel better, social media really is such a guilt creator especially as a ftm cause I just feel like I’m doing everything wrong 😩 he’d just had a 4.5 hour wake window and finally went to sleep after fighting it the last hour and a half and endless crying the bottle didn’t even work today🤦🏻‍♀️ 12:30 and just started his first nap
, think I have a bad day ahead of me lol.

i really really want him to learn to self soothe to get himself to sleep so he can just lay in the cot and go to sleep himself but I can’t even get him to sleep rocking him, laying on me cuddling me so I doubt he’ll be going to sleep himself in the cot anytime soon 😩

OP posts:
Anon6341 · 11/11/2025 12:54

Devilsmommy · 10/11/2025 09:21

Ignore the social media idiots saying not to feed to sleep. If baby happily sleeps with bottle then let him have it. If he's drinking it all then he obviously needs it. Mine started sleeping through at 15 months so hopefully your little one gets himself in a routine and starts sleeping through for you 🤞

He does sleep through he sleeps 10-11 hours not one wake up - it’s just actually getting him to fall asleep is the struggle. Once he’s out he’s out like a light he just really doesn’t know struggles to fall asleep even when I’m doing everything possible to try get him down. At night he isn’t so bad as in he will drink a bottle and be asleep for the night but it’s nap time, sometimes the extra bottle doesn’t even work.

OP posts:
Devilsmommy · 11/11/2025 13:22

When mine fought naps at that age I'd just feed them the bottle and then rock him sleep. I know on Mumsnet it's frowned upon but the rocking was the only way he'd nap other than a contact nap and obviously because I'd rather just rock him than be nap trapped I chose that. It's better when they finally drop to one nap because they're actually shattered enough to sleep 😂

Peonies12 · 12/11/2025 15:22

Just use whatever works for naps - bottle, contact nap, buggy sling. my 13 month old rarely naps in cot, and if she does, we have to cuddle her to sleep first. Still BF to sleep when she wakes at night. You might find an earlier and consistent wake up time could help particularly in the winter, to maximise the amount of day light baby is exposed to. I'd try waking 10 mins earlier each day to shift the whole day earlier.

Anon6341 · 12/11/2025 18:26

Peonies12 · 12/11/2025 15:22

Just use whatever works for naps - bottle, contact nap, buggy sling. my 13 month old rarely naps in cot, and if she does, we have to cuddle her to sleep first. Still BF to sleep when she wakes at night. You might find an earlier and consistent wake up time could help particularly in the winter, to maximise the amount of day light baby is exposed to. I'd try waking 10 mins earlier each day to shift the whole day earlier.

I do want to do this as I’d rather a bit of an earlier bedtime and wake up time but everytime I’ve tried this before it never made him to go sleep earlier and then eventually he’d be loosing out on so much sleep not going to sleep earlier but waking earlier and eventually ended up going to sleep at 1-2am each night 😩 he usually wakes up now at 8-8:30 so might try make sure it’s 8 each day for next few days then move to 7:30 and see if I can push bedtime a bit earlier

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