8 month old sleeping

hi all. my son edward just turned 8 months and with his 8 month birthday came the realization that he could now stand up in his crib! haha. how shocked was i to peek into his room at 2 am and see him standing there, holding on, with a BIG smile on his face. Anyway, this last month he has grown and changed so dramatically, yet his sleeping habits don't seem to be changing at all. he is usually tired and fussy around 7:00 and is usually in bed and/or sleeping by 7:30/8:00. is this too early? is that why he wakes often during the nite and early in the morning (5:00 am)? what is the normal amount of sleep a night for an 8 month old? at this point, is the waking just habit? i'm just wondering if i should deal with a fussy baby at nite and put him to bed later eventhough i've heard that overtiredness doesnt help anything? i don't know, i just want to try and figure it out before i am waking up in the middle of the night with an 18 month old. haha. i'm not complaining at all, i know it comes with the territory, just from this point on, i dont know if i should let him be or try to change the night waking. he will be starting daycare on monday (whole different issue for me, but i'll spare you all the whining) and i am wondering if he will have trouble adjusting and if it will reflect in his sleeping - meaning his sleeping might be even more erratic. i have posted on edwards sleeping before, just trying to get info, but he was always too young for me to feel it was time to take any action. any advice is appreciated.

[laura1977]

He should be sleeping through the night, and shouldn't need a night time feeding anymore.  He is probably waking in the middle of the night because one, he's just use to it, two he has just always gotten a bottle at night, or three because he doesn't want you to sleep. (not the third)
He is at the age though that you can put him down at night when he starts looking sleepy, cause if you rock him to sleep that may be another reason he is waking in the middle of the night, because he is confused where you went.
You need to do the same thing every night that prepares him to go to sleep.  For the first few nights he may get really upset that you aren't coming in to get him, but this is pretty much the only way.  If he wakes in middle of the night lay him back down and leave the room.  I promise he will stand back up and get mad, but then you wait about five minutes and go back and do it again and again and again.  Don't count on getting much sleep for first few days, but you will soon.
The daycare issue will cause him to have to do some adjusting, and you may want to wait to do this till he gets use to daycare, or you may want to go ahead and do it at the same time.
The time issue, what I have discovered is if you leave them up too late, they will still wake at same time in the morning and just be craby because not enough sleep.  

[girliegrl1723]

i am positive it is the third reason. he absolutely does not want me to sleep. haha. just kidding. he goes to sleep after his last bottle without a problem. as far as the night waking, i know you're right. he doesn't need a bottle. i think i will take your suggestion and once he settles in to daycare, when he wakes in the middle of the night, i will just lay him back down. i shouldn't even change his daiper or anything right? and i know you are also right about the bedtime. i've heard from a few people that an overtired baby is not something anyone wants.

thanks for the advice. i will hopefully break edward of the night waking eventually.

[laura1977]

the diaper changing thing, that is up to you.  If it is really really wet I would change it, but if it really isn't bad I wouldn't mess with it.  You might change it the first time he wakes up, but remember ssssshhhhhhhhh no communication.

[girliegrl1723]

yep. i know. thats the hardest part. usually i do change his diaper if he wakes up for the first time in the middle of the night, because he's prone to rashes. but when i look at that face, ugh, i have to look away, otherwise all hope is lost. thanks for the advice. i appreciate it.

[mom2rachie]

My daughter just turned 1 a few weeks ago and has never slept through the night once.  NOT ONCE.  The dr told me to let hre cry it out, which I will NOT do and he also told me that she's bright and can't "turn off" at night.  It's hard but I'm praying that one day and one day soon she will start to "sleep like a baby" hahahaha.
Good luck.