Still Waking up at night!

Whew, I am glad I am not the only one... I am seeing some other posts about sleeping issues - Now I know that i have had a post or two about this before and I have tried the Ferber method (i think thats what it is) - Where you put baby to bed, when he wakes up I would pat his back let him know I was there and LEAVE him alone.... It took 3 nights of crying but it actually wasnt as bad a i thought it was going to be... BUT of course then Noah got sick, so he got back OFF the sleeping through the night and started to wake again and I guess I just got lazy, I can give Noah his bottle and he will fall back asleep LITERALLY within minutes I sit and I wait for the bottle to drop LOL and then take it from him and he is good to go BUT it does wear on me, and he is 9 months old, shouldnt he be sleeping through the night!!!??? I am tired beyond belief and he gets up about 2 times a night.... He has had horrible sleeping habits from about 5 months on - He slept GREAT from 5 weeks to 5 months then all the sudden POOF he stopped and started waking up!

SO my question is - Should I try the Ferber method again? Is that where you just comfort them with a pat on the bacl and leave them be? How long should I let him cry? Is there another way to do this? what has worked for you gals, and how long did the process take?

[AmyC311]

Does he eat solids yet? I have had the easiest time with Blake sleeping through the night since 6 weeks but I honestly think it was because we had to put rice in her bottle. Now we don't but she eats solids so I think she remains full. I would think that he needs to stop taking a bottle in the middle of the night. I would try feeding him solids before his evening bottle to make him fuller. Honestly I would stop going in there to rub his back when he wakes up. I don't do that for Blake anymore. I would if she would get really worked up but usually she would go back to sleep on her own and if I went in there she would expect me to pick her up.

Also I think babies need something to comfort them. I suggest a blankie or a stuffed animal that he is partial to. Blake has a snuggly blanket and her binky and a small blanket for her to cover up with. When she wakes up in the middle of the night she might talk or cry for a little bit but usually goes back. Usually when she won't go to sleep and really starts to cry it is because she has a poopy diaper.

Good luck! I know how precious sleep can be! It will take some time but babies are good at learning routines. Just don't give up!!

[justice6920]

He does eat solids.... and we try to feed him dinner right before his bath so once he gets out of the bath he is ready for bed! and I know he isnt waking up bc he is hungry, I will give him the bottle and he will literally be asleep within minutes... Maybe its a comfort thing? I dont know but he WILL NOT take a binky.... he does have his blankie though he loves to pull it up to his face and snuggle it.... I think he just has this little internal alarm clock LOL that wakes him up twice a night....

I think your right.... If he wakes up i will just have to leave him be to fall back asleep, he is old enough now that if i touch him or talk to him it makes the crying or whining worse bc he KNOWS I am there and wants me to get him.... He needs to be able to self soothe! and right now he is not very good at that at all!!

Thanks! I am going to start this tonight and hope by this weekend we can sleep through the night again!!!

[Jules31981]

Ok so the last 3 night we have been doing the Ferber method.  Mady is much better 10 minutes and out tongiht.  We let her go 40 minutes the first night, she was sooooo tired but if we put her down she freaked, so we put her in bed.  Her naps have gotten back on track by doing this also.  She is much happy, like she always was.  I would reccommend doing it again.  I also leave Mady if she wakes before it is time to get up.  She will cry for about 7 minutes and then she goes back to sleep.  She will not take a binkie either, so it is hard.  Good Luck!!

[justice6920]

Thanks ladies.... I am thinking I will try the Ferber Method! I thought I would try it this week but think I am going to wait until friday that way we can ALL take a nap when needed LOL

[ovaz129]

Yep!  I am with Amy on this one.  He is old enough (in my opinion, for what it's worth!) not to go in and pat his back and all that jazz.  Leighton has been sick for 2 1/2 weeks now... she started to get off track that first week because we were giving her some extra cuddle time... and boy did she stretch cuddle time!  We ended up sleeping with her one night and that pretty much started the downward spiral.  The next night she thought we were giong to bring her in, but nope!  We let her figure it out and it took about 5-8 min... no longer than 10 and she did it.  She went back to sleep.  I know it is hard, but don't give in :)  You will be a much more pleasant mommy in the morning :)

[justice6920]

I am agreeing with you ladies more and more LOL he is old enough to self sooth.... and he is a very smart little boy! I am sure he will catch on.... Hard thing is - is that he is in our room I didnt really want to move him in to his own room yet.... so I hear the crying and it breaks my heart BUT I am soo ready to sleep through the night, I am just going to have to hear a bit of crying - I am sure (keeping my fingers crossed!!) that he will catch on quickly!!

We are going to start this on Friday night!!

[AmyC311]

I understand you not wanting to move him...but honestly I don't think he will get better until you do. Blake completely loses it if she sees me, even across the room. The only thing that keeps her calm is the fact that she is in her room by herself. When she sees me she wants me to pick her up. Always. She can never see me and not be crying or whining to be held...

I strongly recommend putting him in his own room if you seriously want to nip this behavior in the bud!! My cousin just NOW got her son to sleep in his room because she always just wanted him with her. He is 7!!! She said she waited too long until he was too old to try to put him in his bed and then he would cry so she would let him stay with her- in her bed too!  

Not saying that will be you...just saying separate bedrooms make life sooo much easier!!! But good luck whatever you decide!! I hope you get some great sleep this weekend!

[justice6920]

Amy! I think now would be a great time to move him to his own room bc Noah does the same thing as Blake,  the minute he sees me all bets are off.... and he knows that we are in the same room! and know mom or dad will get him.....

We do have to hold off on the moving situation though.... we just moved in with my Husbands Parents (long story) so we downsized and we have our room and my 10 year old has a room..... so unfortunately Noah has no where to go but in the room with us until we move out which I am SOOOOO ready to do....We moved in there to help his parents out - they unfortunately both lost there jobs a couple months back and my husband did not want them to lose their home they have had for 15 years....so they asked us to move in and "help" with the mortgage (sp) for 6 months - so we downsized (which is truly starting to drive me nuts, I feel like I have NO ROOM to move around anywhere) and are staying in their home for a couple more months....

LOL sorry for the rant and the rambling..... LOL hahha after I read that i felt like one of those people you ask a simple question too and they tell you their whole life story LMAO sorry!

[AmyC311]

Aww I am sorry things are like that. :( Maybe you could try one of those partitions that will block his view? You know what I am talking about? Like in those old movies where the girls got dressed behind? You could do that and a white noise machine or something.

We went on a trip last weekend and Blake had to share our room with us and OMG it was awful. She would wake up and see us over on our bed and start crying and crying until we got her. So I definitely feel for ya..hopefully things get better real soon!

[Jem75]

hi - just now seeing this and wanted to offer an idea if it works. Can you make a closet into a mini-bedroom for Noah? That way he is close by but there is a door! That is, assuming the closets are walk in's....