8 month baby still up through the night, any suggestions?

[NewMom13]

My 8 month old son wakes up every 2- 3 hours through out the night.  He is soley breastfed and has started on solids which he has 3 times a day.  I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to how I can get him to sleep a bit longer. During the day he can sleep for 3-4 hour stretches if I let him!! :)

[Tanker Chic]

He may be sleeping so long during the day to make for the nights.  At night, before picking him up, I would make sure he is REALLY awake and not just rustling around.  Before picking him up try putting a pacifier in his mouth and see if that satisfies him.  If you don't us a pacifier, consider starting at night only or at least wait before you pick him up and make sure he is really awake.  You might also try just soothing him instead of feeding him.  Try cutting out one nightly feeding at a time.  If he is waking every 2-3 hours, he is probably exhausted.  

I notice my son seems to sleep better if I don't keep the volume on the monitor quite so high.  Meaning sometimes if it is turned up too high, I am too quick to run to his every whimper.. where if I don't hear every little sound he makes, he often falls right back to sleep on his own.  

Best of luck to you.  

[tam2girls]

I know how you feel. My twins were up through the night until about 10 months. I sarted them on solids at 5 months and for my girl that made a difference and she was able to sleep longer stretches. I noticed with her she was not hungry and wanted to play so I would go to her stop her crying and not offer the breast. She would cry a little and then settle herself. After a few nights she was sleeping through. My little boy however was still hungry so I continued to feed him. It was only 6 weeks ago that I gave him a toy to sleep with and cuddle and that offered him the comfrot he needed through the night. Now all I need to do when he wakes up is to give him his toy and he will go back to sleep. He only wakes up every other night so we are all happy. I hope this gives you some ideas. Also I find he sleeps better if I put pasta in his dinner. I think it takes longer to digest. Good Luck

[tam2girls]

Also I wanted to add that at this age I think 2 two hour naps during the day should be enough so prehaps try waking after 2 hours during the day so that he is more tired at night time.

[casandbaby]

I agree with the above posters. I would get my son at every time he would cry but now i just let him cry a bit and most of the time he just whimpers and is immediatly back to sleep. For my son he stopped taking his binky but still has wants to have something to suck on and no matter what he won't take it so i give him a bottle of water and that helps alot he falls back to sleep rather quickly. My pedi said if they sleep longer than two hours during the day they won't want to sleep at night =]