Hello!

My 9.5 month old has recently started waking up at least once a night crying/screaming. She used to sleep from 8pm till 7am but now it’s a struggle to get her down before 8.30pm. When she wakes during the night she is really hard to settle and most times I have to end up co-sleeping with her so we both get some sleep. I’d love my sleeping child back as I’m struggling with the multiple wake ups. Please help.

Posted by Bec, 15/7/2013

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  • Another thing what could play is separation anxiety, which is normal around that age.


  • My first thought would be teething or a growth spurt too. I would be careful going into the habit of co-sleeping unless you want this yourself. A habit is easily learned and hard to unlearn.


  • My little man is the Sam and he is 9months I think they get hungrier quicker so I fail him up before bed. And keep all lights off when he wakes and try to soothe him without co sleeping. In my tired nights I give in I must admit!


  • Don’t let her get used to sleeping with you or it will never stop. Maybe teething or a growth spurt is giving her a little discomfort.


  • perhaps put her to bed a bit later!


  • i hope its going a bit better now :)


  • Hope she is sleeping better for you now.


  • Wow – 8pm til 7am! Mine won’t go down till between 10pm-midnight, is up 2-3 times and up between 6-8am most days. Worse still is when she sleep in until 10am. During teething times she up every 1-2 hours through the night!


  • How are you going now?


  • Make sure that they have a full tummy and warm


  • Hope you found some advice that has helped.


  • Sounds like she is less tired, maybe you should try and stretch it to 9pm for bed.


  • Did you find a way to make her sleeping through the night?


  • My kids both did this around the same age, and it looks like a common thing reading through the comments here. I’ve found with my kids while they were little they really go through a lot of sleep changes. Sometimes you just have to be patient and go with it. Do what works for you.


  • That’s a tough one I am not sure


  • My son has had the odd period like this but it always goes away by itself. No advice really, just sending best wishes that you get your sleep back soon.


  • My son wakes up a lot during the night (about 5 times) when having issues with teething, and the only way to get him to calm down and sleep again is to give him some panadol for the pain


  • I found this starting to happen with my daughter. And I realise it all started when I got back from holidays where I had to co sleep with her as there was no cot for her. I also think teething is anther reason. It’s been good for me to read these answers too, ill have to stop co sleeping :(


  • Hope that helped


  • Why won’t my baby sleep properly?
    You’re not alone if you’re having difficulty getting your baby to sleep through the night. About a quarter of children under five have sleep problems. Refusing to go to bed or waking in the night are both common, and the two often go together.

    If your baby is constantly waking in the night it won’t be news to you that it disturbs your own sleep patterns. You will be tired the next day and will probably find it hard to function. If you often have disturbed sleep it may make you more prone to depression.

    There are a few different sleep strategies that you could try, from crying it out to co-sleeping. Choose which ones suit your family.
    What sleep strategies can I try?
    The following tactics may help your baby to sleep better when she’s as young as six weeks. Try to be consistent, even at weekends.Make daytime feeds social and lively, and night-time feeds quiet and calm. This will help your baby to set her body clock and learn the difference between day and night.
    Give your baby the chance to fall asleep on her own from between six weeks and eight weeks. Put her down on her back when she’s sleepy, but still awake. If you rock or feed your baby to sleep she may start to depend on it, rather than be used to settling herself. But it’s up to you to decide what’s best.
    Set a bedtime routine. Keep it short and simple, such as a bath, a nappy change then into her pyjamas, and a story or song. You could also try massaging your baby. Finish the bedtime ritual in your baby’s bedroom and make sure that her room is a pleasant place to be. This routine should last no longer than between 30 minutes and 45 minutes.
    Give her a security object, such as a baby blanket or stuffed animal. Keep it near you for a while so it becomes mum-scented. If you are breastfeeding, you could try expressing some breastmilk onto a small piece of muslin. Babies have a strong sense of smell, and when she startles awake, the smell of you will calm her down.
    Let her cry it out if your baby is four months or five months old. If she’s crying after you’ve put her down, go to her. Pat her gently and tell her everything’s fine, but it’s time for sleep. Be gentle but firm.

    Then leave the room and wait for a set interval, which can be anything from two minutes to five minutes, then check again. Do this repeatedly until she falls asleep, extending the time between each visit.
    Cuddle up if you’d like her to sleep in your bed. Comfort her so she knows it’s time for sleep. Lie down together and cuddle her, pretending to sleep, firmly letting her know it’s bedtime. But make sure you are aware of how to make co-sleeping safe. If your baby is six months or younger, she should sleep in a cot next to your bed.
    Share the role of comforter with your partner, so both of you can help your baby fall back to sleep. Once your baby is old enough not to need a night-time feed, she can learn to be comforted by your partner. She might stop needing anyone when she learns there’s no food involved.
    Tune in to your baby’s needs. During the day, you could make her feel secure by carrying her in a sling. If she wakes in the night, try to work out why. Is her nappy full? Are her night clothes comfortable? Has she got a cold?
    If your baby is still waking after you’ve tucked her in her age may have something to do with how well she settles. So adapt your approach to her stage of development.


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