sleep question

My DD is 8 months old and she wakes up at 12am and 4am for a feeding. After the 4am feeding, it takes her over an hour to fall back asleep. She will sit, talk, crawl in her crib until she finally starts crying and I lay her down. (she doesn't know how to lay down from the sitting position yet). She has been doing this for a while now. She goes to sleep at 6:30 and passes out right after her bottle. Do you think I need to move up her bedtime to a later time?

Re: sleep question

I would definitely try adjusting the schedule... what is her eating schedule? how many bottles? when are they? and how many oz each?

Ds is almost 8 months but has not had middle of the night bottle since 7 weeks old. His last bottle used to be at 1030, then we consolitdated them to 4 bottles a day. Last bottle is 8oz at 8pm, he falls asleep between then and 9pm and sleeps until 630/730.

Re: sleep question

8 months sounds old to me to still be taking 2 night feedings. Maybe 1, but definitely not 2. Have you done CIO? How many total bottles and ounces is she eating a day? Have you tried upping her daytime ounces to see if that gets her throught the night?

DS is 8.5 months and only rarely has a night bottle when he's going through a growth spurt. Otherwise, he sleeps from about 9pm-7am.

I know many parents have early bedtimes for their children, but to me, 6:30pm sounds too early. It sounds to me that at 4am she's basically done sleeping for the night. That is, after all, 9.5 hours! Not all babies sleep 12+ hours. Mine doesn't!

If your daughter sleeps a 5.5 hour stretch, then why not get that from 9-2:30pm. Then you only have 1 night feeding and you can work on dropping that one, too.

Re: sleep question

Also, are you rushing in every time you hear her stir? And then just popping a bottle in her mouth? It's possible if you leave her alone she'd go back to bed?

sleep question

I would cut out the night feedings and CIO.

Re: sleep question

i would def cut out the night feedings - one at a time
dd is 8 months and finally stopped the night feedings around 6 months (but at that time it was only one feeding)

how many ounces is she getting during the day? maybe bump up her bedtime bottle by an ounce or so and see if that helps - then try to cio for the midnight feeding.

Re: sleep question

What is you let her "mini-nap" at 6:30 for just a half hour and then moved her bed time to 8:30/9pm? That way you could move her feedings to 3 am and then 7 am. After the 7 am bottle she could just be up for the day. Eventually once that schedule has settled you could work on eliminating the 3 am bottle. That is *probably* what I would do because for me, 6:30 is way too early a bedtime and I definitely would not want to be waking for 2 night bottles still. Good luck!

Re: sleep question

my DD will be 9 months next week. she is in daycare full time and only naps two 30-40 min naps there.

by the time I get her home at 545, bathe and feed her, she is OUT by 630. She sleeps 12 hours straight through until 630-7am.

She takes 4 7oz bottles (7am, 11am, 3pm, 630pm) and has 3 meals! I hope this helps!

at 8 months, she doesn't need 2 night feedings IMO.

eta - DD was taking 1 night bottle until 6 months, between 1am-4am. She always went back to sleep immediately after the bottle.

Message edited 10/16/2013 5:53:47 PM.

Re: sleep question

thank you everyone for your suggestions.

To answer some questions:

she eats 4oz every 2 hours throughout the day and has two meals. Usually a fruit in the morning and a veggie for dinner. She takes a 6 oz bottle before bed.

She usually takes 2 or 3 40minute naps during the day. She has been a terrible napper since day one, so we try to get a nap in around 11 and then another one around 2. She sometimes takes one at 8am, but lately she has been fighting it.

She still sleeps in our room and has been waking up frequently for the past month or so. She sits up and then can't lay back down so she starts crying. She's also be teething.

I feel like we have been on the same schedule for a while and i need to change it a bit, but I don't know where to start.

sleep question

Can you feed her more during the day and space out the feedlings a bit? DS is 4.5 months and drinks 6oz every 3 1/2 hours

sleep question

I would give her larger bottles and space them out. At least three hours apart then eventually space themto 4 hours apart

Re: sleep question

4oz is almost definitely not enough. Start by bumping her up to 6 or even 8 oz bottles and see how much of it she wants. That should space her bottles out more, too. Eating every 2 hours is for newborns, not infants!

Also, I'd try moving her out of your room if possible. She (and you!) will most likely sleep better that way.

Then, don't let her go down for the night at 6:30pm. If she naps then, wake her after 30 minutes or so. Give her dinner, bathe her and put her down a few hours later. This should start to help. It won't get all fixed in a day, but it will in a couple of weeks.

Re: sleep question

agreed, larger bottles spaced out!


I don't agree though about the bedtime. I know MANY kids (including my own) that go down at 6:30 and sleep 12 hours! Try working on larger bottles, more spaced out and get her in her own room. IMO unless you are cosleeping, she needs to be in her own room at 8 months.

Message edited 10/17/2013 9:16:19 AM.

sleep question

i agree that the 630 bedtime is ok - see how her schedule shifts when she takes the larger bottles spaced out throughout the day.

dd is 8 months; she goes to bed at 7pm, wakes at 6:30am for a bottle and goes back to sleep til 8am. if she wanted to start her day at 630 am i would consider putting her down later, but this schedule works for us.

sleep question

i agree with everyone else. I would definitely feed more and not as often, thats more like a newborn schedule.

sleep question

Is she finishing the 4oz bottle every time? That would mean it's time to give her more. Every two hours is a lot for an 8 month old. Start one morning and see how much she drinks.

At 8 months (my dd is now 9 months and this is the same ) our schedule looked like this

Wake up @ 630-7
5-6oz bottle @7-730
Breakfast @ 9/930
Nap @ 10-11/1130
Lunch @ 12/1230
Nap @ 1/130-230/3
5-6oz bottle @ 330-4
Dinner @530-6
5-6oz bottle @ 730-8
Bed between 830 & 9

Some days she takes a small half hour nap after dinner

Message edited 10/17/2013 11:01:40 AM.

Re: sleep question

Re: sleep question

Posted by NYCGirl80

Posted by maymama

agreed, larger bottles spaced out!


I don't agree though about the bedtime. I know MANY kids (including my own) that go down at 6:30 and sleep 12 hours! Try working on larger bottles, more spaced out and get her in her own room. IMO unless you are cosleeping, she needs to be in her own room at 8 months.

I'm jealous that your baby will sleep for 12 hours! And yes, some kids can sleep for 12 hours. But not all babies do.

Since her baby is waking up ready to play after 9 hours of sleep, my guess is that her daughter just won't stretch that long and may never give her 6:30pm-6:30am. (I know my DS won't!) That's why for her baby, not all babies, I'd suggest pushing the bedtime back.

Re: sleep question

Have you called your ped and asked for advice? Mine said they should sleep and be able to make it without food 8 hours by 6 months so it was ok to let them CIO if they wake sooner than 8 hours. I know it's hard to hear but sounds like she may be waking out of habit or bc she misses her mommy.

My advice would be to try giving bigger bottles esp at first and last feeding of the day. Try bumping up to 5oz and then after a few days go to 6.

Re: sleep question

Oh and def move her out of your room. Is she in a PNP? She may be able to see you or hear you and could poissbly be uncomfy and needs more space.

Re: sleep question

Posted by Teachergal

Posted by NYCGirl80

Posted by maymama

agreed, larger bottles spaced out!


I don't agree though about the bedtime. I know MANY kids (including my own) that go down at 6:30 and sleep 12 hours! Try working on larger bottles, more spaced out and get her in her own room. IMO unless you are cosleeping, she needs to be in her own room at 8 months.

I'm jealous that your baby will sleep for 12 hours! And yes, some kids can sleep for 12 hours. But not all babies do.

Since her baby is waking up ready to play after 9 hours of sleep, my guess is that her daughter just won't stretch that long and may never give her 6:30pm-6:30am. (I know my DS won't!) That's why for her baby, not all babies, I'd suggest pushing the bedtime back.

I agree with this. It all depends on when you want your baby waking in the morning. I was assuming she wanted her baby to wake around 7, in which case she would need to push all the bottles back by 3 hours. If a baby can sleep 12 hours, I'd rather the baby go 7:30-7:30 even 8-8, then 6:30-6:30. It means you sleep in more in the mornings!!

Re: sleep question

really, they will sleep when they want to. it may backfire if you try to "create" her sleeping routine. first worry about the larger bottles more spaced out and the rest may resolve itself