Help-my 6 mth old won't sleep
Hello,
im writing looking for some advice as I am SO tired!!
My little girl is 6 months old, aroind 3 months she was sleeping for around 4 hours at a time-not the best but manageable! Then ever since she turned 4 months she wakes at least 6 times in the night and will only settle on my breast.
i don't know what to do! She naps in the day at regular intervals, she is eating solids, she has a bedtime routine and bedtime! She goes off ok for the first few hours and I can usually just rub her belly to get her back to sleep the first few times but after that it's like she just wants to be in my bed on my nipple?! My back kills and I'm so tired but I don't want to deprive her of comfort if that's what she needs.
I exclusively breastfeed.
i bought a sleepyhead and tried it for the first time last night with no improvement! 🙈
Replies
Sounds like she's not sinking into a deep sleep and of course, she loves having your breast for comfort. Have you tried a dummy at night time - maybe switch out your breast for a dummy instead?
You could try a dummy, or swaddling (do you do this?) and keep going with the Sleepyhead - i know a few mums who swear by it - Try one thing at a time though otherwise you won't know what works.
Don't worry, it is likely a phase, and sleep will come - if all else fails, have a read up on gradual retreat method of sleep training... 3 nights of crying for my baby, but we have never looked back.
Thank you for your reply. I've tried a dummy but she won't take it! I keep telling myself it's a phase but is it possible for a phase to last 9 weeks? I'm a first time mum so really don't know what is normal! X
Yup, these phases can last months - but honestly, things will change!
She could be waking up due to reaching milestones, teething, it could be one of many things, and of course there's nothing better than having your boob to comfort her, so you're either going to have to cut off the night feeds (if you feel it's time) or start trying something different to settle her.
With my little girl who would literally not settle at all during the night (she was 7months), she also didn't like a dummy, we did the gradual retreat - so when she would wake, i would go in, shush her gently (no picking up) and then leave the room - she cried and cried which was terrible, but i'd go in after 2mins, then 4mins, then 8 mins, 16 mins etc - when i'd go in i gently shushed her and told her sleepytime - 2 nights later she was sleeping through. This worked for me, but your daughter might need something else.
Good luck
ps nothing is 'normal' with babies - just do the best you can x
My SIL had a similar problem and controlled crying was the only thing that worked
It's not easy. Leaving your baby to cry must be horrendous but it's the only way she broke the cycle of only 2 hours sleep.
Have you started weaning yet? That might change her habit. They say by 6 months a night feed normally isn't needed so maybe see how weaning changes her pattern if you don't want to do the retreat method
Stay strong. You're doing your best
Hi Sleepyhead1
I'm Kathryn, I gave birth to a sleep thief and to cut a long story short I am now a Family Sleep Consultant. How much sleep is your LO getting during the day and night in hours?
Hi Kathryn,
Thank you for your message! She has recently dropped her morning and afternoon naps (which has made no difference) so she generally just has a lunch time nap of around 1.5 hours. If she has woken up early (6am) then she may have another brief nap but if she wakes at 7:30 then she won't.
At night she goes to sleep at 7pm so she is in bed for 12 hours however this is broken by around 6-8 wake ups so I'd say she gets around 9-10 hours at night plus 1.5-2 in the day!
She has SO much energy though despite this and even sometimes stays awake for an hour or so in the night just rolling over/kicking etc!
xx
Hi,
Yes she is on solids but it's not making a difference 🙈 She's also nearly crawling so she is using lots of energy! I don't know how she's coping because I'm not!
x
Hi Sleepyhead1, It sounds as if you LO is not getting enough sleep in the day which will increase the risk of wake ups at night. Recommended sleep for a 6 month old for day time is around 3 hours. feel free to PM if you have any questions.