How can I get my 11 month old to sleep through the night?

Question

I am a single mother to the 11 month old son. It is hard enough parenting alone but when you have a child that will not sleep through the night it makes it 10 times harder. He still is in the habit of waking up to feed 2 maybe even sometimes 3 times a night. I don't believe he is hungry because he eats babyfood 3 times a day and drinks several 8 oz bottles. Does anyone have any advice?

Answer 1

You could try cutting down on his nap time in the afternoon and also giving him a soother. Only allow him the soother in his crib though. Only for bed time, or nap time. You can also try giving him a special blankie or teddy. try to give it to him when he is sad or sleepy and put it in his crib everytime you put him to sleep. He will soon realize that this is his special item and will find comfort in it. When he wakes up to feed do not go to him for about 20 minutes. he might fall back asleep. Do not let him cry past 20 minutes though. It might be hard but after a few nights he will just wake up and go to sleep with no tears. Start by letting him feed only once in the night and then eliminate them all...it will probably take about a month...unless he is very cooperative lol.

Good luck :)

Answer 2

I had massive problems with getting my 3 month old son to sleep.  He would just lie awake and cry for hours, then when he finally went to sleep he would wake every hour or two hours through the night and cry again!  Talk about pulling our hair out .... we were absolutely desperate for sleep!

It was a baby sleep audio program recommended by a friend that finally saved us. We followed the advice and began by creating a baby sleep routine which included bathtime, dimming of the lights, putting Paul into his crib, final nappy change and then lullabies. We also made recommended changes to his naps during the day and used some of the other recommended techniques. Within two weeks he was sleeping through the night most nights with just the odd night where he would just wake once!

Definitely start by creating a good baby sleep routine though and you could find that solves most of your baby sleep problems.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Wean him off the night feeds.  He does not need them anymore.  Start with one and and you can use any number of methods to get him back to sleep - CIO, soothing, responding, pacifier etc.  Just remember that whatever you start new is something he will expect in the future.  Just don't feed him.  Once you get him through that feed, then do the next.  

It is going to be hard and you will have several sleepless nights, even worse than now but keep your eye on the end result of a full night sleep.  

Answer 4

Everyone has there own ways of doing things but what worked for me was letting my babies cry, not hysterical crying!

I put them to bed after a bath and a feed but before they are fully asleep. They do cry! and it will does take about a week but if I can sit outside the door with a book for 20 mins they do go to sleep. they still wake for a little while during the night but once they have learnt how to get themselves of to sleep in the first place it is easier for them to go back off to sleep.  

Also you can try swapping the night bottles for water, they soon realise that there is no point waking up.

It will take great strength and persistance but after a month you will feel the benefits of much more sleep and a happier baby!

Answer 5

Make sure he eats right before bed and put him in his crib while he's still awake.  He needs to figure out how to fall asleep on his own without you feeding or comforting him.  

Try letting him "cry it out".  When he wakes up at night let him try and get himself back to sleep before you go in and help him.  It is harder on  the mom than it is on the child, trust me!  I have gone through this 4 times now.  ;)  

Try using a security blanket or a certain toy that he can sleep with every night.  My daughter always sleeps with a "blankey".  They are just average receiving blankets, she doesn't have a certain one that she HAS to have, so that makes it easier.  No worries about losing it.

Well Mama, best of luck and just remember, this will pass.  You will miss it before too long!  :)  

Answer 6

So babies just aren't great sleepers.

My 9 month old son wakes at least 3 times a night for a breastfeed. My daughter was still waking at least once a night till she was around 18 months old.

It does get better eventually, but there isn't a lot you can do to make a baby sleep through if they aren't ready.