Why isn't she sleeping through the night?

Question

I have an 11 month old daughter who has not slept through the night..... ever! She typically goes down between 9:00-9:30 pm. She'll wake up around 1:30-2:00 am for a bottle. And sometimes (not every night) she wakes up again around 5:00 am. I don't know how to get her to sleep through the night. It's taking it's toll on my husband and I. We're exhausted!! During the day she takes 1 - 2 hour nap at around 1:00 pm. HELP!! How do I get her to sleep through the night?

Answer 1

Do you have a nighttime routine that you are consistent with?

well anyways, our baby boy who is 7 months goes down around 8-9pm and sleeps til around 8 or 10 am..he gets bath bottle and bed and that routine has stuck since a month old and we're consistant. Maybe try to put her to bed earlier, with a routine..

Answer 2

My 4 month old son goes to bed at 7:30 and wakes up between 4 and 5 am for a bottle (now he's going through a growth spurt he wakes up 2x per night) and then again at 7am. At the moment this is still fine by me.

My mum on the other hand put me to bed at 7pm, I'd wake up for a feed at 10pm and would sleep until 6am. When I woke up in the night, she would just give me a bottle of water and I soon learned it wasn't worth waking up for. I'm not sure if I could take that approach, but I  think other mums also gave this advise, so it must help.

Lots of good luck.

Answer 3

That sucks!  My son just started to sleep through the night (sometimes) at around 10 months.  

Have you tried feeding her something heavy before bed? Crackers? Rice?

When she wakes up at 2am, feed her food???  

You might just have to let her cry??  I did that a few times with my son, I would check on him, make sure everything was okay, and just let him cry.  Helped a little bit.

I have tried this.  Change around the nap times.  Don't let her sleep so long.  Chang different things, and see how that effects your nights.

I don't know if she has been co-sleeping at all, but this might effect some of her reactions.  Lot of parents have a hard time trying to get kids to sleep all through the night, if they are used to co-sleeping and now they are alone.  

Night light?

Answer 4

my daughter was sleeping from 9:30 till 5am at 8mo but at 9and a half she started cutting teeth again and she is now getting up on about your schedule, wearing me out....he sleeps right thru it :-(  but for short periods when her teeth give her a rest she gives me one.  maybe that will give you hope.  I just don't fight it right now because i know its her teeth (and she hasn't taken a nuk since 2 months other then to chew) I have tried "teething tablets" they are natural thing i have found at walmart and my local grocery.  probably at Walgreen's too. I hope this helps!  the other moms are right tho, she doesn't need the food, it is just habit at this point.  I had to break my daughter of it when she was like 6 months

Answer 5

I agree with lesmith's answer. the other thing you could do is instead of giving her formula/milk you could put water in her bottle.  My pediatrician suggested this.  My baby is 7 months and still wakes up to eat. I haven't tried the water trick yet though. Like the others said, it's a habit. Babies don't need to eat overnight, they're just used to doing it.  sounds like she's a great sleeper otherwise!

Answer 6

My son woke up in the night to feed as long as I would let him.  if that makes sense.  I got fed up one night (around 11 months), and refused to feed him during the night.  He was still waking up several times per night.  The first night I stopped feeding him after he woke up, he threw a big fit.  I didn't leave him to cry it out, I held him, rocked him, etc.  It took about an hour, but he feel asleep.  The next time he woke up, my husband went in and rocked with him (granted, he never let my husband do this before because he wanted to nurse).  After a few nights, he got used to it, and his sleeping got much better!  

Try making sure she's well fed before bed, and then find another way to sooth her when she wakes up for her bottle.  Give it a few nights and see!

Answer 7

I would work on that bottle at 1:30 first.  Physically she doesn't need it.  What I would do is each week I would reduce the amount in the bottle by 1 ounce.  When you get down to a smaller amount she may start sleeping through the feeding.  She is waking out of habit instead of need.  If she complain for more when she finishes the bottle try to get her back to sleep by rocking or giving her a paci.  But keep slwly reducing the amount in the bottle.  I did that with my son at 5 months and it worked great.  Good luck!

Answer 8

My daughter didn't start sleeping through the night until she was 14 months old.  She will when she's ready.  Maybe try an earlier bed time.  I've read that the earlier a child goes to bed the longer they sleep and I found that to be true for my daughter.

Or when she wakes up don't give her a bottle.  Give her a sippy cup of water instead and eventually she won't wake up for her bottle.  She'll figure you aren't going to give it to her so why bother.  

Answer 9

Have you tried feeding her something before you put her to bed. I know what you are going through my daughter was three before she slept through the night. My son just turned two and just starting sleeping all night most nights. Also you can try playing soft music for her maybe that will work. Some kids it doesn't matter what you do they just won't sleep all night. I have two that were that way. I hope one of these things work for you. If not just do a lot of praying that God gives you the strength to survive and not go crazy and go on a killing spree.Haha I'll be praying for you.  

Answer 10

When you put her down maybe you should try something a little heavier than just a bottle. It sounds to me like she's waking up because she's hungry. Try having dinner a little bit later and maybe some kind of snack or small bowl of cereal before she goes down. FYI, i've got 3 kids who never slept through the night until a year old. :(