CIO at 8 months

Ok so my guys have NEVER consistantly STTN. My self and DH are getting a little on edge about the whole thing. I get up with them because DH works all day (although I consider that I also work all day trying to keep up with these two!). they both go down GREAT between 8-9 depending on their last nap. Gavin wakes up between 12:30 and 2 and Landon wakes up normally between 2-3 although last night he woke up for the 1st time at 4:00. THen they are both up for the day at about 6ish. When they wake up they both eat about 4-5 oz. and go right back to sleep. They are both on solids, we have tried everything with that (oatmeal at night etc.). I have tried to have them CIO out but I give in after a few hours of them crying ( I just get too tired). I have also tried to go in rub their back every 15 mins to calm them down, but this just seems to make it worse. Do you think that they need that bottle at night? I'm ready for a night of sleep anyone have any thoughts??? HELP. Does it really work if you just let them CIO all night???? If so, how many weeks, days are we talking?
THanks for all your help

 

:hug99: Mine didn't STTN until 8 months so I feel your pain. Have you tried a dream feed before you go to bed? We did that with the girls for awhile. Between 10pm and midnight, we fed the girls and went to bed. They didn't even really wake up while drinking. Once they stopped taking that bottle we knew they'd be able to sleep through. Do you kiddos use paci's or suck their thumbs? Do they fall asleep on their own at bedtime and during naps (so are they able to self-sooth)? Major :hug99: and I hope you figure this out.

 

Have you thought about trying to put them to bed earlier? If they are sleeping from 9 pm - 6 am that's only 9 hours and that's not even a straight 9 hours of sleep. Maybe if you made their bed time earlier, even if you moved it to between 7 - 8 it would help. My babies have a window of time that's optimal for me to put them to bed (for us it's 5:30 - 6:30) and if I have them up any later than that they will be up and down all night.

I let my girls CIO but it never has lasted more than 45 minutes, I don't know if I could handle it if it was for hours on end! I know that's got to be hard on you. I can't think of any suggestions other than the earlier bed time...if their natural wake up time is 6 am then I'd try to get them to sleep closer to 7 pm, I know it sounds crazy but it works for some babies.

Just a thought, I hope they start sleeping!

 

I feel your pain. We did CIO/Ferber with our babies at 8 months. 8 months without a good nights sleep is way too long.

I agree that moving the bedtime earlier may help them sleep better throughout the night. If mine stay up too late, they wake up several times in the night and they wake up earlier than usual in the morning.

Do you have a bedtime routine for them? If so, try starting it 15 minutes earlier, and every few days, move it earlier by 15 minutes. You should be able to fine the optimal time for them to fall asleep by doing this.

I don't think they "need" to eat at night anymore. I think they're just eating out of habit. When we did CIO, we put them down for the night using our usual routine. If they cried then or throughout the night, we checked on them first at 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, then 20 minutes for the first night. The second night we waited 15, then 20, then 25 minutes. The third, 20, then 25, then 30. Etc. When we checked on them, we would walk in to the nurery and pat or rub their backs for 1-2 minutes only. We didn't pick them up or talk to them. On the first night, the longest period of crying was 45 minutes. If your babies are crying for hours, I don't know if that process will work for you.

Maybe you can try cutting back the amount in their bottles at night? Like go from 5 oz to 4 oz for a few days, then to 3 oz, etc. By the time they're down to just an ounce or two, they might just sttn. Or, they'll at least be able to CIO without being dependent on the bottle.

 

They just might still need that bottle at night. Mine did not STTN until 9 months old and at 8 months they were waking probably around 3am for a bottle and then back to bed until 6 or so. I also agree with Aimee in that I would try putting them to bed a bit earlier. At that age ours were going to bed at 5:30 because they just could not stay awake a minute longer.

 

My DD did not STTN till 9 1/2 months old. She still occasionally wakes and we give her a bottle. She is 10 mo. old now.

 

I look foward to the responses. We are going to do CIO soon, but I'm scared. Because I am a wimp and I know it, I'm thinking of starting by not feeding between 11pm-3am and increasing the times after a few says.

How many naps do they take and when do they wake from their last nap? What time is their last feeding?

 

My boys are a bit younger than yours (7 1/2 months). They have been sleeping from 7-7 since they were about 3 1/2 months old. It will be a bit tough doing CIO now that they are a bit older but it is so important for them and for you for them to learn how to sooth themselves back to sleep when they wake up during the night.

Here's our schedule. It may work best for you to gradually change your schedule to this one if it will work for your babies & family. I got most of this from one of the popular sleep books (don't remember which one)

7:00 - bottle, cereal & fruit-- sometimes the boys wake up between 6 & 6:30 and as long as they aren't screaming I let them play in their cribs for a while. I think it took my older son a while to sleep through the night because I went to him instantly after any little peep. If they aren't crying because they are starving & are just jabbering to themselves let them stay there for a little bit

7:30-9 let them play & wear themselves out
9:00- nap, usually for an hour or so
between 11:00 & 11:30 - lunch bottle, veggies, fruit
more playtime
between 12:30 & 1:00- nap time, this is normally their longer nap and the last nap of the day
3:00 (or whenever they wake up)- bottle
**they do get cranky during this time but I have found they sleep SO much better at night when they don't have a 3rd nap, it seems to help my babies with their crankiness to be outside during this time for a little while

5:30 or 6- dinner- bottle, veggies, meat
7- bedtime - we have a routine for bedtime where I sing lullabies to them and rub their back while they are in their cribs. I always sing them the same song & I've noticed when they get fussy during the day if I sing them that song they relax right away

GOOD LUCK!! My boys do wake up occasionally during the night and will whimper for a couple minutes but I do not go to them unless it's a shrill scream (like they are in pain) or if they cry for more than 5 or 10 minutes.

 

Ok so here is our day.........Am I doing something wrong and that is why they are not sleeping....
6:30 wake
7:30 breakfast, cereal, fruit and cheerios
play until about they they get a bottle 8:30ish or 9
nap from 9- 10:30ish
play until lunch of a small snack and bottle 11:00
Play until about bottle 1:30 or 2
Nap 1:30-3
Play until 4:30 dinner at 4:45
play until about 6:00 bottle- daddy time from 6:30-7:30
7:30 bath, book, bottle bed around 8-8:30
Last night they went to bed around 7:45 woke up at 3:00 for a bottle back to bed until 6:30

 

Thanks for everyones input, I think I'll try to move up their bed time.....but I hate to cut into their daddy time (he doesn't get home until 6:30 ish----and that is a good day)

 

Uhhh it's so hard to know when the night feeding is a necessity or just becoming habit. I talked to my Dr. about it when the boys were about 7.5 months and told her how much they were eating a day, etc. they were still getting up at night (moreso Carter, Alex was pretty good about sleeping) she advised me that they didn't need it and it was just a habit. We tried CIO and it was a disaster... I couldn't take it and gave in... Gave it a few more weeks and just couldn't do the nights anymore...it was killing me! So we gave it another try... The first few nights we awful! Carter cried off and on for 3 hours.. it was torture... the second night was very similar and by the third night it was much shorter and maybe by the fourth night he only cried for about 10 min and from then on slept through! My Dr. said you really have to give it a solid week... it sounds like torture and I swear it is! Hearing your baby cry is so hard and especially knowing all you have to do is give him a bottle and it will get better... My Dr. said that sleep is a learned habit and they need to learn how to sleep through... Best of Luck to you!! I know it's hard!

 

QUOTE(christydec19 @ Jul 22 2008, 11:58 AM) [snapback]888724[/snapback]
Last night they went to bed around 7:45 woke up at 3:00 for a bottle back to bed until 6:30


I think that is pretty darn good

 

First you are not doing something wrong, you are doing what you think is right. My boys are 9 months old and vary in size, one is 75th percentile unadjusted the other in the less than 5%. That being said we just talked to our pediatrician and he said they could sleep 12 + hours unfed, it is just habit. I agree with PP putting them to bed early may help, mine go down by 6:30pm and I usually wake them at 6:30 am for the day. here is their typical schedule...

6:30am wake up and go to daycare
7-7:30 breakfast (cereal or waffle and a bottle)
7-9 playtime
9 - 10:30or a good day 11:30 nap time
10:30 (whenever they wake up) - 1:00 playtime
1:00 lunch (Solids plus bottle)
1:30 - 3:00 or so naptime
3:00 - 5:30 playtime, day care pick up
5:30 dinner (Solids)
5:30 -6:15 playtime
6:15 bedtime routine
6:30 bedtime bottle ( I add a little cereal to my smaller son's bottle)
STTN

It has been a lot of work getting them here and a week ago I still had a 4am bottle. But at their 9 month appt our pedi told me to cut it out. Buy ear plugs and tell DH to help by listening and checking on them. So you can sleep and be buffered from the cries.

Good Luck

 

QUOTE(christydec19 @ Jul 22 2008, 06:58 AM) [snapback]888724[/snapback]
Ok so here is our day.........Am I doing something wrong and that is why they are not sleeping....
6:30 wake
7:30 breakfast, cereal, fruit and cheerios
play until about they they get a bottle 8:30ish or 9
nap from 9- 10:30ish
play until lunch of a small snack and bottle 11:00
Play until about bottle 1:30 or 2
Nap 1:30-3
Play until 4:30 dinner at 4:45
play until about 6:00 bottle- daddy time from 6:30-7:30
7:30 bath, book, bottle bed around 8-8:30
Last night they went to bed around 7:45 woke up at 3:00 for a bottle back to bed until 6:30


Just an idea... could daddy time be their bedtime routine? It seems like from this schedule, that they're ready to wind down and get ready for bed when daddy time starts. That probably gives them a second wind right when they're ready for sleep. Although it sounds like last night was a good night. You might not need to change their bedtime if they go down around 7:30.

I think you can take the CIO approach in two different ways. 1) Cold turkey--no more nighttime feedings and no more soothing to sleep. You can go in and check on them using the increasing intervals, or you can just ignore the cries completely. Since you said you're weak, it might be easier to check on them as long as you trust yourself not to pick them up. If you pick them up, they just cried for no reason, because you're not letting them go to sleep on their own. 2) Continue as you've been doing but decrease the amount in the nighttime bottle by an oz every few days. Once they've cut out that feeding, then do the CIO.

You are doing nothing wrong! It sounds like they actually are great sleepers. They've just gotten into a habit of needing you at night.