8 Mo Old Doesn't Sleep At Night And Is Awake All Day

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8 Mo Old Doesn't Sleep At Night And Is Awake All Day

by Jason
(San Atonio TX)

Our 8 month old baby wakes up every hour at night and sleeps very little at night. He is very cranky during the day and refuses to sleep even though he is obviously very tired. He used to sleep 10-12 hours at night. He did have horrible colic for the first 4-5 months, and now that that's over I thought he would get better, it seems like the colic has returned.

My wife and I rarely get any sleep when he's up all night and during the day its almost impossible to keep him entertained with one thing for more than 5-10 minutes. Also when he does get angry and start crying most of the time there is nothing you can do to sooth him, it sometimes will take 1-2 hours for him to calm down no matter what you do.

I almost believe he is refusing to sit up. We have tried all the exercises with him to build his muscles and he tries to sit up when he's laying down, but if you sit him up its like he has no interest in even trying to sit.I was just wondering if someone could help with a few words of wisdom.

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8 Mo Old Doesn't Sleep At Night And Is Awake All Day

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Jun 02, 2010

A few tips
by: Paula (Baby Help Line)

What a tough start for all of you, with many months of colic! And now your little son is giving you new challenges...

At around 7 to 9 months most babies go through several development stages. One is that they are on their way towards new skills, such as sitting up, standing up, or moving around one way or the other. While practicing, but not yet being able, they can be very cranky and frustrated.

In addition, during this period babies realize that they are separate persons from their moms. A very scary thought! So they develop separation anxiety that sometimes mean that they can't bear being left alone for even 5 seconds; day or night. This can be an very exhausting period for the parents, but it does pass! And faster if the child is allowed to stay close as much as possible, building up his security again.

So what to do as a parent?

Well, one thing is to try to have as much fun as possible with your baby. Since this is not a period when he will play on his own, try making the time together enjoyable. Play peek-a-boo, roll a ball, sing or let your baby try to imitate you while you make simple faces, put your hands in the air, clap your hands...

If in a safe environment; i.e. within a few inches from you, 8 month old babies often also love investigating new things. Let him try your kitchen tools or some new toys.

To help his sleep, take him outside as much as possible. Take him to a playground for stimulation. A swing with a high back is wonderful entertainment, and sitting in your lap in the sandbox feeling the sand in fun too.

Why not take a swim class for babies with him? Or go a pool together.

Regarding his sleep, you should try to find a routine with at least 2 naps per day. One before lunch and one in the afternoon. If you would take him outside after breakfast to play and then take a stroller walk back home at say 10 am, won't he fall asleep in the stroller? Most babies do when they are tired.

Same thing in the afternoon; a lot of stimulation, possibly outside, and then an afternoon nap.

Then in the evening a routine with a bath before bed is quite effective for many babies (just don't use any soap if you bathe him every day).

Don't expect him to sleep without disruption during this period. Many babies don't. Instead, consider co-sleeping if that improves his sleep. Also take turns. One parent sleeps with ear plugs and possibly in another room and the you switch the next night.

So in short; your son is developing, which is a good (but exhausting) thing. Don't fight his process, he really needs you right now. Let him be close and arrange your days to make it work that way. Within a few months this phase is over. Remember to have fun together and give him a lot of stimulation.

Paula

Sep 27, 2010

Similar Situation
by: Anonymous

I really feel for you. I am a single Mom by choice in a similar situation. My daughter is 8 1/2 months old and she has never been a good sleeper. When she was really young she slept pretty good, but around 2 1/2 - 3 months I had to feed / rock her to sleep, sometimes for more than an hour before she would go to sleep. I found swaddling was the only solution and even that only helped partially. While other parents were describing their babies sleeping through the night, or only getting up once, my daughter seemed to be getting up more and more (every 1 - 1 1/2 hours after initial few hours of sleep at night). When she started on solids things improved. Sweet potatos were my new best friend. My daughter started only waking up once a night, then she actually slept through the night once. I was just settling in to getting some more sleep when she started teething and now four teeth later we are back where we started with her up four or five times some nights, won't go back to sleep in the early morning (3- 4 am) and hardly naps during the day. AS a result she can be really fussy during the day because she is overtired.

I don't have a lot of advice other than to say:
1) watch for any signs that your baby is sleepy and as soon as you see a sign (e.g. rubbing eyes), don't ignore it, try to put your child down,

2) don't be pressured to let the baby cry it out, or have a really strict routine, stick with whatever you are comfortable with and works for you; and

3) sleep when the baby sleeps as much as possible. Remember are not alone, there are others out there dealing with similar issues and I am sure this is a stage that will pass.

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