Sleeping through the night - midnight feedings

[mysticalroses]

My son is now 8 months old and is still going to sleep at 9:30 - 10pm. He wakes up about 9am. I cannot seem to get him to sleep any earlier, and when I try to, he wakes up continually through the night. How do I change this??

Also, I'm wondering about night feedings. Evan wakes up about 1 to 2 times a night for a feeding. It is getting very tiring for me because it could be anywhere from 2am to about 5:30am that the first feeding is. If he wakes up between 4 and 5, he normally won't wake again till morning, but if he wakes at 2 or 3, he will be awake again at 6 or 7. Is this normal? Is it normal for babies to still wake up at night for feedings at this age? What can I do to change this so he is sleeping through the night?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I need a full nights sleep desperately. I'm a single parent so I can't even get a significant other to take over some nights. Please help!

[auzziekat]

Hi,
So sorry for the late reply. First I need to ask you a few questions:
1. Does your baby get any solid food?
2. If so how many feeds and what foods is he eating?
3. How many bottles does he have per day and how many ounces?
4. How many naps and for how long does he have during the day?
If you can answer these questions then I will definatley be able to help you.
Thanks
Kathy

[mysticalroses]

1. Yes he eats solid food.
2. On a normal day he will have 4 meals. I feed him his last meal with the hour of putting him to bed.
He eats pablum, various baby foods (fruits, veggies, meats), and I will blend up dinner for him to feed him his meals. He's had pasta, chicken, salmon (fish), beef, etc. He also eats mashed potatoes.
3. He has 5 - 6 bottles of formula (Nestle Good Start 0-12 months) a day. It totals about 28 - 32 oz a day I believe.
4. He normally has 2 naps a day now. The total nap time is about 3 hrs. The first is about 1 - 1.5 hrs and the second, 1.5 - 2 hrs.

[auzziekat]

Hi,
Ok the only problem that I can see from what you have told me is that he should be having 4 bottles per day, basically every 4 hrs during the day, so let's say for eg he wakes at 7am:
7am Bottle (8oz)then solid food
11am Bottle (8oz)
12pm Lunch
3pm Bottle (8oz)
6pm Solid Food
7pm bottle (8oz) then bed
If he continues to wake up after this change, if it just habitual and I would start by letting him cruy for 10minutes before going into him, then when you go in just pat his bottom and trhy to comfort him that way, if that doesnt work you may pick him up for no longer than 5minutes. hen leave the room, this time wait 15minutes and then go in and do the same thing, if he still is not asleep keep doing the 15minute wait until he is asleep, the first nigbt will be the worst, then the next night will be much better. I promise.
Thanks
Kathy

[glavin10]

What determines when twins can sleep together through the night. I have 2 7 week olds. Boy is 12 pounds, little girl is about 10 lbs.? I can't wait to sleep in the same bed as my husband once they sleep for 5 hours or so throught he night.

[auzziekat]

Hi,
There are three things that have to occur before any baby can sleep through the night, and what I mean by through the night is from 10pm-6am,
1. Must weigh between 12-15lbs
2. Must be at least six weeks old
3. Brain Maturation
Number 3 is the most imprtant because I have had three week old babies that only weigh 8lbs sleep through the night, the baby's brain must be mature enough for him/her to be able to handle sleeping for long strecthces.
Here are some things they may help you on the road:
1. Feed every three hours during the hours of 6am-10pm
2. Wake your baby to feed every three hours during the day
3.Get one size bigger diaper for use during the night and only change it if he/she poops after the 10pm feed.
4. When your baby wakes after say 3hrs during the night, try giving him/her a pacifier, sometimes baby's wake up not to eat but because they are in a light sleep, they may not even need to eat.
Hope this helps
Kathy