i need to hear that other DC wake up in the middle of the night still (>8mo)

[Anonymous]

Mine started STTN just before 11 months but there's no way he sleeps more than 10 hours. So I hear these moms saying their DC sleep 12 hours and have the same wake up every day, etc etc. and they assume all other babies do or can, it's pretty annoying. For a good part of the first year, he was up at least 3 times a night, for various reasons. And even when he started STTN, teething came back (4 canines at once) + colds and for about a month he was waking up once and taking forever to get back to sleep. Then, without any different action from us, he resumed STTN.

[Anonymous]

We were there until two weeks ago when we had to just let him cry himself back to sleep. At pediatrician's advice, b/c I was literally going crazy and with sleep deprivation (had started therapy when I realized I was at risk of losing my job over mistakes I was making). Took two nights. Now I hear him wake up a bit, but he settles himself right back down to sleep. It was really, really hard to do, but we're all a lot happier now, although I have a lot of ground to make up at work to get my reputation back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am tired of hearing from other people that their 4 mo sleeps through the night, and has since 2 mo. And yes, they mean 10+ hours straight. And no, they are not lying, I'm almost certain. I would venture to say almost all of my friends with children less than a year old somehow have perfect sleepers. They giggle themselves to sleep and wake up 12 hours later.

DD is 9mo. We've had ups and downs in her sleep. She has never giggled herself to sleep (more like fussed, on a -good- night) and doesnt currently STTN. She HAS slept through the night, many times, but then she teethes again and it flies out the window. We are currently down to one night feeding and this is dramatic improvement from just a few weeks ago (one night about a month ago she was up 8 times!). She can go to sleep for bed and naps by herself, but will NOT go back to sleep after a night wake up unless she is nursed. We've tried. And it's turned into 3 hour ordeals that will only end once I go in and nurse her. So, it is just easier to nurse her when she gets up.

I guess I'm not really looking for advice. DD seems to fix the night wake ups on her own when she's ready (she's gotten down to STTN by herself a few times now). I just need to hear I'm not the only one still getting up with DD in the middle of the night now.

I really think the vast majority of kids figure out the sleep thing with minimal guidance in the first 3-4 months, but for some unknown reason a smaller percentage of kids take longer or need some kind of sleep training. So I don't think your friends are lying. I think that being on this board, reading all the books, etc. gives you this idea that all kids are tough sleepers, so when it happens to you it is frustrating to find out that not everyone has the same problem.

[Anonymous]

My 8 mo always wakes up between 3:30-4:30 hungry and we take her into bed so I can nurse her. I don't find it an issue, so I consider 7:30 or 8 until she awakens to be "STTN" but really she's not, I guess.

So I'm there with you too.

[Anonymous]

My 9 mo old still wakes up 2 or 3 times a night. And, at least one of those times, she will not go back down unless we feed her. She has only slept through the night once. And even then, she called out a couple times but fell back to sleep on her own. Last night she woke at 12:30, I soothed, got back in bed, 20 minutes later back up, all pacifiers on the floor soothed, back in bed 20 minutes later crying again, fed her, back to sleep from about 2 am - 6am. At 6am, soothed, back asleep until 7:15. This was actually not a bad night for us. sigh.

[Anonymous]

My som took until 18 months to sleek thru night

[Anonymous]

Yes, my DC wakes up in the middle of the night. They ALL do. Babies (and adults for that matter) do not sleep continuously without ever waking up, that's not how sleep cycles work. But, DS goes back to sleep on his own and has reliably by 6 months. I have one of those who goes down for 12 hours--he's not fully asleep all that time. I hear him coo or make noise between sleep cycles but he rolls over and goes back to sleep. If I'd taught him that I'd come in and play or rock him or whatever throughout the night, he'd have gladly taken me up on it. After 5 months, I just wasn't cool with that. If you are, good for you. I'd rather have my situation.

[Anonymous]

22 months. Still wakes up to BF and demands it again in early a.m. Argh. W share a room with her so she knows I am right there. She coughs, makes a few noises, and then starts crying if we aren't quick enough.
I think babies wake up and if they have their own room, with no parent responding, they are quicker to go back to sleep.

[Anonymous]

Right there with you, OP. We now consider 1 wake up at 4am for a diaper change and a bottle to be "sleeping through the night"...its all relative!! My DS actually did STTN at 3-4 months but stopped when I went back to work. Its frustrating but its just a phase, a small slice of their lives...that's my mantra!! I know we could just ignore DS and he'd go back to sleep, we've done it before, but I really don't mind that much...compared to waking up every 2 hours, once a night is great!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When people tell you that, they are lying. Or, exagerating. A coworker of mine was telling everyone about how her DD STTN and what a great sleeper she was....until one day she came into my office in tears telling me that her daughter was was waking up in the night, but she felt like a bad parent adminting to it.

Weird....but true.

My DD STTN off and on. She'll have periods where she wakes up 2-3 times a night and then she STTN consistently. I just figure, eventually she'll figure it out and I'm not going to stress about it. THe people who care to ask are either people whose kids are also not sleeping or people who are just asking to be nice.

If it makes you feel better to tell yourself this, OP, go for it. But I promise you that my 13-month-old sleeps reliably for 11-12 hours a night and has since 3 months. In the past 10 months there have been maybe 3 times he has woken up and each time we've gotten him back to sleep within 10 minutes. Even when he is sick. I'm not trying to brag because I know it has nothing to do with anything I did, and I know how much it sucks for parents who are struggling with sleep. But don't assume that just because it's not your experience that people are lying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, my DC wakes up in the middle of the night. They ALL do. Babies (and adults for that matter) do not sleep continuously without ever waking up, that's not how sleep cycles work. But, DS goes back to sleep on his own and has reliably by 6 months. I have one of those who goes down for 12 hours--he's not fully asleep all that time. I hear him coo or make noise between sleep cycles but he rolls over and goes back to sleep. If I'd taught him that I'd come in and play or rock him or whatever throughout the night, he'd have gladly taken me up on it. After 5 months, I just wasn't cool with that. If you are, good for you. I'd rather have my situation.

Well aren't you just the Mother of the Year!

[Anonymous]

11.5 months and I'm still waiting. She has never STTN with me. She did once while away with my family from 8p-5a and they'd spent the entire day in the pool. Waking 2x a night is a good night for us. 4-6x is about the norm. I remind my friends of this who compare their kids to DD who hit all her milestones earlier. Grass aint greener!

Anyway, I am weaning her completely by year's end as a result. We'd have gone til 18 months at least if she was a better sleeper.

[Anonymous]

one kid at 9 months and the other kid not until I weaned at 12 months. I was ok with it and they eventually STTN on their own timing.

[Anonymous]

Could the people who'd babies slept wonderfully at 5 months or younger please exit this thread? No offense, but those of us with awful sleepers have heard quite enough from you already. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Definitely not alone.

DD didn't STTN until 18 months.

DS was a dream sleeper until 6 months. Now, at almost 9 months, he wakes up every 2 hours consistently.