Sleeping through the night help!

So after 6.5 months of broken sleep we really have to do something about DD's sleeps! She settles really well for her naps and at night, BUT then she is up every 2 hours, 3 hours if we are lucky. At the moment she is in a sleeping bag, arms wrapped and in a safety sleep with a dummy. (We tried leaving her unwrapped but she just had a lot of trouble settling - she kept pulling her dummy out and playing with it and then getting really worked up. Socks on her hands did the trick for a bit but after a while she got the hang of getting dummy out even with the socks). When she wakes up around 10pm we feed her, but then she just seems to want her dummy. So we are up replugging her all night, and sometimes even then it doesn't work - she spits it out and then we can be up every 10-20 mins. She is not hungry, because when we offer her a bottle she drinks a bit and then spits it out. I am so tired I can't really think straight about what to do from here and how to get her to sleep through.

She is in a good routine during the day, the night time routine has been the same from day one and she settles really really well. Oh, and my two kids are sharing a room.

So any thoughts and advice would be much appreciated!

Oh specialk I'm with you! My dd sounds almost exactly the same ( except we don't wrap) but we have a dummy and last night I was up 6 times from 11pm to 6:30!

We have just gotten into a habit if feeding her when she wakes at 3:30am in the hope that she would then sleep through until 7, but that doesn't seem to be working!

I don't mind getting up once to feed her but am struggling with the constant wake ups! Dh is now away for the best part of a month or two so I just can't cope anymore!

We are away next week so once we are back the dummy is going! Looking forward to reading any suggestions before then.

Off to check out the sleepstore now...

Oh dear... I wish I had an answer for you. My DS is only 3months but plunket tell me that at his size (8kgs) he should be able to sleep through and we are usually up about 4 times between 12 and 6am. Not sure what to do either as he self-settles really well during the day. Currently swaddling one arm and applying pacifier as required. I have started daydreaming about nightdreaming!

People say they grow out of it one day!

Can your partner help? I.e. can you sleep somewhere else so you don't hear any crying and your partner could take care of her one night to give you a decent sleep?

To stop Alex waking up like that I roll his blankie up and wedge it against his dummy so that the dummy stays in. And I put a handful of the other end of the blankie in his hand. He holds onto that and the dummy doesn't come out so he doesn't wake. If DH puts him down and forgets to do that he does the same thing of waking up

I second the suggestions above, ditch the dummy and maybe the swaddle as well and use the verbal reassurance technique. A few hard nights but I'm sure you'll see huge improvements qiuckly as long as you are consistant.

(We did VR with our girls at 5.5 months and ditched the swaddle at the same time - it worked quickly & effectively and they were much happier not being swaddled by then)

Edited by Danda08

As hard as it will be you have to get rid of the dummy. If you are having to get up to replug then it just aint working. It may be a few weeks of painful nights but then he will have learned how to sleep and settle without it and you shouldn't have to get up regularly again.

I got to this point at about the same time as you and tackled DS2's sleeps and within 2 weeks he was sleeping through every single night. He is now 14-15 months and almost never wakes - could count on one hand how often he has needed us to resettle him since then.

Whichever method you choose to sleep train is really up your own parenting style and maybe your child's personality. There are so many out there, pick one you feel suits you and be super consistent with it. Choose a good time when your partner can help out and you've got nothing much on the calendar and just sort it. Before you know it your wee man will be sleeping through and you'll be rested and a happy mama.

That 79% not sleeping through stat is crazy, most babes i personally know have slept through by that stage if the parents are willing to work them to get it. If you're happy to get up in the night indefinitely then that's a different situation. I think most babies are capable of it, but need some help.

Yep thanks guys. Am thinking you are right and it is time to tackle the dummy..

We are away next week but as soon as we are home it's going!

Arghh it is making me nervous already but I know it has to be done...just remind me after she has her one good night for the week that it will not last lol...

Further to this, I am now doing controlled crying at night! Only one night so far but I am hopeful! DS resettled alone after about 45mins of on-off crying (never for more than 10mins at a time).

Will post back my progress in a couple of days.

Really truly Emmi. Out of DS1 coffee group about 4 sttn by 4 months spontaneously, and the rest (5) bar one before 7 months. The one that wasn't was co-sleeping and so feeding in the night till about 1 1/2.

Out of other friends i'd say 50% sttn around 3-4 months spontaneously (mostly those with easy babies with good daytime routines) and the others seemed to do it at about 6-7 months. 2 of my (very lucky) friends had babes that sttn at 6-7 weeks.

The ones that weren't were usually co-sleeping, were happy to feed in the night, or mums getting up to replug the dummy.

I used to work as a neonatal nanny in the UK and do feel that most babies with a good routine to make sure they are getting those calories in by day and having appropriate wake and nap times can sttn - if they are taught to sleep without needing props. As a mum i have used every prop known to man so totally understand why we use them (and are so scared to ditch them) but honestly believe that we don't always do ourselves or our bubs any favours by hanging onto them past their useful point. Just my really honest opinion tho!!!!

It's just so hard to see the sense of it when you're tired and desperate for some sleep...any sleep!!

It's totally normal for babies to wake every 2 hours or so through the night at that age. They just don't have mature sleep patterns yet and it takes most kids a few years to develop that. I don't really think there's anything much you can do to make them sleep through until they're ready (besides the obvious, like making sure they are fed, dry, warm, comfortable, not in pain). Some mums are just lucky and have babies that sleep through from a young age but they are the minority. MANY children still wake in the night until age 2-3 or older. From my experience, it's easier if you can just accept it, because fighting it just makes you angry and resentful. You will probably find her sleep will just gradually improve no matter what you do. You go through bad times, it gets better a while, then they get a cold or start cutting a tooth and it's back to sleepless nights, then starts getting better again.
It doesn't suit everyone, but I have the best sleeps when I co-sleep.