6 month old won't sleep more than two hours at night

amother

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 10:28 am

My 6 month old baby was never the greatest sleeper but the past week or so he's refusing to sleep more than ~2 hours at night. He can (sometimes) be nursed back to sleep, but not always. Last night we tried letting him cry it out - at half an hour, he showed no signs of stopping so I finally caved and nursed him. Dh and I are both exhausted. I don't know what, if anything, we can do other than wait.. but if anyone has any advice, please feel free to share. We haven't changed his bedtime routine (bath books, bottle, song) and he's not teething yet.

amother

Salmon

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 10:31 am

Does he have a cold? Maybe his ears are bothering him? And he can definitely be teething, even if you're not noticing signs of a tooth yet.

gootlfriends

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 10:31 am

How much is he napping during the day and how close to bedtime. Also, sometimes when they are learning a new skill they struggle to sleep. When my kids are learning to crawl or stand up for example they wake up to practice. Make sure he is getting stimulated during the day, make a more calm environment within 2 hours before bed.

amother

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 10:37 am

amother Salmon wrote:

Does he have a cold? Maybe his ears are bothering him? And he can definitely be teething, even if you're not noticing signs of a tooth yet.

It's possible he might have a cold - we've been cleaning his nose out and noticing more sneezes lately. He doesn't seem bothered by any of this during the day. Is there a way to handle this other than just wait it out?

amother

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 10:41 am

gootlfriends wrote:

He takes three naps a day. They last about an hour on average, although sometimes he won't sleep for more than 20 minutes or so. The last one usually ends ~5pm and then we start bedtime routine ~7.

It's possible that we're not taking him outside and for walks enough lately -DH and I have both been sick lately (but nothing contagious the baby could have caught)so we've really both been in survival mode.

amother

Salmon

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 10:43 am

amother OP wrote:

A cold may make it harder to sleep long stretches. Try lifting the head of his mattress a bit.

amother

Orange

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 10:46 am

amother OP wrote:

Try consolidating down to 2 naps a day with 3hr wake windows. How does he go to sleep for naps or for his first stretch at night?

icedcoffee

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 10:47 am

So sorry, that sounds really rough Sad

I haven't experienced anything like only 2 hours, but one thing that's helped my baby sleep longer and deeper in general is getting him REALLY tired before bedtime. We do a lot of tummy time which wears them out, and I keep him awake for around 2.5 hours whereas his typical wake window during the day is only 90 minutes or so.

tichellady

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 10:47 am

sleep train him. you have to be consistent or it's not fair to him. a half hour of crying is normal. it may take a few nights and then he should be sleeping much better. decide if you still want to nurse at night or not. have a lot of clarity to your plan before you start the process so you don't have to make decisions while sleepy. I like the book "the happy sleeper" for a clear sleep training plan

amother

Lemonlime

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 10:54 am

tichellady wrote:

No, don’t sleep train him. Making a baby cry for a half hour when they have a cold is cruel. Try to nurse him back to sleep and don’t stimulate him so he goes right back to sleep.

icedcoffee

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 11:10 am

I wouldn't sleep train him if he's sick because that can throw things off, and they do need more hydration, but sleep training in general has been incredible for us. I had the world's worst sleeper. He easily woke up 8-10 times a night and I would nurse him back every single time. After 1 or 2 nights of training, he only wakes up once, maybe twice now. It's good for you, of course, but it's also so beneficial for the baby to learn that they can get themselves to sleep and not need to depend on someone else.

workout geek

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 11:13 am

If he has a cold are you sure he doesn't have an ear infection. That cab really disturb sleep especially at night.

amother

Begonia

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 11:15 am

Been there, OP. Don't remember what actually worked, too sleep deprived Can't Believe It

I would definitely lengthen his last wake window, though. Do you have a humidifier or diffuser? I have a combo one and the combination of the steam and an essential oil can be really helpful for colds. Though I don't remember (again sleep deprivation;) if the oils are safe for that age, you can Google it. They also sell a Vicks rub for babies that can help. But if it is teething or a developmental leap, just gotta wait it out yeah...you can try letting baby sleep in your bed and see if it helps. It doesn't ruin anything if it's just short term. Hope it settles down soon!

amother

Forsythia

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 11:17 am

Put him in his crib at bedtime 630/ 7
Close door, DO NOT OPEN DOOR
Don't go back to him till 7am.

Don't worry he'll figure it out

(I'm kidding I would never do this but plenty mothers will )

amother

Lemonlime

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 11:54 am

amother Forsythia wrote:

Put him in his crib at bedtime 630/ 7
Close door, DO NOT OPEN DOOR
Don't go back to him till 7am.

Don't worry he'll figure it out

(I'm kidding I would never do this but plenty mothers will )

Any mother who does this; is at best neglectful and at worst abusive. Poor baby!

tichellady

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 12:30 pm

amother Lemonlime wrote:

No, don’t sleep train him. Making a baby cry for a half hour when they have a cold is cruel. Try to nurse him back to sleep and don’t stimulate him so he goes right back to sleep.

who said he has a cold? the op doesn't seem to think he's sick. obviously you don't start sleep training a sick child

amother

Lemonlime

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 12:34 pm

Op wrote it’s possible he might have a cold. Colds can bother you much more during the night then by day. Also hydration is key when your under the weather.

tichellady

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 12:46 pm

amother Lemonlime wrote:

Op wrote it’s possible he might have a cold. Colds can bother you much more during the night then by day. Also hydration is key when your under the weather.

either he has a cold or he doesn't. if she's not sure if he has a cold or not then doesn't seem like he has a cold. it's very obvious when babies are sick

amother

Lemonlime

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 12:52 pm

tichellady wrote:

either he has a cold or he doesn't. if she's not sure if he has a cold or not then doesn't seem like he has a cold. it's very obvious when babies are sick

Cold or no cold, having a baby CIO isn’t cool on any level. It’s really not great parenting:(

amother

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 1:08 pm

amother Lemonlime wrote:

Cold or no cold, having a baby CIO isn’t cool on any level. It’s really not great parenting:(

I don't think he has a cold. His disposition during the day is fine, he's very smiley and happy most of the time. He sneezes a few times a day and we use the NoseFrida on him maybe every other day.

When I say "cry it out", I mean we took turns holding him, soothing him, reading stories for half an hour until we finally decided to let him nurse.

Thanks for calling me a "not great" parent though. Crying