https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 26 Apr 2026 07:53:11 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2350909 Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:02:59 +0000 LindsayInNY 2350909@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@macintosh: My two cents from a 4 1/2 month old perspective... I would try adding more feeds in during the day - roughly every 3ish hours. That might help. When I was home, I tried a EASY sort of approach, feeding her after she woke up. Now with daycare, who knows... My LO goes to bed around 8:30ish, give or take. Just how it is. I pick her up at daycare around 6:30 and she gets a cat nap on the way home. Nothing I can do about that. So she sleeps roughly 8:30 to 6:30 each night. I would love for her to sleep longer but it just isn't possible. As for BFing, I nurse when we get home around 7ish and again to put her to sleep to "top" her off. Maybe try that before bed? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2346748 Fri, 06 Nov 2015 11:04:08 +0000 MRSJX3 2346748@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it looks like bedtime might be too late. At that point, baby might be overtired. I'm a firm believer that sleep begets sleep. Good luck!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2346588 Fri, 06 Nov 2015 09:42:35 +0000 jetsa 2346588@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd also move the last feeding closer to bed time. He's going 6 hours between feeds that's about C's maximum right now too but is totally child-dependent. I put C down to bed at night and she fusses and whines but doesn't cry. I used to nurse to sleep but transfers were becoming so hard and I knew from my first that I needed to break that habit. J did not sleep through the night until almost a year and it took CIO to get there but it allowed us as parents to learn the difference between crying because he was annoyed and crying because he needs something heck as a toddler we still have nights where he needs to scream and let off some steam before he goes to bed, it was for a long time his only form of communication </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2346584 Fri, 06 Nov 2015 09:41:17 +0000 macintosh 2346584@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2346560 Fri, 06 Nov 2015 09:19:45 +0000 blackbird 2346560@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@macintosh: nights are easier than naps! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2346556 Fri, 06 Nov 2015 09:14:11 +0000 macintosh 2346556@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: oh boy, I'm terrified to try, but I know you're right. Whenever he wakes during the transfer, he seems to be wide awake. If I leave him to chill in the crib after that, he usually starts crying pretty quick, sometimes before I'm out the door. Would you start with naps or with bedtime? He is finally napping properly and I'm afraid of him missing a nap completely.</p> <p>I'm also struggling with fitting in feedings. Between longer naps, spaced out awake times, and a baby who is too busy to nurse and only takes a few ounces from each bottle, I don't know how I'll fit in more daytime formula. :bummed: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2346495 Fri, 06 Nov 2015 07:56:09 +0000 blackbird 2346495@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@macintosh: There are lots of gentler techniques out there to facilitate the transition. But I think if you keep rocking or nursing him to a dead sleep, then transferring him, it'll get worse as he gets older. You can try just rocking or nursing him a little less every day so he's a little less asleep. When I started working on this with T, he mostly just whined and fussed for about 5-10 min. He never really cried for going down for the night. I also used a soother in his crib and I think the blue lights are soothing because often, I would turn it on and he would fall asleep to it (my first did this, too). Either way, realize you're on an unsustainable path, my friend! You need some rest!</p> <p>He might need more day food, too? I know the one day DH missed one of T's bottles while I was gone, he was up a TON to nurse that night. The next day, I figured it out! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2346406 Fri, 06 Nov 2015 00:35:47 +0000 sapphire 2346406@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Four feeds during the day is probably not enough. Babe is also going to bed 3 hours after last meal which might be why he is waking up hungry. I'd try to get one more feed in before bed while focusing on dropping that 11pm feed. first. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2346404 Fri, 06 Nov 2015 00:31:26 +0000 MrsB2012 2346404@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You mentioned you're feeding him solids at 7pm and then putting him to bed at 8pm. I would personally move the solids earlier, like 5pm. If I eat a big meal right before bed, I have troubles sleeping, and babies can be the same way. I'd try seeing if feeding the solids earlier in the evening, and then offering formula/nurse closer to bed time helps.<br /> weebeedreaming.com has some good tips to help with night time feeds :) It was my lifesaver with #1 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2346382 Thu, 05 Nov 2015 23:34:47 +0000 macintosh 2346382@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: what technique do you suggest? I don't have the stomach for CIO and I doubt it would work on him. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2346369 Thu, 05 Nov 2015 22:56:39 +0000 blackbird 2346369@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would tackle getting him to sleep drowsy but awake. Sounds like he has a sleep association. And I agree he probably doesn't need the 11pm feeding </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2346362 Thu, 05 Nov 2015 22:37:05 +0000 macintosh 2346362@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gentlelunette: haha I wish he would go down awake! I definitely lay him down asleep. That's progress for us, there was one point where I couldn't lay him down at all! I'm not even so worried about him waking up, it's the long process of bottle feeding in the MOTN and how long it takes him to settle back down. He acts like he's actually hungry. Having to get up and get a bottle defeats the purpose of cosleeping.</p> <p>@Littlebit7: yikes, that's early! I could try moving bedtime up to 7, but with work and DH it would be hard. Our bathroom is right next to the nursery, and DH (disabled, wheelchair user) takes a nightly shower before dinner. He needs my help and I fear that the noise would wake up DS. I also have trouble fitting everything in after his last nap, between bottle feeding, DH's shower, making dinner and feeding solids, our evening is packed! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2346332 Thu, 05 Nov 2015 21:59:58 +0000 Littlebit7 2346332@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've found the magic bedtime for us (7 months) is two hours after waking from the last nap. Yes sometimes that means 5:45 like today (crap naps). Your schedule otherwise looks good. Our LO wakes earlier if she is overtired. Feeding her at 4:30 or 5 has made a HUGE difference (oatmeal with avocado). We have gone from 1-2 am wake up to 4:30 or 5 am on the nights we feed her.<br /> Maybe try the crib in your room, but moving it further away each night? I swear they smell us and it wakes the </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2346320 Thu, 05 Nov 2015 21:48:15 +0000 gentlelunette 2346320@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Does he go down awake, or are you putting him down already asleep? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2346315 Thu, 05 Nov 2015 21:41:22 +0000 macintosh 2346315@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@cam: he does stay in bed with us. I do love having him there, but I'm kind of fighting the feeling that he "should" sleep in his crib. I keep hoping in some way that he'll suddenly sleep through, or later than 11 pm. What I don't love about cosleeping is all the wake-ups, but I think he's hitting separation anxiety so I don't think he's ready to be alone all night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2346288 Thu, 05 Nov 2015 21:20:23 +0000 cam 2346288@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Does he stay in bed with you after 11 or go back in the crib? If you cosleep maybe you could go to bed around 10 and bring him in without feeding. At 6 months I wouldn't think he needs the 11 feeding and would try gently cutting it out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2346263 Thu, 05 Nov 2015 21:05:55 +0000 macintosh 2346263@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsHangry: thanks, I'll try that. Those nighttime bottles are a new thing, too. He used to only nurse and my supply is very low, so it seems like he's extra hungry!</p> <p>@gingerbebe: I forgot to mention that I offer the breast or more formula when I put him to sleep. If he refuses, I use the paci to put him to sleep. He's also on a daytime nursing strike and he will only drink bottles during the day well if I hold him in my lap and let him wiggle around :silly:</p> <p>Eta: he also has solids during our dinner time, around 7. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2346235 Thu, 05 Nov 2015 20:46:47 +0000 gingerbebe 2346235@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I do 12 hour days so bedtime would be 7 for me. I also always fed my son right before he went to bed. By the time your babe goes to bed it's been 3 hours since the last feeding so it seems like if you fed them at bedtime that first stretch might be longer. We also dreamfed when we went to bed around 1030pm - babe got a change and a bottle and usually fell asleep drinking it and we'd put him right back down. That got rid of our MOTN feeding and he started STTN. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2346233 Thu, 05 Nov 2015 20:46:20 +0000 MsHangry 2346233@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What we did was slowly cut back on the night time feedings. Keep a log for a few days to see how much your LO is taking in at all feedings.<br /> Start reducing the amount at the 2am then 11pm and finally your last feeding (as you drop feedings the times will kindof shift around).<br /> I nurse at night so I would cut out 3min every three days. He eats more during the day and dropped two sessions on his own once they were about 5m long. This was all based on The Baby Sleep Solution book. </p> <p>Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-wake-up-are-making-me-a-zombie#post-2346144 Thu, 05 Nov 2015 20:16:49 +0000 macintosh 2346144@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A few days ago someone shared this article on my Facebook feed and it's so true: <a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/301879.php" rel="nofollow">http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/301879.php</a></p> <p>I'm trying to figure out how to maximize my 6 month old's night sleep by nailing down a good bedtime and feeding schedule. I often go to sleep after 11 pm and wake around 7, but I have about 5 nighttime wake ups between DS (to eat) and DH (to pee). We use formula in addition to nursing. Here's a rough schedule:</p> <p>7:00 - wake up, feed baby<br /> 9:00 - first nap (1-1.5 hours)<br /> 11:00 - feed baby<br /> 12:00p - second nap (1-2 hours)<br /> 2:00p - feed baby<br /> 4:00p - third nap (45 min-1 hour)<br /> 5:00 pm - feed baby<br /> 8:00 pm - bedtime in crib<br /> 11:00 pm - baby wakes to feed, comes into our bed<br /> About 2am - baby wakes to feed, nursing and maybe bottle<br /> About 5am - baby wakes to feed</p> <p>Any suggestions? Moving bedtime earlier? I'm already working on increasing solids. </p>