Tackling Hunger Month on October, 2024: My 13 month old won't sleep through the night?

October, 2024 is Tackling Hunger Month 2024. Child Hunger Statistics‎ 1 in 5 American Children Struggle With Hunger. Help Us Feed Them.

It's time to start breaking the pattern. I would tackle one issue at a time. First, I would get her to fall asleep on her own, since that will also help with the second problem.

1. Give her something else comforting (for my 13-month-old it is one of those glowing seahorses that plays music, and a fishtank that lights up and plays music too). It could just be a favorite blanky or stuffed animal that makes her feel secure.

2. Have a consistent routine every night. My daughter gets dinner, a bath, playtime, reading, breastfeed (trying to wean, but having some milk reactions), diaper change and teeth brushed, snuggle her while standing and singing, pray over her, tell her I love her, kiss her all over, lay her in her crib, turn on her seahorse and put it in her arms, cover her with blankets and leave the room quickly.

3. She might cry when you lay her down. At first, we tried leaving her for a few minutes, then coming back to reassure her, lengthening the time a little. It didn't work at all with her. What worked with her was to stay in the room with her laying in her crib and us standing next to it and rub her back as long as she stayed laying down. If she got up or fussed, we would back away or leave the room, but stay close enough so she could still see/hear us. If she sat or laid back down, we'd go back in and settle her down. Eventually, she let us leave the room, because she felt secure. I should say, she never had any problems until learning to crawl at almost nine months, so this was only a short-term separation anxiety we were facing. She USED to sleep 12 hours straight before that.

4. Be patient. It could take a week or two for her to be secure and change her habits. Don't let her get completely freaked out without reassuring her, because it will take longer if she feels that you will not be there when she absolutely needs you. However, you need to refuse to cave in to laying with her, interacting with her too much or taking her out of her crib/bed. And letting her fuss or whine is not going to hurt her--running in there for any little noise will make it worse. Letting her bawl for long periods, on the other hand, might not work (it didn't with my daughter). That's why we used the patting when she is laying down method at first.

After you get her falling asleep on her own, try waiting when she wakes up in the middle of the night. She if she will fuss a bit and then fall back asleep. My daughter will sometimes fuss for a few minutes and then go back to sleep, or turn on one of her comforting toys and then drift off. If she wakes up fully and is really upset, I'd say check her diaper and try to lay her back down. If that doesn't work, I'd avoid giving her a bottle, but maybe bring a cup with you and let her sip it when you check her diaper.

Last, she may not sleep the way doctors or others say she is supposed to. My daughter slept through the night (at least six hours right away), 12 hours at three months, and since nine months will not go longer than eight hours. I tried not nursing her after those eight hours a few times and I could literally hear her stomach grumbling. It could be a growth spurt. If she is just taking water, probably not a hunger issue. Maybe try giving her a little more milk/water right before bedtime to fill her up.

8 month old not sleeping?

If shes having all night snacking she probably does not feed as well as she should during the day and so has the knock on effect of having to catch up at night.

Have you tried structuring her naps and feeding times during the day? This may help as you can be confident that shes waking out of habit rather than a genuine need for food.

Something like like may work:

7am-feed and porridge

9am-45mins-1 hour nap

11.45-lunch

12/12.30ish-big nap 2 -21/2 hours

2.30-milk feed

5pm-tea

5.45/6pm bath

6.30pm-full milk feed

7pm bed

Try to establish a routine( obviously edit to suit you baby) this its hard work but sooo worth it

Try to out her down awake to sleep-you will need to perserve as she has developed strong sleep association ie mummy as a prop!!

Babies need to get back to sleep when they wake in the same way the fell asleep at night, self soothing will come with time but it will be hard work to get there.

I would work on the routine first though before tackling the night time wakings so you can confidently rule out hunger as a reason for wakening. Also too much sleep in the day can cause baies to wake at night...try to limit naps to 3 hour max daytime sleep.

Hope this helps...good luch x

How to tackle baby sleep regression.?

Hi Laury,

My advice would be not to give him the bottles through the night - as this will create bad habits in the future.

When he wakes, go to him, and firstly make sure he is comfortable ie tucked in and no poos in his nappy etc! Then give him a soft face stroke and a kiss on the forehead, making comforting ssshhh sounds. Give him his pacifier if he has one. Stay for a minute, and then leave. He will probably cry again instantly... but still leave.

After a few minutes, go back and repeat the process as before, do not pick him up or give him a bottle. Leave again.

This time leave him a bit longer, if you left for say 4 minutes last time, stay away for 8 minutes this time.

Continue this process, each time stretching out the time you are away for. You will find eventually he will just go back to sleep.

In my experience, the first night has taken about an hour, the second only about 20 mins, and then by the third night baby is no longer waking/crying at all.

Good luck!!! xxx