6 Month Old Keeps Waking up During the Night

I would guess teething as well. Try teething tablets or Motrin before bed. If he was dry, warm, and comfortable (no teething pain) I'd let him cry it out.

All I can say is TEETH! My daughter is a great sleeper one night and a horrible sleeper the next night. She is 8 mos. old and still has no teeth. I feel like she has been teething for the last 3 mos. She will wake up in the middle of the night and sometimes a pacifier will put her back to sleep other nights I have to give her a bottle.
I would definitely say he's teething. Some babies are good teether's and some aren't. My son was a pretty good teether. He would get fussy, but he would always go right back to sleep. I use orajel sometimes for my daughter at night time. It seems to work or Tylenol. I don't like to give my kids medicine if I don't have to. But I know there are nights where her gums are really hurting her, so I have to give her some relief. I've tried the HIghlands teething tablets on both my kids and those didn't work for either one.
Good Luck!

I think that it is the age. My son turns six months old today and he started that about three weeks ago. I went back to work at six weeks and he has been sleeping 10-12 hours at night. He started waking up, and just as you have described, he will not go back to sleep unless he is in bed with me. I can't even put him in his bed for a nap, he wakes up as soon as I put him down. He is teething and I think that may be part of the issue. He is also going through the separation anxiety thing. A girl I work with had a baby girl a week after I did and her daughter is doing the same thing.

DO FEED THEM AT NIGHT AND ON DEMAND!!!!! AND DO PICK THEM UP ANYTIME THEY NEED IT!!!!!

Do your nurse or formula feed? Breastmilk does not stay in baby's tummy for very long at all. SO they need frequent feedings. Formula is so hard on baby's tummy that it takes so much longer to digest. That's why formula "tends" to seem like baby does not need to eat as often. Also you CANNOT spoil your child by picking them up too much! Especially at this age! We co-sleep and have enjoyed every moment! It works great for us as we all get the sleep that we need and also building security in our twins.

Why not just let him sleep in bed with you? Might be a really good thing.

I've been told by several doctors that babies can start sleeping through the night at around 8 months (their stomach's are big enough then), so the fact that he's been doing that already has been a big bonus for you. It probably is teething...if so, ask the Dr. if you can use the baby Anbesol on him. He may also just be going through a growth spurt and need more milk, which is perfectly normal.

Is he teething? That would be my bet.

I'm going to guess that he's teething and doesn't understand what this new pain is. It tends to be worse at night probably because they're laying flat and the blood flow is stronger to the their heads. (like I said, a BIG emphasis on GUESS). This also happened with my 1st born 6 mo. old when he began teething. My dentist told me to give him a toothbrush to chew on in the day to breakdown the gums and help the process move along quicker. I also gave the appropriate dosage of infant's motrin to help with the pain. I don't think he's hungry, but his sleep cycle is probably around 3 hours so at his light sleep cycle he is more aware of the pain. Eating and mommy bring comfort to a baby who doesn't understand what's happening. I would stop feeding him at that time because this will become a habit and it will be hard to break. Sleeping with you is not a terrible thing to do if you and your husband are able to sleep that way. Sleep for all concerned is the most important variable here, not whether your child sleeps in his crib or in your bed for a short time until teething isn't bothering him anymore. It's so hard with the first one! If he was sleeping so well, he'll go back to it once he's feeling better. One other thing to check....is he pulling on his ears? If so, he may have an ear infection. They don't always have a fever with ear infections, so watch for that as well. Good luck! J.

I understand how you are feeling. I agree with the other comments, I believe he is teething. I have a 7 month old and he has his bottom two teeth in and is working on the top two. He will toss and turn all night and he will wake up about every hour crying. I can usually sooth him back to sleep and just like you he will not go back into his crib, so I put him in bed with me:) I also have to feed him at least once a night, but on the bright of it, he does have some good nights still where he will sleep all night. Hang in there it will pass. Just this morning I was exhausted from being up and down all night and praying for some relief. I would try to use orajel or the teething tablets and try some mortin or tylenol if it does not seem to help. Good Luck!

He could be going through a major growth spurt and actually need the calories.... or it could just be learned behavior. Have you tried letting him fuss a bit before going to the rescue?? Also... my son does this for a couple of weeks when he is teething. Good Luck!!

Your child may be teething or having a growth spurt or any number of things going on that are interrupting his sleep. Whatever the reason, it is temporary, but the pattern that you are setting will be permanent if you don't break it. I had to learn this the hard way with both my children. They have to learn to go to sleep on their own without you, or a bottle or pacifier and in their own bed. The sooner you start the better you will BOTH sleep. If he falls asleep on the bottle, pacifier or being rocked at bedtime, then that is how he will need to fall asleep if he wakes in the middle of the night. That is his sleep association. You must establish a bedtime routine that ends with putting your child in the bed sleepy, but not asleep and stick to it. For instance, taking a bath, givng them a bottle, reading to them (yes read to them even at 6 months), rock them, but be sure to put them in their bed before they are actually asleep. They must associate sleep with being alone in their own bed. My pediatrician recommended a book, I think it was something like, "Getting Your Child to Sleep Through the Night." I loaned it out long ago, since my boys are now 13 and 9. It says that as soon as a baby is 6 months or older, then they should be allowed to cry themselves back to sleep and tells how to do this.

The most important thing to do is to STOP feeding him during the night. My pediatrician said that at six months, they should not need to be fed several times during the night. By giving him a bottle, you are programming him to be hungry and wake up at that time. The easiest way to do it is by slowly decreasing the feedings (less in the bottle each time) until you are only giving him water. Then comes the hard part. Once you have established a bedtime routine that ends with your baby in his crib, sleepy but not asleep and have eliminated the night time feedings, then you have to let them cry themselves back to sleep. If your child wakes during the night, you go in and check on them to be sure there is not a problem, ie fever, leaking diaper, too hot or too cold in room. DO NOT PICK THEM UP. Pat them and reassure them, then leave the room. If they cry, wait for at least a minute (set a timer if you are weak) before you return to again pat them, reassure them, but do not pick them up (or give a bottle, etc.) You continue to do this and wait longer each time until returning, until they go back to sleep. My older son took only three nights of this and never cried for more than 15 minutes before he fell asleep and then he began sleeping through the night. My younger son was more difficult, and sometimes cried for 45 minutes (but he naturally cried more than my older son) but he did eventually learn to go back to sleep on his own after a week or so.

The pacifier is a great soother, but at six months they can't get it back in their mouth by themselves. So, if that is their sleep association and they wake at night and the pacifier falls out, then you have to come in and put it back in. So, it is best to not use a pacifier.

I know this sounds hard. It was one of the most difficult things for me to do, but it was well worth it. Both of my boys had periods of waking up during the night for several years, but it never lasted very long, since they had learned to go back to sleep by themselves. The exception would be illness, wetting the bed or a bad nightmare. But by the time they were 4 or 5, incidents of them waking up and needing me were very rare. It is not only important for you to be able to get a good nights sleep, but it really is best for your son that he learns how to go to sleep on his own. Good luck!

Hi C.,

Okay so the thing is, its really a security thing. You see he is getting comfortable with seeing you more often and he knows if he wakes up and cries you will be there. See babies are smarter than doctors give them credit for. Anyway, I know this sounds harsh but you have to give him what I call a little tough love. Its so hard, trust me, but your going to have to let him cry when he wakes up in the middle of the night. Just don't go in there. It might take him a few days to a week to readjust to the situation since you have been going in there and rocking him. My husband and I had to do this as well, and its really hard as a mother to not want to go comfort them, but you just have to put it in the perspective that your only hurting him and his schedule by going in there and making it harder on him the longer he gets used to it with you going in there. Good Luck! Bless you and your family!

I think your mistake was feeding him. Once you stop feeding a baby during the night, never start back up or they will expect and want it. If it was my child, I would never let him cry, I would try rocking him back to sleep or just put him in bed with me. This is what my husband and I did with ours and they currently both sleep happily in their own beds. Maybe if you do put him in bed with you, put him back in his crib when he falls asleep. It is probably just a phase and it will pass. Good luck!!

At this age is is probably a growing spurt. They have them about every 6 months. Give it a little time and it should pass. Is he eating foods yet, I know the doctor says it has nothing to do with sleep, but i swear a full belly helps.

Did the change come after a vaccination? Have his stools changed?