Recently we had our Facebook friends offer their tips and advice on how to help a new mom get her 6 month old baby to sleep better at night. We had some great responses. Here was the original question and its responses:
**ATTENTION MOMMIES**
Got any great advice for a mommy of a 6 month old who still wakes in the night? What did you do to help you and your baby maximize sleep? We'd love to include your advice with that of our own :)
- Tricia Fitzgerald Babies wake in the night naturally until almost 18 months or longer. It is healthy. I suggest co sleeping. :)April 10 at 5:58pm · ·
3 
Susan Taylor Agree with the above post. My last baby nursed at nighttime until 20 months. We co sleep with all of ours. It maximizes my sleep as I barely wake to nurse. Most moms I know get up until at least 12 mths with their little one.April 10 at 6:02pm · · 1
Dominique Tavarez Youre not supposed to but we puy both babies on their tyummy to sleep and they sleep pretty well! Also swaddling newborns works well! At 6months id say put baby on its belly to.sleep will sleep through the night
Andrea Salas Temperino I suggest the book "12 hours in 12 weeks" by Suzy Giordano. You can get it it on Amazon.com. My baby is now 13 months and has been sleeping 12 hours since he was 8 weeks.
Adrienne Leeds accept that it is a season of your life. babies are only little for so long.April 10 at 6:33pm · · 1
Elizabeth Devereux I had one baby who slept well, and then I had a baby who simply did not sleep until he was five. I don't say that to alarm people, but rather to point out that some kids are "easy," some are not, and they will all turn out OK. Do what maximizes sleep for your household and don't worry about anything else. Especially not what others think.April 10 at 6:54pm · · 1
Rebecca Capel Expose your baby to lots of sunlight.. play with her.. tummy time.. reading books.. have a playdate with other babies. The more active s/he is during the day, the better she will sleep for naps and also at bedtime. Keep her bedroom as dark as possible at night. Soft nightlights are ok, but close curtains and doors so bright street lights, passing car headlights and hallway lights don't disturb baby. Please don't put cereal on a bottle thinking that will help.. it's Old Wives Tales and you're are only overfeeding and teaching a bad habit of falling asleep with food.
Sue Burich Schumerth Babies are individual people. When my oldest was 6 months I was reading all these baby books and wondering what was wrong with my baby because he STILL hadn't slept through the night. I was beside myself. Then, I had an epiphany one day and realized I needed to change my perspective. Instead of thinking that there was something wrong with him, why not embrace who he is? Once I did that, my worries about him were gone. He was a very healthy, extremely active little baby who loved his mama's milk and defied alot of "what babies do." Co-sleeping helped us both fall back to sleep easily, since I didn't have to walk down the hallway to his room. That lifestyle (everyone in their own rooms) would've never worked for our family....and still doesn't. I'm glad I changed my perspective and embraced who he was rather than trying to force him into a mold the books told me he should be, because it turns out he's now a 10 year old who doesn't need much sleep. He was never a kid who I could "take to the park to wear him out." As a 10 year old boy he is constantly on the go and only needs about 8 hours of sleep a night. He's one of those people who just doesn't need much sleep. I am a person who needs alot of sleep. Babies are individuals. And for the record, my baby NEVER slept through the night.....and at 10 years old, never has. I, also, never sleep through the night. My second son? I had a hard time waking him up to nurse my engorging breasts! And he slept through the night easily as a baby and now as a 7 year old. Co-sleep, if you don't already...and try to throw the baby books away and just embrace your baby. As long as s/he is growing and is healthy, you have nothing to worry about.· · Share
Yvette Carrion Hernandez We cosleep. My baby stays latched on all night and we both get sleep!April 10 at 6:01pm · · 5
Felicia Ferreira Have a few ideas 1. Put a half a tea spoon of baby cereal mix with the formula or breast milk.. It would help tremendously. or 2. take the baby for a drive.
Laura Ramos Not expecting to get a full night sleep, the night I switched him from our room/his bassinet to his own room / crib he slept 6 hrs straight! ;) that was huge for us, except I felt the necessity to wake up and pump bc I was so full!
Jamie Veach Having a routine every night so the baby starts to expect bed time. We did bath, story, bottle, bed. We also used a white noise machine which worked wonders on getting her to sleep thru the night.April 10 at 9:25pm · · 1
Jeni Kampeas Chokron Get used to living on a little less sleep! The few years they are babies are so small in the grand picture of our lives. Enjoy them asleep or awake! I just got used to waking up a few times a night, gave them their milk (in my case nursing) then caressed them while co-sleeping. I'm sure it is all wrong, but my babies are sweet, happy and secure. And us, we recently started to sleep again, almost forgot those 6 month old nights. Best wishes to you!
Jessica Lera-Rodriguez My advice: tell her it's normal! My daughter started sleeping through the night after 10 months or so... I nursed her till she was 9 mosApril 10 at 10:54pm · · 1
Jackie Rampergas Schedule,schedule,schedule. I have three children of my own plus I have been a baby night for over twenty two years, you have to prepare baby for the night. Bath,warm oil rub from head to feet, bottle, the more they drink with a little cereal, the better they sleep. Read to them, music , sing but what ever you start routine, before you know it all the way through the night, good luck to you.
