Question:

My husband and I picked up a copy of Babywise when our son was 2 months old and he was soon sleeping all night long and napping great! Thank you so much. But now we’ve run into a little problem. He’ll be 7 months old in a week and for the last couple of weeks, he’s been waking up in the middle of the night again and his naps have been all over the place. What happened?!

Answer:

At 6 months things really start to change. For instance most 6 month olds are having longer wake times, the process of giving them solid food has begun, and as a result they are able to handle a greater time span between meals.

What you are experiencing is one of the most common issues that occur at this age. Baby will suddenly begin to wake in the middle of the night, and/or begin to wake early from one or both of the first two naps of the day. So how can you discern the cause?

If he had been sleeping and napping great up until now, then it’s unlikely this is a sleep training issue. Usually it would take some big disruption to his normal routine to cause him to backtrack on this skill he has learned so well, (like a trip away from home for a week or more or an extended illness) in that case it often only takes a few days of returning to your regular routine for them to once again sleep well at night and nap time.

So assuming there hasn’t been any big disruption the following can help discern possible causes:

1. Six months is the average age for babies to drop or reduce the 3rd cat-nap. If he’s still taking a full 1 1/2 to 2 hour third nap, try waking him after 20-30 minutes into that naptime. If he’s already been taking a short 3rd nap, consider dropping that nap altogether and be ready to move bedtime up a bit. Expect that you may need to stick with this new routine for a few days before you see it helping his overall napping.

A more detailed explanation for dropping the cat nap can be found in Babywise II: Nap & Sleep time Activities; questions about pre-toddler sleep.

It’s also common for babies at this age to be less enthusiastic about eating when they first wake from their naps, especially if you’ve started solids, which is fine. It is around six months that the length of time between waking and eating increases. Often baby will be awake for 30 to 60 minutes before a mealtime, followed by additional wake time of another 30 to 60 minutes before going down for his nap. All this will occur over the next several months so that eventually the routine will be more 4 to 4 ½ hours apart. For those who are continuing on with breastfeeding, a 5th nursing sometime during the day or evening is usually needed to maintain a good milk supply.

2. The second half of babies first year also brings lots of exciting developments. He will begin learning to get himself into a sitting position, crawl, or pull-up; a whole new world has opened up to him. As a result he may be more interested in trying these new skills than he is in sleeping. Again, this is perfectly normal, and usually once the novelty wears off, he’ll be back to his old routine.

3. A third factor to consider is the fact that sometimes the only symptom you may see of an illness is a disruption from his normal routine, so be on the look out for other more subtle clues, like fever or a drop in appetite. I had one who behaved this way any time he had an ear infection. He never pulled on his ears or anything else. He’d just not nap as well and he’d become clingier during wake time. Teething can also disrupt a routine a bit. Look for swollen and/or tender gums. Baby may chew on his fist or toys more than usual. Some find that a topical jell provides temporary relief and is usually not enough to help with naps and night time sleep. Always check with your doctor for other, longer lasting, options. With teething a baby may have more drooling than usual. For those babies who tend to swallow their drool, it is possible to notice a greater incidence of diaper rash than usual. Another indicator is a possible drop in appetite, so again, watch carefully, as some of these symptoms are the same as other illnesses and it can be easy to miss something else. If ever in doubt, it’s worth a quick trip to the doctor to make sure all is well.