My 8 month old baby won’t sleep! He screams won’t let me put him down and when I finally do get him to sleep he wakes every 1-2 hours all night. What should I do?

Some babies find the process of settling and re-settling, difficult.

Your baby is strongly influenced by the environment and daily routines. Consistent feed, play and sleep routines incorporating a wind-down period will assist baby in developing routines, sleep patterns and associations.

Some babies at this age can be challenged by separation from the parent/s and need reassurance throughout the night. Responding appropriately can help to lessen the distress and can lead to a strengthening of the parent/infant relationship. Place the awake infant into the cot, reassure them, then leave the room. This is preferable to creeping out of the room as the infant becomes less confident in what to expect and as a result may stay awake longer. At all times listen to the nature of the infant’s cry before deciding to return to the room.

Staying in the room is an option to reduce separation anxiety and can be reassuring to the infant. It involves the parent/s staying in the room and providing the minimal amount of reassurance necessary to separate and allow the infant to settle on his/her own. The time the parent/s need to stay in the room before the infant falls asleep will gradually become shorter as the infant becomes more confident in falling asleep in the cot. For example:

• The parent could lie or sit on a bed or chair in the same room as the infant.
• The parent then responds to the infant according to the cry.
• Help your baby to feel secure by using a night light so that they are aware of the parent/s presence. Gentle ‘Ssshhh’ sounds provide reassurance. Keep interactions to the minimum needed to calm baby. The infant may need hands-on settling, if not calming with the voice.
• The parent could then wait until the infant is asleep before leaving the room (during the day) or could try sleeping in the same room as the infant (during the night) for the first week.

Following the initial week, once the infant has had 3 consecutive nights of relatively uninterrupted sleep, the parent can leave the room before the infant is asleep.