Why this happens:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nPulling to stand is an exciting new motor skill. Your baby’s brain is compelled to practice it. The problem is they’ve mastered the “up” part but not the “down” part. They literally get stuck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to fix it:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nStep 1: Teach “down” during the day.<\/strong> Multiple times a day, help your baby practice the motion of going from standing to sitting. Stand them at the couch, then gently guide their hands down and bend their knees until they lower to sitting. Make it a game. Repeat endlessly.<\/p>\n\n\n\nStep 2: Practice at the crib specifically.<\/strong> Let them pull up on the crib rail during playtime (not sleep time). Then guide them through sitting back down. They need to master this skill in the exact environment where it’s causing problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\nStep 3: At bedtime and during night wakings, lay them down once or twice, then stop.<\/strong> If you lay them down 15 times, you’ve just turned it into a game. Lay them down once, say your sleep phrase, leave. If they stand right back up, that’s okay. Eventually they’ll either figure out how to sit on their own or they’ll get tired enough to stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\nStep 4: Be patient.<\/strong> This phase typically lasts 1-3 weeks. Once they master sitting down from standing, it resolves on its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFeeding And Nutrition At 10 Months And Its Impact On Sleep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n By 10 months, solid foods should be a significant part of your baby’s diet alongside breast milk or formula. What and when they eat directly impacts how they sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Daytime feeding schedule that supports good sleep:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nTime<\/th> Feed<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> Wake-up<\/td> Breast milk or formula<\/td><\/tr> Breakfast<\/td> Solid meal (30-45 minutes after milk)<\/td><\/tr> Mid-morning<\/td> Breast milk or formula<\/td><\/tr> Lunch<\/td> Solid meal<\/td><\/tr> Afternoon<\/td> Breast milk or formula<\/td><\/tr> Dinner<\/td> Solid meal (1-1.5 hours before bedtime)<\/td><\/tr> Bedtime<\/td> Breast milk or formula (keep baby awake)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\nKey nutrition tips for better sleep at 10 months:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u2705 Make dinner count.<\/strong> Include protein and healthy fats that digest slowly and keep your baby satisfied longer overnight. Avocado, egg yolk, full-fat yogurt, nut butters (age-appropriate preparation), and soft-cooked meats are all good options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u2705 Front-load calories during the day.<\/strong> If your baby is still waking to eat at night, they may be making up for insufficient daytime intake. Offer more frequent meals and milk sessions during waking hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u2705 Don’t let the bedtime feed become the sleep trigger.<\/strong> Offer milk as part of the bedtime routine but keep your baby awake during it. Feed, then book, then song, then bed \u2014 not feed directly into sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u2705 Watch for food sensitivities that disrupt sleep.<\/strong> If you’ve recently introduced a new food and sleep has tanked, it might be causing gas or digestive discomfort overnight. Common culprits include dairy, wheat, and citrus fruits.<\/p>\n\n\n\nShould Your 10 Month Old Still Be Eating At Night?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Most healthy 10 month olds can sleep through the night without a feed.<\/strong> But “can” and “should” are different conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSigns the night feed is still needed:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\nYour baby takes a full, vigorous feed (10+ minutes nursing or 4+ ounces from a bottle)<\/li>\n\n\n\n They fall back asleep quickly and independently after eating<\/li>\n\n\n\n Your pediatrician recommends continued night feeding for growth reasons<\/li>\n\n\n\n They’re not consuming enough calories during the day despite your best efforts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nSigns the night feed is habitual, not nutritional:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\nThey nurse or drink for 2-3 minutes and doze off<\/li>\n\n\n\n They wake at the exact same time every night regardless of when or how much they ate during the day<\/li>\n\n\n\n They won’t take a full feed \u2014 just a few sips<\/li>\n\n\n\n They can’t fall back asleep without the feed, even if they barely ate<\/li>\n\n\n\n If you don’t offer the feed, they eventually fall asleep on their own anyway<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nHow to drop a habitual night feed:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\nGradually reduce the amount (decrease ounces by 1 each night for bottles, decrease nursing time by 1-2 minutes each night)<\/li>\n\n\n\n Offer water instead (some babies accept this, others don’t)<\/li>\n\n\n\n Send the non-feeding parent in for night wakings so the association with feeding isn’t triggered<\/li>\n\n\n\n Cold turkey elimination (faster but more crying \u2014 appropriate if your pediatrician confirms no nutritional need)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nAlways consult your pediatrician before eliminating night feeds entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 10 Month Old Bedtime Routine \u2014 Setting Boundaries Early<\/h2>\n\n\n\n At 10 months, your baby is starting to understand a LOT more than you think. They understand patterns. They understand cause and effect. And they’re beginning to test boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This means the bedtime routine needs to be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nConsistent<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 same steps, same order, every night<\/li>\n\n\n\nFinite<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 clear beginning and clear end<\/li>\n\n\n\nCalm<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 no stimulating activities<\/li>\n\n\n\nBoundaried<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 you decide when it ends, not your baby<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nA solid 10 month old bedtime routine (15-20 minutes):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\nDiaper change and pajamas<\/li>\n\n\n\n Sleep sack on<\/li>\n\n\n\n Milk feed (keep baby awake)<\/li>\n\n\n\n Brush teeth or wipe gums<\/li>\n\n\n\n 1-2 short books<\/li>\n\n\n\n Lovey in hand<\/li>\n\n\n\n White noise on, lights off<\/li>\n\n\n\n Brief cuddle and goodnight phrase<\/li>\n\n\n\n Into the crib awake<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\nThe boundary issue that starts at 10 months:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nYour baby hands you another book after you’ve read two. They cry when you put them down. They reach for you to pick them back up. They babble and laugh and charm you into staying longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are not problems. They’re a developmentally normal testing of boundaries. But how you respond now sets the tone for toddlerhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Set the routine. Follow the routine. End the routine at the same point every night.<\/strong> Lovingly, warmly, but consistently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n“We read two books at bedtime. I love you. Time to sleep.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s it. The boundary is the kindness. Predictability is what makes your baby feel safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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