5.5 month old night weaklings getting worse... Need sleep!

[BrookeB]

My 5.5 month old Sttn 3 or 4 times since birth, and we got rid of the dream feed around 4 months, which at the time helped him wake up at 7am instead of 5! That only lasted a couple nights. He wakes up every few hours at night, and I can not get him on any kind of schedule using the day. He takes 3 to 4 naps, totaling anywhere from 3 to 4 hours. I have tried letting him cry for up to 3 hours(!!!), and I've also tried the shsh/pat.  I'm at a loss. I usually do not feed him when he wakes up at night, as he gets at least 35 oz of milk/formula during the Day, and 2x solids. I know it's bad that I'm not 100% consistent With CIO, but sometimes I'll feed him at 5am and out him back down just so I CAn get some sleep! We tried the df again last night, and he did sleep from 7 pm till 4 am, with a 10pm dream feed, so that was a little better.  Rough schedule, but it changes every day! ( this is today.. He is actually napping pretty well...)
Awake/eat: 630-7. (usually 1.5 hours of A time before first nap)
Sleep 815 til 945
Awake/eat
Sleep 11ish till 12
Eat
Sleep 2 till 330
awake 330/4 until 7pm bedtime

I sometimes wonder if he doesnt have enough A time btwn naps, but he usually gets fussy after about an hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes of being awake. I'm always worried about him getting OT!
My 3 year old twins Sttn starting at 3 months with just 2 nights of cio fo only sbout 45 minutes, and it was so easy to get them on a schedule. I don't know what to do with this little guy!

[BrookeB]

Also, is 3 hours awake (from 345/4 till 7 pm bedtime too long?

[becj86]

Hi, welcome

We here at BW are against CIO/CC of any kind, as we believe it can damage the bond of trust between baby and mother.

Its actually fairly normal for a baby this age to still need a feed somewhere in the night. If he is hungry, no amount of shush/pat or PUPD is going to get him to go back to sleep.

His A time at this age should be around 2hr15-2hr30 (Average A times and "Is my baby ready to increase A time?"), maybe even 2hr45 and most babies this age are just starting to move towards this transition: All about the 3-2 transition- 5/6 months.

Also, is 3 hours awake (from 345/4 till 7 pm bedtime too long?

I wouldn't think so - is he waking shortly after bedtime (which would indicate short-term overtiredness)?

[Erin M]

Hi, just wondering why you dropped the dream feed so early?  It may have been a one off those few nights -- my kiddos needed night feeds/dream feed until 8 months (dd1), 1 year (dd2) and 11 months (ds).  Might help to put it back in.