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SLEEP => Night Wakings => Topic started by: Pinkviolet on September 08, 2014, 11:01:51 am

Title: 7 month old night wakenings
Post by: Pinkviolet on September 08, 2014, 11:01:51 am
Hello,

I've recently received some wonderful help on the nap board of this forum and wonder if anyone on this board could offer some advice/ suggestions regarding frequent night wakenings with my beautiful little boy.

It has been a week since I posted on naps about little one having very short a times for his age. After some really useful advice, I think we have cracked the naps. He now has an a time of 3hrs and naps for 1-1.5 hrs twice a day. If short pm nap then I've been offering a catnap later on to get us through to bt. I also bought bedtime forward from 7.30 to 7pm.

Our day roughly is as follows

WU- 6am morning milk
A
E-8am breakfast
A
S-9 for 1-1.5hrs
E- mid morning milk
A
E-12 lunch
A
S- 1-1.30 nap 1-1.5 hrs
If at 1.30 for 1.5hrs will go till by at 7, if wakes earlier than 3 will have little catnap later on about 4ish
E- afternoon milk
A
E- dinner 4.30
A
E-bt milk, bath, book
S- 7

He has been waking through the night for months now but usually predictable between 4.30-5.30. But this last week since starting napping better, it's been much more frequent. For example last night was; 8, 11.50,12,3.30-4.30, 5-15-5.50 when we fed him his milk, drained the bottle then went straight to sleep till 7.30 am. He is waking crying in the night. Early on he will settle in the cot with the dummy and a hand hold, but as the night goes on he's awake and not happy to settle unless being held. I use gel for teething in case it's this. I give water in case he's thirsty. Do you think he could be hungry? Until few weeks back I was feeding him on the night wakening, but have since weaned him off this. He has started to drop the amount of milk he'll take at bedtime, so maybe I should start the night feed again? I must add that between 12-17 weeks he slept right through, 11-12 hrs straight, then I think it was a combination of sleep regression and hunger before weaning at 24 weeks that started the night wakenings again and at this time I starred feeding in the night again. I have read another post that suggests cutting back solids in the day to increase milk intake. Should I maybe try this? He loves his food and think it sits better for him due to acid reflux.

I would really appreciate any advice or suggestions. Must also add that the last three nights I've tried pu/pd as previously id let him fall asleep on me in the night despite settling on his own at bt and naps. But the wakenings seemto be getting worse. Is it because we're in a transition and have only just cracked the naps?

Thank you in advance.

Title: Re: 7 month old night wakenings
Post by: ZacsMumme on September 11, 2014, 18:50:56 pm
Hun I'll be back, quick question, do you think the NW are habitual ie waking for you to come in and replug? He may need tome practice re plugging himself. ;)
Title: Re: 7 month old night wakenings
Post by: Pinkviolet on September 11, 2014, 20:20:09 pm
Hi! Thanks for replying. Hope you are well  :)

Yes I do think he wakes for the dummy. He can sometimes pop it back in himself but not always. I'd like to stop using it to be honest but am not really sure about how to do so and now that he's had a dummy for months, is it cruel to take it away before he understands he can't have it anymore? I'm not sure what the answer is.

Four days ago in the evening he started with a cold so sleep has been really hard the last few days and nights and we have resorted to some ap so he can get the sleep he needs. I had tried 3 nights of pu/pd and things seemed to be worsening but this could have been the cold brewing maybe. Ill try again when he's better if that's recommended. I saw the health visitor today for weigh in and she suggested he's waking habitually for a cuddle from mummy and hes using me as a prop. she said I should perhaps consider cc. That's really not my style or approach. I would never judge another parent who tries it, but it isn't for me. I totally agree with the baby whisper thinking that it breaks the bond of trust. I just need some advice as to how I should tackle the night wakenings once little one is feeling better.
Title: Re: 7 month old night wakenings
Post by: ZacsMumme on September 13, 2014, 19:57:19 pm
If he's bunged up with a cold he will wake more, and the paci won't soothe as he needs to breathe through his nose to suck it. Have you tried a humidifier in the room, or some eucalyptus oil in a jar of boiled water near the cot to help him breathe?

I'd wait till the cold is over, during this I time you really have to go wth the flow a bit! try an EBT maybe as they get tired when sick. Then you can either remove the paci (which will involve quite a bit of crying at this age) or teach him to replug himself. What do you think you want to do.

Are you putting multiple pacis in the cot so he can find them in the night? When he wakes guide his hand to one and encourage him to replug himself.

Ps no one here will encourage you to leave him to cry alone ever :-*
Title: Re: 7 month old night wakenings
Post by: Pinkviolet on September 15, 2014, 08:13:51 am
Thanks :) yes we are using a eucalyptus plug in vaporiser for babies. And I've been removing the dummy as soon as he's asleep so he can mouth breath better. Tried settling without the dummy but he needs it to drift off. I will try popping a few dummy's around the cot to see if this helps as he can definitely put it in himself now. Last night he woke three times early on and once in the night at 3.20, but settled back off with just a hand hold ( and the dummy of course!).

He's been waking after 30 mins with his naps again but I'm pretty sure that's to do with the cold as he is still tired and goes back to sleep when I hold him upright. So I have been doing alot of apop! Fingers crossed the cold doesn't last too much longer.
Title: Re: 7 month old night wakenings
Post by: ZacsMumme on September 16, 2014, 10:54:41 am
Yeah bunged up noses and pacis don't agree ::) lots of hugs and fx he gets better soon x
Title: Re: 7 month old night wakenings
Post by: Pinkviolet on September 17, 2014, 19:08:35 pm
Thank you  :) he's much better today. Yay! Thanks for your advice x
Title: Re: 7 month old night wakenings
Post by: ZacsMumme on September 17, 2014, 19:19:11 pm
Great to hear. Hopefully the next few days you see progress x