5 month old wakes up at night several times with a scream!

[nadja]

Hi,
We put our 5 1/2 month old baby boy on a 3.5 month EASY a little over a week ago and things are looking good in general. He naps well during the day (2 x 2 hours, one CN in the late afternoon), has 2 hour A times and goes down for naps and bedtime really well (asleep usually within minutes).
He's always woken up a few times at night, especially when he was getting closer to wanting a feed. But since we've put him on EASY he doesn't just wake up and go back to sleep, he wakes up with a scream, quite a few times at night! Then we have to PU/PD, which works fine... just wondering why he now screams (more like a shout!) and needs PU/PD to go back to sleep...
The waking up usually happens after midnight, before that he sleeps well (he gets a feed at 9pm and 11pm and falls asleep again right away after eating - then usually feeds again at around 6am, before putting him on EASY a week ago it was usually around 4am).
Just wondering if anyone might know what's going on with our little one?!! Is this still just part of the transition to EASY? Or should I be feeding him earlier at night? He always sleeps like a baby (!) after his morning feed...

Thanks!
Nadja

[mmom]

Is it possible that he is teething?  Does it sound like discomfort?

[nadja]

I'm not sure, but he's not really showing any other signs of teething... the sound doesn't sound like pain, it's just a loud and sudden 'wahhhhhh'!
First we thought that it was the paci that was the issue but he's not interested in it, he needs PU/PD to go back to sleep. What I'm wondering is if I should reintroduce the night feed... He is managing to get through to 6am roughly but keeps waking up from about 3.30pm onwards, so maybe he's hungry but not hungry enough to not go back to sleep?
Ha, these babies definitely know how to keep us guessing! I feel sorry for my poor husband who is taking care of him during the night as I have insomnia and can't go back to sleep v well if I am woken up.
The other thing is that up until a few days ago he went down for nap really easily and now he needs PU/PD to fall asleep. Am I training him to need PU/PD to sleep? Once I've picked him up I lay him back down and he's asleep within 2 seconds. But if I don't he shouts at me, same shout that he does at night. Weirdly enough this has only been an issue since I put him on EASY about a week ago...
Keep wondering what I need to adjust - he hardly manages his 2 hours A time so he's definitely tired enough. Any ideas?

[mmom]

Hmmm, I know you said your routine, but can you write it in EAS format? Maybe there is something we are missing.

I don't think they become dependent on PU/PD.  They give up fighting sleep when you do it.  If you are needing it for naps now, maybe you need a routine tweak.

You are also approaching a major growth spurt, so he may need to eat in the middle of the night.  Right now he is going until morning?  Have you tried feeding to see if he goes right back to sleep until the morning?

Your DH is fabulous by the way.  That is really nice that he does the NFs for you.

[nadja]

Hi,
His EASY is
w-up 7.30am
E 8am
S 9.30-11/11.15
E 11.30am
S 1/1.15-2.30/45
E 3pm
S 4.45 (45mins)
E 6.15
bedtime 7pm

E 9pm
DF 11.30pm
Nightfeed between 5.30 and 6am (although that's v recent, used to be around 4am but we've been pushing him to keep sleeping, but as I said he keeps waking up.

My DH is great and I am so grateful as I've spent so many nights awake all night just because LO made a noise at midnight!! Now he does the DF (EBM) and then brings him to me for the night feed, so I can get 6-7 hours of sleep, which is great!

[nadja]

Just thought I'd mention that he just woke up from his second nap after 45mins and there was no way he was going back to sleep. Also took longer to get him to sleep in the first place. Is there a chance his A time needs to be extended? Although in the morning he has a hard time extending to 2 hours, but the second A time is much easier. My husband also says he thinks LO isn't that tired as he always wakes up for his DF and is hard to get back to sleep now!

[mmom]

I think your LO may be waking up, because of either too much sleep during the day or not enough A.  I am wondering if you should push the 2nd A after the long nap and then the 3rd A.  I think to keep bedtime at 7, you might have to make the cat nap a bit shorter.  But after a 1.5-1.75 minute nap, your LO should be able to hand 2 hours and 15 minutes vs. 2 hours.  What do you think?

Other than that, you are getting a great stretch at night, especially for a BF baby.  So I really don't think there is anything wrong with your routine.

[nadja]

I think I def have to push the A times, both his afternoon naps have been 40mins today, no chance of getting him to sleep again! Will try to give him a 4th nap today and push his bedtime back if I have to. And then tomorrow will try for 2.15 A times... lets see what happens!
Thanks!
Nadja

[mmom]

Hey hon, I see you have a post on the EASY board too.  Do you want to lock this thread and use that one, so you don't get conflicting advice?

[nadja]

Hi, yes might make sense. Initially I thought it was two separate issues but seems to be merging into one! Not sure if here or the EASY board is more appropriate?

[mmom]

It looks like EASY.  I am going to send you that way ok?
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=187112.0;topicseen