Totally and completely fed up! 7.5 month night time hell!!!

[Harrisons_mum]

I am so fed up with DS NW's I have worked so hard to give him all the tools for independent sleep and remove anything that was holding him back.

He falls asleep independently, has a lovey, I just tortured myself with weaning the swaddle, Reduced him to one night feed, has a bed time routine that he knows better than we do.  I just don't know what else I can do! I am so tired and have completely lost all hope.

I know so many mums that are rocking to sleep, feeding to sleep, only letting LO's catnap and they have babies who sttn. 

I don't have any problem getting up to feed him but he is waking about 6-8 times per night and needing my help to get back to sleep. 

I'm also having trouble with 1hr naps that would suggest increase A time, but he is literally nodding off at 3.5hrs

Last night he woke at 4am for the day so has had 1x1hr nap from 8-9am... I don't know how to continue the day.

[Haribo2012]

Hi just sending you hugs NW are the pits but combined with early starts its soul destroying!! I can't really offer much advice but to say your not alone! could you perhaps rock to sleep at 4am just to get you to a reasonable hour? I did this with DS a few days ago so we could start our day at 5.45 then 6am!? It didn't affect independent sleep as was only a few days but made his naps later in the day!! We have NW at the moment so I'm rocking to sleep to get through those as LO wants to crawl and stand and won't lay down lol!! All my friends with kids keep telling me it normal and will pass....I cling to this 
Could LO be OS as from reading posts on here and certainly with my munchkin it really affects sleep!! Also my LO had a massive growth spurt at 7.5 months so could LO be hungry?

Try to keep your chin up, I keep trying to remind myself they're only little for such a short time and just need our help a bit sometimes! I know that doesn't help the tiredness though.

[Harrisons_mum]

Thanks Haribo,  you're really kind.... 

I think what's really getting me down is I've worked so hard  I kept saying once he starts solids, once he's unswaddled, once he drops the catnap..... Etc I just keep waiting and working and it seems to be getting worse instead of better!

With rocking at early morning... Right now that sounds like a good idea, but after multiple NW's I am just so peed off that I say, "oh well... Lets just get up!grrrrrrrr!!"

I can handle the tiredness, but I can't handle the fact that we don't seem to be getting any closer to the finish line.

My little guy is sooooooo hungry!  Always has been.  He has 4 full milk feeds (BM) and 3 large solid meals.  He eats almost as much as me!  I just got him down to one night feed tho and he seems to be happier feeding less at night.  When I go in to re-settle he doesn't look for milk.  Sometimes want water, but usually just shhh/pat.

You're so strong to be able to focus on enjoying your lo despite the NW.  I think about it sometimes and wonder if I'll regret the time I spent working towards better sleep, but the crappy nights just make me so grumpy along with pnd and splitting from DH I think enjoying those motn momments is just beyond me boohoo

[katie80]

(((Hugs))), it sounds like you've had a rough go of it.

I'm also having trouble with 1hr naps that would suggest increase A time, but he is literally nodding off at 3.5hrs

Are you sure those aren't OT naps?  3.5hr is on the higher side of A time for a 7.5mo old baby.  My DD did 1hr naps when the A time was too much even at that age.

Would you post your EASY for us to take a look at?  The NWs could be routine related.  Also, what happens when you go to him in the MOTN?  You mentioned shh/pat... are you waiting and giving him time to resettle himself?  It does seem strange that an independent sleeper would have so many NWs.  Do you think he's in any discomfort; no reflux or intolerances?  Is he working on lots of developmental stuff?

[Erin M]

Just adding some (((hugs))) to the pile, you've certainly had a rough go of nighttime sleep with your little guy. 
Remind me, does he respond to any type of APOP? 

[becj86]

3.5hr is pretty high for 7 months - has he always been on the high end of the A time average?

1hr naps... not sure what's happening there, usually UT, you're right but wondering if maybe something else at play. What's your day look like? Are you having to resettle naps? What happening when he's waking and when during the night is he waking (mostly just after BT, regular intervals of 1.5hr, mostly in the early hours of the morning)?

[Haribo2012]

I'm not strong and my LO is such a grumpy bum at the moment and I gave in the other night and had him sleep with me just to get a nights sleep and I definitely do not want to make it a habit but getting a good stint of sleep just made it worth it for the night!!

These lovely ladies will give u lots of good suggestions to help.

Hope you had a better night 

[Harrisons_mum]

Thanks for the help and support everyone

I'm so confused.....

Weaning the swaddle has just totally messed everything up.

His behaviour has totally changed recently.  He used to get really fussy when he was tired and I had NEVER seen him yawn other than when lying in his bed and singing his lullabies, but now he doesn't get grumpy and will yawn.  He even fell asleep in his bouncer the other day!

He has always fought sleep.  When he was 12 weeks and out and about in his pram he would stay awake for 2hr15mins and then sleep for 45 and start all over again...

So I have been really playing about with EASY trying to get it right but no matter what I do I get a 1hr nap.  Do you think it could be a problem transitioning?  He wakes crying as if still tired, but when I try to re-settle he smiles and babbles.

With the EW and short naps i end up just going out for the day and letting him catnap in the pram and car

I'm going to work at extending his naps today by going in before the hour and shh/pat as he stirs.  If I can get the naps longer the EASY will look like this...

Wake and BF - 6:45
Solids - 8
S - 10:15
Wake and BF - 11:45
Solids - 1
S - 3:15
Wake and BF - 4:45
Solids - 5:30
BT - 8

  The NWs are different ever night.  I notice that OT nights where he is awake too long before bed he wakes in the early evening.

Last night we were out and he catnapped in the car till 5:45.  NW were long and super upset.  I took him to bed with me.  He woke at 12:30-1:30, 2:30-3:30, 4:30 tried to feed but he fell asleep then dozed until 5:45 and got up for the day at 6:15. sucks eh?

What are the signs of OT or OS?  Does it build up or will one good nap fix it?

Urghhhh so fed up....

[Harrisons_mum]

Oh he is teething.  Got his 2 bottom already and think the top 2 are coming, but I am medicating before bed and the middle of the night, so surely that should deal with that?  It doesn't seem to bother him in the slightest while he's awake.

[Harrisons_mum]

AM nap - he woke at 45 mins.  I managed to shh him back and have stayed with him.  He is having LOTS  of jolts and I'm patting him thru them.  Could it be OT, OS, lack of swaddle or discomfort with his teeth?

[katie80]

Could it be OT, OS, lack of swaddle or discomfort with his teeth?

It could be any of the above, really.   He's probably on the OT side since he's been having lots of NWs and unfortunately one good nap won't make up for that.  It can build up and cause trouble and usually takes a few good days to wipe it out (longer nights are best, but as we know day sleep affects night sleep and vice versa).  How long have you been working at a 3.5hr A time? Was he having full naps and then they shortened?  You can rule out OS by looking at the activities prior to nap and bedtime.  If he's doing lots of playing with noise/sound/practicing crawling, he may need 15min or so of quieter activity before you wind him down.  You can't do much about him getting used to sleeping unswaddled, it takes some kids a week or two before they really get used to it.  What's his temperament?  And regarding teeth, they can still play a factor even after you've medicated for some babies, but it should help.  Do you use acetaminophen or ibuprofen?  A lot of moms have found ibuprofen works best for teething pain.

I think your EASY looks fine.  Has he always had higher A times?  I do wonder if he might be a bit OT by BT because it's a pretty long day for a 7mo old on two naps.  I might pull BT back to 7:30-45pm for a few nights and see if it makes a difference.