6 Month Old Now Waking In Night - HELP!

[Jenifer]

My daughter has been sleeping through the night for several months - so I feel a bit like a newbie at this again.     She will wake and fuss / cry for a few minutes then be silent for a few minutes - this will go on for 30 - 45 minutes (I don't know how long this would last because I eventually just go in).   As time goes on, her fussing / crying get longer and more intense, but then the silence that follows gets longer.  After about 30 - 45 minutes of this I go in figuring she's not settling herself.

I'm embarrassed to say that most of the time I don't know if its crying to settle herself, fussing cry, tired / mantra cry or "I need you" cry.    They're all starting to sound the same to me - and like I said, it seems to escalate and so it gets tough to tell when its time to go in.

When I do go in, I try to rub her back or put my hand on her to settle her.  That worked before but doesn't seem to be anymore.  She's just laying there with her eyes open.  When she does eventually start to nod off she will wake up again and again.  If I walk out of the room she will cry hard - so I stay with her until I know she's asleep.  Some nights however, she's taking SO long to go down that I just rock her back to sleep (out of my own tiredness and back aching ). 

For the past week, I've been trying to transition to 3 hour A time, and so the routine is a bit sloppy (see below).  I started this because she wasn't really tired at the 2.5 hour mark (except for 1st nap) and was waking after 45 minutes.

Anyone with any advice?  TIA

Here's the questions answered:

How old is your child? 6 months
What’s his/her daily routine? wake & eat at 730am, 1.5 -2 hour nap at 10am, feed at 12pm, feed at 2:45 pm, 1.5 hour nap at 3pm, feed at 7pm, bedtime at 8pm, dreamfeed at 1030pm
What’s nap routine? music, cuddle, kiss,
How long are naps? 1.5 hours
What's bedtime routine? Time? feed, bath, jammies, music, cuddle, bed
Do you bottle or breastfed?? BF
How much? or how long? 10 minutes one side, 5 - 10 minutes other side
If breastfed.. one side or both?? (at each feed) both
How many wakes per night? 1 - 2
What’s your LO like when waking at night? How long is he/she up?  on her belly arching / pushing up, kicking the bed / mattress
When you go to him/her is she fussing or crying? Or is it a mantra cry?  see above note
What have you tried to settle?? rub back, hand on back, talking to her, rocking (AP, I know)
What do you do for A time and how long is it? 2.5 - 3 hours
Are there developmental issues such as teething or milestones? no teeth in sight, rolling like a pro now
Have you introduced cereal? Why, how much, and how many times a day? (for LO’s under 6 months)  starting solids this weekend
Do they have a prop? If so what is it? no, unless the rocking back to sleep is a prop   
Do they have a lovie? yes

[Colin Macs Mom]

Could she be trying to pull up? Working on that milestone maybe?

[Jenifer]

Thank you for your reply.

You know what - I figured she was maybe overtired during the day and so I went back to 2 naps and a catnap .. and lo and behold the waking in the night stopped!    (I hope I don't jinx it by writing it here ..  ) 

She seemed to be able to stay up for the 3 hours last week, but her naps were choppy (ie: waking after 35 minutes, but then napping for an hour after helping her settle back to sleep).  However, I think her overtiredness showed up in her night waking.

So, now I'm having her awake for 2.5 hours and she's napping a little longer, but the routine is a bit weird:

730 am - wake & eat
1000 am - nap
1130 am - wake & eat
200 pm - nap
300 / 330 pm - wake & eat
545 / 600 pm - 20 minute catnap (I wake her after 20 minutes so she's ready to go to bed at 8pm)
730 pm - eat
800 pm - bedtime

Tell me again when she "should" be able to stay awake for 3 hours and transition to 2 naps?  7 - 8 months?

[Colin Macs Mom]

Good for you! That's great that you were able to read her cues so well.    Every LO is different of course, but she will likely be ready for two naps around 7 mo.

[Jenifer]

Well, she's back to waking in the night .. 

I do notice she's trying to sleep on her tummy and is not looking comfortable (constantly readjusting herself, lifting her head and fussing, arching her back and crying out, etc.).  I listened to her fuss for a few minutes then get quiet for about 5 minutes - for over and hour last night.  I went in and rubbed her back / tummy and she laid there for another 20 minutes, eyes wide open.  I finally rocked her to sleep - my back was killing me and she was obviously just laying there awake (and would cry if I leave the room).  Well, she woke up an hour later doing the same thing!   

If its not related to the 3 into 2 naps, then what is going on?

[Colin Macs Mom]

Did you start the solids yet? Not sure if you meant this coming weekend or the last weekend. Has she had any trouble with reflux or anything else like that?

[Jenifer]

We're planning to start rice cereal tomorrow morning.  No reflux or anything else like that.

Back to your first question, developmentally, she's been rolling for awhile - but is now starting to look like she wants to learn how to crawl (raising bum in the air, moving legs under her, pushing way up on arms).

When she's up in the night, I'm finding her on her belly, trying to go to sleep (putting her head down and sucking her fingers) and then waking up / pushing up every few minutes.  If I go in and roll her to her back and try to get her to sleep she will lay there for a bit and then roll to her belly again.   

[Colin Macs Mom]

Definitely sounds like a developmental thing!!    That can be hard but the best way to reduce the wakings is to make sure that she gets all the time she wants to practice during the day. Lots of tummy time!

[jantonow]

I am currently going through the same issue with our 6 month old (we have an almost identical schedule as you) and think I just figured something out - if I wait to put her down until she is visibly tired (although not overtired) and REALLY well fed (we breastfeed for 30-40 min sometimes, often in 2 shifts), she seems to stick better.  I noticed the tired factor with her naps...as she got older she started popping up after 45 minutes.  If I kept her up even 15 min longer she would take a much longer, better nap and not need the catnap that seemed to always stretch bedtime way too late.  For the last few weeks I had tried everything (gas remedies, you name it) and finally think this is actually the simple solution.  I had been trying so hard to get her to a 7PM bedtime, as that's what the books/doctor recommends, but our baby is just a late owl!  Hope this helps.

[jantonow]

Another thought for you - I just re-read your first email and noticed that the only difference b/w my baby's schedule and yours is the morning nap.  Ours goes down after two hours, usually closer to 9 or 9:30.  Don't know if you've read the Weissbluth book, but he really stresses putting them down earlier for this nap as it functions differently than the other nap(s) - more a continuation of night sleep.  He says that this timing is crucial in setting their schedule for the whole day. (For what its worth, our little one is up for 2hrs in the AM, around 3 b/w two naps, then often almost 4 before bed.)  ??

[Layla]

Could very well be developmental but in regards to your q's about them being able to stay up longer....mine had 3 naps until 9 months. Just could not handle being awake any longer and had naps at 9am, 12.30 and 4ish. So, if your lo doesn't fit into what the majority of 7-8month old lo's do, don't stress about it. Offer 3 naps if it helps him with night wakings

Layla