Hi, my little one is 9 months old, a sweet and easy-going baby, but keeps waking through the night! Until about a month ago he used to go to sleep easily, sometimes, I admit, on my breast, but if he didn't fall asleep while breast feeding, I would put him in bed and he'd moan himself to sleep. Then he wouldn't wake up until 4 or 5 am, breastfeed again and go back to sleep until 7.
Lately he started making problems when put to bed at night. He would cry uncontrolably for as much as one hour, while I patted his back, shooshed and try to calm him (picking him up wouldn't help, he'd keep screaming). I first associated it with teething or fear of being left alone, typical at this age. But then the teeth were already out, and the fear was supposed to subside, so what can it be? He would also wake up a few times during the night and scream himself to sleep while I patted his back.
For a few evenings now, I've started breastfeeding and then letting him play for a few more minutes, then putting him to bed. It really worked, as he learned again how to put himself to sleep. He stoped screaming before sleep, he just babbles for a few minutes and falls asleep. But he keeps waking up a few times during the night! For example, tonight he cried from 2 to 3:30 am, as if not being able to fall asleep. I patted his back (again, picking him up doesn't help, he keeps crying and arching his back) until he stopped crying and started moaning, then he was quiet - maybe even fell asleep, I couldn't see - for about two minutes, the he would start crying again. It went like that, in cycles, for 1.5 hours. Then he slept until 7:30. Some nights he wakes and cries only for a few minutes, but does it 3-4 times per night.
What is it???!!! I don't get it !! He does know how to put himself to sleep, so why can't he do it during the night? Why does he cry so? He can't be hungry, I don't think anything hurts - not for a few weeks and only at night - so what makes him cry so histerically? I'm exhausted, I sometimes feel so angry with him for waking me up, I feel like screaming at him when he wakes me and does't stop crying for no apparent reason, and I'm also angry at myself for feeling that. What am I doing wrong?
Here is his daily routine:
7 wake up
8 eats breakfast - usually fruits
9 - 9:30 nap
9:30 - 12:00 activity, usually going to the playground with nanny. sometimes eats a snack - banana or biscuit
12:00 - eats soup, meat etc., then keeps playing
13:00 - breasfeed for about 10 minutes, one side only
13:15 - I put him to bed, falls asleep nicely (lately, before he would cry himself to sleep)
15:30 - wake up, activity
17:00 - breastfeed, then keeps playing
18:30 - dinner - solid food
20:00 - we start bath etc. with his older brother (2.5 years old)
20:30 - breasfeed , then a few more minutes activity
20:45 - goes to bed, lately falls asleep well
4:00 or 5:00 am - brestfeed and back to sleep
At night I go to him only when he already cries, I do give him the opportunity to go back to sleep by himself.
He does't have any props or lovies, does't want a pacifier, doesn't suck his thumb.
I know we don't go entirely by BW "rules", but this routine suits us best. I can't put him to bed earlier at night, because then his brother would wake him when going to bed himself. But I do think he sleeps and eats enough. What kills me is that he knows how to put himself to sleep sometimes, so why not all the time? And why does he keep crying so badly when he does wake? Why can't I calm him?
