What is the main cause of 'long' night wakings?

[Sarah72]

I seem to have had success on dealing with my 8 mo son's NWs, but about once a week he still wakes up in the night and I will not be able to get him to sleep for at least 90 minutes.  His NWs have always been long - at 5 months I was getting about 3 hours sleep a night dealing with 2 long NWs. Is there a reason for long night wakings?

Any thoughts? Thanks

[Vicku]

The usual cause for DD's long NWs have always turned out to be teething (or illness). As it's once a week only I'm not sure what it could be though. Is there a pattern to which day of the week it is?

[Sarah72]

Hi, there is no real pattern to it - but thinking about it, it could be teething. I will see how the next few weeks go. Thanks

[yaya]

It could also be undertired UT, whats her routine like?

[Vicku]

Agree with Yaya that UT could be it too. Post your routine and we can have a look at it.

[Sarah72]

Thanks - I hadn't really considered UT as being a cause of them because I assumed that if he was UT he would seem happy when he woke. Probably got that wrong!

Anyway, yesterday I thought went well nap wise and was hoping that we wouldn't have any night wakings. I got that wrong too!

Woke at 4am - didn't get back to sleep until 5.30am, then woke at 7am.
A - 7.00 - 9.30
S - 9.30 until 11.15
A - 11.15 until 14.25
S - 14.25 until 14.55, worked hard to resettle him eventually at 15.45, slept until 16.30
A - 16.30 until 18.55
S - 18.55 (went to sleep really easily which I think is a sign of getting him to sleep at the right time)
Then woke at 21.15, took until 22.55 to resettle
Then woke at 4.50, asleep again at 6.10
Then I let him sleep until he woke at 7.45

I don't feed at all during the night.

I am getting this long early morning waking all the time at the moment. If he wakes after 5.30 I just leave him whining until 6.30 when I will start the day.

I know that first A time is short, but he has a really good nap with it and if I kept him up any longer he would be screaming the house down. Do you think it is time to start cutting the length of the first nap? We have always had better am naps than pm ones.

Thanks

[yaya]

If you suspect teething have you tried pain relief?

[Sarah72]

Hi, I am pretty sure the teething is over (for now!) but unfortunately we are still having NWs.

[yaya]

If you haven't already try some baby paracetamol or ibruprofen it's worth a try for one night see if any difference!

From the day you outlines it looks as though he's having a 2 hr nap in the morning? and a 45min in the afternoon. Is that a pretty typical day? I would personally aim to keep the am nap slightly shorter than the pm one and at 8mos maybe aim for maybe 3hrs A time...I copy and pasted this routine from the EASy FAQs:

8 wake
8.15 milk and breakfast
9 play
9.30 dressed, teeth brushed
10 nap
11 wake, milk then play/outing
12.30 dinner
1.30 nap
3.30 wake, milk and snack then play/outing
5 tea
5.20 play
6 Baby Van Gogh!!
6.15 bath,milk,teeth brushed,story
6.50 bed
7 sleep


How does that look to you?