8 month old NW

[AngelHands]

Hello

My 8 month old is waking several times at night. He will wake a couple times during the night and then go right back to sleep once we go in and give him his soother and place our hand on his back, but at about 3 am he will wake and will be awake up to 2 hours sometimes. I always try to sooth him in his crib before picking him up at this time it seems like only picking him up will help him fall back to sleep. He will try to fall back to sleep but he reaches for me has to touch my face, my hair, anything- just keeps trying to touching things. It seems like this is keeping him awake. I have tried holding his hand but that hasn't helped either. Once he finally does fall asleep he will wake during the transition and we have to start the process all over again.

Our daytime routine is as follows:
7 am wake up and feed
7:30 am activity
9 am- 11 am sleep

11am feed
11:15, 11:30 activity
12:00- solids
12:30- activity

1pm-3pm sleep
3pm feed
3:15-6pm activity (won't catnap)
6pm feed
6:30 solids

7pm bath
7:30 bedtime

This is all the more frustrating because my son slept through the night for two- two and half months when he was around 3-4.5 months.

Please help me I am exhausted and desperate!!

Thanks!

[annette.xx]

sorry just looking and soooo jealous of those long naps!!! My LO is also 8 months and naps are a NIGHTMARE!!

tho I do think your NWs are definately down to needing more A time as Jane said.... I bet once you push them out a little you will have a brilliant sleeper both day and night!

my LO is only having about 2 - 2 1/2 hrs day sleep nowdays but sleeps thru night now with no NW so I shouldnt complain I suppose!! (aim for 3 hrs day sleep...dont do my rubbish nap amounts it leaves her cranky!!)

take it very slowly tho or he will end up OT!! Think this is the trap I fell into!!!

Annette.xx

[AngelHands]

Thank you both for your advice!

I understand what it feels like to have a short napper. My LO use to only have 20min naps. I worked so hard on increasing these- big hugs don't give up!

I will start to increase his activity time by 15 min. Can you give man idea what an idea day for an 8 month old on EASY would look like?

Thanks

[alethiaperry]

Just read your post.  My DS is 8mo as well.  Please DON'T do what I did.  I increased a too drastically and ended up with short naps and NWs for weeks!  Got it all sorted now and his A is 3.25hrs to 3.5hrs now.  Increase by 15 only.  Push for more than that and it will be a nightmare.  Our routine looks more like this now:

7am wake and BF
8:30 solids
10/10:15 nap #1 (only about an hour most days)

11/ 11:30 wake and BF
12/ 12:30 solids
2/ 2:30 nap #2 (only about 1.5hrs most days)

3/ 3:30/ 4:00 wake and BF
6 solids
7/ 7:30 bed for night
 

[alethiaperry]

Also... seems like this may solve NWs, as last A of day seems quite long... making for OT.  Might be having UT to OT days like we were having.

[AngelHands]

Okay, that makes sense. I kind felt like he is over tired by bedtime, but wasn't sure how to adjust his routine. I will increase his A by 15 min till I have found out the right routine A length.

Two other questions:
1. We have swimming lessons and bootcamp on Wed and Fri both which fall during his nap (10-10:30), any advice on how to tweak his routine on these days to have a happy-camper? PS- the sleep issues started before we started these classes so I don't believe it is from being over-stimulated- I may be wrong though.

2. I am still doing the dreamfeed because we aren't sleeping through the night yet. Could this be affecting his sleep? Should I be cutting this out or is okay to keep on with this until he is sleeping through the night?

I will keep everyone posted on our progress. Thanks for all the advice and support.

[alethiaperry]

For your Dream Feed question:
We dropped our dream feed about a month ago and I couldn't believe how easy it was.  In fact, the DF caused night wakings, but I was ok with him waking for this feed, as he always STTN after the feed between 10-11pm.  However, once he started solids and was eating well, I cut out the DF.  I think you'll find it's easier than you fear.  The first 3 days, I would go in (when he woke for it) and feed him only 1/2 the norm... then make sure he was awake (he hated that... but you have to make sure they're WIDE awake... not half asleep) and place him in his crib.  He'd scream for about 30 seconds (that's where I'd doubt myself), and then he'd go off to sleep.  By the fourth night, I just picked him up and put him back in his crib.  I did that maybe 2 more nights and he stopped waking for it.  But he did start some EWs between 5-6.  I was so shocked the first time he woke about a week after dropping the DF (I didn't see it coming), that I didn't know what to do.  I fed him.  Well, that started a host of other problems.  So, make sure you have a clear plan if he wakes in the night.  Go in there, tell him it's still time for sleep.  Put him back down and leave.  OR, put him down and stay in the room until he's asleep if that makes you feel better.  EWs are way harder to deal with than other NWs cause of the hours of sleep they have behind them.  Then, the next day, make sure they eat well and plenty during the day.  Hope that helps.