7.5mo old, lots of NW- please help

[Jsmummy]

Please help me with my NW issues.  I am so tired!  

LO is 7.5mo, our routine is below.  From 3wks-12wks he slept 6-8hrs overnight (from about 11pm usually, cluster fed during evenings) but since then has rarely slept more than 3-4hrs without waking.  Obviously early on he was feeding overnight and I've thought there have been various reasons for the NW eg teeth, thirst in hot weather etc.  Previously had trouble napping (30mins on the dot) but tried the W2S recently and now naps 1-2hrs, usually 1.5hrs (but I still have to rub his tummy otherwise he wakes).  His NW are often at the same times, 4-6 times from 7-7.  LO doesn't feed overnight anymore, A time is 2.5-2.75hrs, has a dummy and comforter and is EBF (on demand but usually ends up as below).  For a long while now we have put him in cot sleepy not asleep and he usually settles himself to sleep pretty easily.  Previously did a dream feed at 11pm and he now often wakes around that time. D'oh.  Been on EASY since about 3mo, with short naps.

7am BF
8am solids
9:30am S
11am BF (sometimes this BF is before nap, I know this is a bad idea!)
12:30 Solids
1:30pm S
3pm BF (sometimes this is before nap too)
4:30/5pm Solids
6:15pm wind down, bath, BF
7pm S

Any thoughts or things to try greatly appreciated.  Not in to CC but think I need to help him settle himself during sleep cycles?!

Thanks

[ElsMom]

I'm no expert - my son is the same age and up every 3-4 hrs and won't settle without a BF, but he does nap well during the day- go figure. It looks to me like your DS could use a longer A time before his naps and a shorter one before bed. He may be getting OT from that long afternoon A time, but he might not be tired enough earlier in the day to nap really well. DS usually wakes around the same times within an hour or two, and if I hear him fussing at other times I try to leave him for 5 minutes or so, because he'll usually settle on his own. He has a different cry if he's trying to go back to sleep - more of a moaning cry instead of the yelling one that means "come feed me!"

[caseyb]

Hey there...

Sorry to see you are having so much trouble!  I'm in the same boat with my 7mo.  It's like my LO gets up to eat on schedule, every 3.5 hours.  I haven't been able to put more than about 3 hours of sleep together in weeks!  

After looking at your EASY, I wonder if your DS would do well extending his A time a bit.  I just read a post for EASY for 7 - 9 months.  http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=164030.0.  Once we get done with this bout of teething, I think I'm going to extend and see what that does for us.  I also agree with PP that maybe your last A time is too long.  Extending the earlier A times may conquer that. 

Hope this was somewhat helpful!

Caseyb

[sim75]

It certainly brought a change in my ds when I extended his A time to 3hrs at 7months.  But since then, we've had a lot of teething going on and we are away so we are having lots of NWs every night  But definately try extending the A time as it really helps to not have to stretch the afternoon out so long. Good luck!