What happened to my great sleeper... please HELP!!

[AfonsoandDinisMum]

Hello all

would love some advice!  my 6 month old ds has always been a great night sleeper, even at very young age he would wake up only one time per night to bf and at about 5 MO he started STTN.
About a week ago he started to wake several times during the night and I don't now what happened. We've experienced some nap problems since the 3 MO mark with 45 minutes naps but they seem to be getting better and now started the NW...
He uses a paci and nappy but he goes to sleep independently for all naps and bedtime.  When he wakes up during the night I just go in and give him his paci back and leave and he falls back to sleep again on his own.~
He is waking up 4 and 5 times per night and I'm so tired... I have a 3 YO and it makes me furious with myself not having the patience with him that he deserves...
Please Help

 

[Brodster'sMommy]

My two guesses would be either a growth spurt or the paci is becoming a prop. If it's a growth spurt, he most likely wouldn't be settling well with the pacifier - i.e. Spitting it out after a bit and crying again. Have you tried feeding him?

I have to run as it's almost midnight here i will pop back on in the morning. Hopefully you'll get some more eyes on this!

[AfonsoandDinisMum]

Hi

Well, another night with 3 NW.
I've been trying to remember the other nights and I realize that the NW almost always happen around the same hours: around 2:00, 4:00 and 6:30. Do you think that he is caught in habitual waking?

Yesterday I forgot to put his routine (maybe something in here that needs a change...)
E: 7.30 (somedays around 8.00) - bottle with 210ml
A: until 10:00
S: 11.30 (In a very good day, most of the time we have 1.10m or even 45 minutes nap)
Y:
E:12.00 (soup and fruit - he is eating solids since he was 4 MO)
A: until around 2.00 pm
S: 3:45 pm (sometimes this nap is almost 2 hours other times 1h15 minutes)
Y:
E: 4:00 (cereals)
A:until around 5.45 or 6pm (time we get home from picking up DS1 from school)
S: 30 or 45 minutes CN
Y:
A:from around 6:30 until 8pm (this includes bath, massage and pj's)
E: at 8pm (bottle 210 ml)- he takes a loooong time to drink this bottle and always with many cries and at least one stop for him to calm down and after eat everything.
A: walking around the house for windown and burping
S: 8:45 or 9.pm
DF: around 11.pm (150 ml)

I'm getting so tired...

[AfonsoandDinisMum]

Hi

Another night went by with several NW... What is going on... I can't understand why this is happening...

Please HELP!

[Brodster'sMommy]

Sorry about your rough nights. How are your responding to the night wakes atm? Paci? Rocking? Feeding?

I couldn't find anything wrong with your routine. The average A time for your LO's age is between 2.5-3 hours and you are staying well within that time frame. How are you responding to his short, 45 min naps? Do you put him down earlier for his second nap when he takes a 45 min morning nap? What is he like when wakes from a 45 min nap? Happy? Crying?

[AfonsoandDinisMum]

Hi

when he cries at night I just go in almost imediatly and give him his paci and he calms down and puts himself back to sleep (I know I shouldn't rush in to respond but DS1 has such a light sleep and we went for almost 2 1/2 years of NW with him, that I'm afraid that DS2 wakes him up).

Naps are now getting better (at least a little bit). The morning nap has been, the past few days of almost 2 hours, but the afternoon nap has been only 35 or 40 minutes and he simply wont resettle. He wakes up from that 35 or 40 minutes happy and playing in his cot alone (I usually ear him for almost 1/2 an hour playing and when he is tired of being there he starts crying for me)

I then try to put him early for a catnap but he takes a long time to fall a sleep, sometimes more than 30 minutes.

Tonight was bad again, with him waking 5 times... I'm simply at lost here.... when the naps started to get better came the NW...

hugs and thank you for your words

[Brodster'sMommy]

I think the paci is becomming a prop. I know this only because I am struggling with a similar issue with my LO and the paci is what's killing me. My problem is that I'm not ready to start the sleep training process. For many reasons such as family coming into town, a wedding this weekend, and good old fashion laziness I think the NW are due to the paci. Are you ready to let it go?

If your LO is waking up from his second nap after 45 mins and is happy, I think he could use more A time. Push him an extra 5 or 10 mins and see what you get. Some LOs don't need very much pushing, some LOs can take a huge jump in A time very well. Do what you think is best for your LO. Let me know how it turns out!