Sorry this is so long, but I want to try to answer the usual questions! I just do not know where to start in trying to fix this situation . DS is just over 6 months old now and stopped sleeping long stretches at about 3 months. We were hoping straightening out his EASY during the day would help, but three months later, it doesn’t seem to have worked although he now takes good naps. He is now waking anywhere from 3 to 6 times a night post-bedtime and will not go back to sleep without nursing (I am trying to make sure he is just drowsy when he goes back, not fully asleep, but sometimes cannot stir him awake at all). Most waking are after an hour or an hour and a half. Often he goes longer toward morning, sometimes as long as three hours, but usually more like 2 or 2 and a half. I work full-time and am the one getting up with him at night so DH gets sleep and can take care of our four-year old. I am fearful that there will be some very long times I’m awake once I start training him, as he does not quiet with PU and shh (he does not like pat unless it is when you are holding him in your arms) unless he has already nursed. He does go back to sleep often if he wakes early from a nap w/PU PD by DH or sitter. Seems a textbook baby.
He is breastfed when I am home and takes bottles of EBM during the day from either DH or the sitter. We started solids a few weeks ago but he is not a fan yet. I have not been able to do a DF because he usually wakes before two hours asleep… and on the nights he doesn’t I am starved for sleep myself and try to go to bed by 9. We had tried the dreamfeed a few months ago but it seemed to wake him up an hour later. He does have MSPI and is now on Pepcid in case he has silent reflux (although frankly, that was just grasping at straws).
Here is a typical day.
Wake 6:42 (happy, had a bowel movement which almost always wakes him)
E 8:35 (he had eaten a small amt at around 4:30 am) – 5.5 oz
A tummy time, play with DH or sitter
S 8:50-11:30 (bowel movement) – fell asleep on my DH on way to room for wind-down
E 12:25 3 oz. 1:20 3.5 oz
A play/book time
S 2-3:30 (bowel movement)
Bath at 6, Vitamin D drops
E 6:25 (nursed on both sides, fell asleep on me, tried to wake him by putting on sleep sack)
S 6:50
Woke crying at 7:10 – picked him up, held him til drowsy, he put himself to sleep in crib
Woke crying at 9, had another bowel movement
E: 9:05 3 oz EBM
S: 9:15 on own to 10:30
E: 10:35 ish Nursed, fell asleep on me
S 10:45-12 midnight
E 12 ish
S 12:15-1:30 am
E 1:30ishS1:45 am-3:20 – seemed to be trying to put self back to sleep but couldn’t quite do it
E 3:35
S 3:50-6 (went to sleep on own once in crib)
E 6:10
S 6:30 (Went to sleep on own once in crib)
