Hi, I really need some help with my nine month old- I am feeling totally lost as to why she is waking up in the night and what I should be doing to help us both get a good night's sleep. I'm so frustrated and tired!
She has never been a good night sleeper, it seems as soon as we get things sorted she gets a cold or a tooth coming and everything goes to pot. But I really don't understand whats causing these new night wakings.
For the last couple of weeks she has been waking almost every night at different times (although always after midnight) and will cry on and off for about 2 hours before finally going back to sleep. Nothing really seems to help. Initially I put it down to possible teething even though I can't feel any more teeth about to break through so gave her teething gel on her gums or baby paracetamol in case she was in pain. But it didn't really seem to have any effect. I'm pretty sure she's not hungry as she eats well during the day and in fact still has a dream feed which I wanted to wean her off but then these nws started so thought I better wait until things settle (I'd already started the change though so she now only takes a few ounces at around 9.30pm). Last night I tried giving her a feed anyway when she woke up to see if she was hungry but she only took 2 ounces and then still didn't settle back to sleep for a further half hour at which point she'd been awake for 2 hours anyway so I think she was just tired. PU/PD or trying to calm her by talking in a soothing voice just makes her more angry, and the only thing that has any effect at all is for me to pat her back but as soon as I stop - even if I've been doing it for an hour and it seems that she's asleep, she'll be crying again 2 mins later. Even with the patting she will keep crying then settling then crying then settling for about 2 hours until eventually she goes back to sleep. Without the patting the crying quickly becomes screaming. I just don't get it!
She's an independent sleeper, takes good naps (2 naps of about 1.5 hrs) and goes down for bedtime with no problems. So what on earth is going on?!! I Just don't get it! I'm 6 months pregnant as well and so am really struggling with the bad sleep, I'm just exhausted and fed up to be honest. I'm doing my best so why won't she sleep?!! Please please help!
