Okay, so NWs are not new here. Basically we have a 10 month history of 6-20 NWs due to digestive issues, AP issues, etc. Prior to 3 weeks ago ds3 was half swaddled, me nursing him then popping in the soother and patting, sometimes rocking, sometimes walking to room to get him to sleep, then putting him down. For NWs occasionally we could settle in the cirb but usually had to pu and pat and sometimes had to feed.
3 weeks ago I started PD which kind of bombed as he would scream for up to 2 hours in the night. We then moved to me sitting beside the crib telling him to lie down. He likes a hand on him but I am weaning that. He still uses a soother and refuses to put it in himself so I am in the process of trying to get him to replug (I know he can, he just wants me to do it). But he has gone from major protest crying and hysterics to mostly whinging, whining, and occasionally frustrated crying. My plan is to gradually move out of the room.
Problem is the last few nights we have had major NWs with him up repeatedly in the first and last 3rd of the night. He might do a stretch of 2-4 hours in the middle of the night. When he wakes I go in and do what I have been doing at bedtime. He looks uncomfortable. Tries to lie down but can't seem to get comfortable. He will get back to sleep only to wake 10-30 minutes later. I sometimes feed him in an attempt to make him sleep a longer stretch. I'm still feeding at least once a night. Plan to wean that eventually but find it easier not to have to do that at this point while still getting him to go down independently (I really struggle with the 2hr screamfests).
So, he is teething. Top four teeth - outer two are breaking through, middle two are white and bulging. He is a drool machine, constantly with his finger in his mouth. He cries when we touch them. But I am medicating at night. He also has a bit of a cold - just runny nose really, which could be the teething, but I think is actually a slight cold.
Could this be it? I am desperate to see some improvement in our nights after all the hard work sleep training. I know he's not totally independent yet, but is much more so.
