7 month old waking at night

[Bobcat]

Hello

I'm looking for some adivce about my 7 month old son's night wakings.  He started sleeping through at about 4 1/2 months using PU/PD.  Recently things have started to go down hill.  He sleeps well about every second night but the other nights he can wake up 4, 5 or 6 times.  It's like he's a different child every second night.  He can self settle and goes off to sleep himself, sometimes I can hear him waking and going back to sleep himself.  On the bad nights I can just go in and sing to him and stroke his head and he'll drift off fairly easily - only to wake again, and again... I only go in if its his "I need you now" cry.   He is eating pretty well (although sometimes bottles are a struggle) and napping well.  He has one tooth and we medicate him with paracetamol and teething gel at night.  WHen he gets up he ususally doesn't want his bottle immediately so I don't thing it's hunger.  His A time is 2+3/4  - 3 hours and has about 3 hrs daytime naps.

His EASY is

A 7:15am
E 8am  - 6oz bottle
   9am - Porridge and fruit
S 10am
A 11:30
E 12:00 - 6oz bottle
   1:30 -  lunch (fish, chicken, veg, fruit+yoghurt)
S 2:30
A 3:30 or 4pm
E 4pm - 6oz bottle
   5:30pm - dinner (veg, fruit+yoghurt)
Bath 7pm
Bottle and asleep by 7:30pm
DF  4oz bottle at 11pm  (he still wakes for this and I've being trying to cut down but he still seems to need/want it)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated - thanks!   

[mmom]

The last A is a bit long and that could cause EWs.

I know you say you are medicating at night, but the meds tend to wear off early morning, so if there is discomfort, it will show then.  What are you doing when your LO wakes?

[Bobcat]

Hi.  Thanks fo replying.

When he wakes and I have to go into him I usually just stroke his head and sing a lullaby until he's calm.  If he's very upset I pickhim up for a cuddle but put him back down quickly.  I then move to the door and continue singing the lullaby until  he is quiet.  When I leave the room he is usually still awake.  If he wakes more than 4 hours since his last med dose I usually give him more calpol.  It seems that once he wakes once he gets into a cycle of continuing to wake every 30 or 45 minutes.  It seem like its all or none with him.

I wonder is there any way of trying to break the cycle on the bad nights.  He is beginning to roll around in the cot which he never did before (he's been rolling for a while but not at night) so maybe it's just a developmental thing?

[mmom]

Developmental leaps can definitely cause NWs. They start practicing in their cribs.

Waking so often seems like discomfort to me though.  have you tried something stronger at night like Ibuprofin?  It lasts longer and tends to work better for teething.

[Bobcat]

I'll try the ibuprofen and let you know!  Thanks for your help.

[*Kara*]

Just be careful - Ibuprofen shouldn't be given on an empty tummy

[mmom]

Just be careful - Ibuprofen shouldn't be given on an empty tummy

  When you have a wicked teether, it becomes a benefits vs risk kind of thing.  IYSWIM

[*Kara*]

Oh for sure... I do give it to her at night, I just make sure to give her a small 3 oz bottle to combat any tummy upset... and of course, the nice warm bottle helps to calm her back to sleep when teething is keeping her awake

[Bobcat]

Hi there. 

Just an update to say that things have improved.  Like I said my lo was getting a dream feed of only 2 oz, only it wasn't really a dream feed as he was waking for it,  then when he woke at night I was giving him teething meds with a dodi-cup.  I think he became used to being given something to suck when he woke up crying and his ability to self settle disimproved (I previously had to use pu/pd to stop using the soother).  Anyway I stopped the 11pm feed and started giving meds with syringe or as a suppository.  The first two nights he only woke twice and last night slept from 7 - 7. He's also taking more formula during the day.

I also cut back his evening A time as suggested.  I do think that developmental changes are playing a big role too, he is desperatley trying to crawl and getting so frustrated when he just goes backwards.

Anyway, thanks for all your help.  I know this STTN may just be a fluke but I feel at least we're moving in the right direction!

[mmom]

I am so glad you are having better nights!

[*Kara*]

Awesome!