help 6mo screaming all nite

[j.and.e]

i've tried everything and lo is always dificult at bt. I tried cn, no cn, early bt, late bt, nothing works. Last nite was the worst. Bed at 8 Screaming until 8.20 (while i pat). Nw 9.15 (pat), 10.15 (feed), 1.20 (pat), 3.20 (20 mins patting), 3.50 (cried out but resetld) then slept til 7. During the day he is happy, does 2.5hr a time, naps for about 1.5hr, usually falls asleep independantly with no crying. He has 2gd naps and sometimes a short cn. I dont know what time to do bt but whatever i do isa disaster. Think it may be os, but posibly ot or ut, never just tired enuf! Please help! Will post the routines i've tried a bit later on the computer. Thanks!

[j.and.e]

e 7
a 7-9.30 (2.5)
s 9.30-11 (1.5)
e 11
a 11-1/1.30 (2.5) inc solids
s 1/1.30-2.30/3 (1.5)

after this i have tried no cn and 3hr to bt at 6pm, or cn at 4.30-5pm and bt at 7, 7.30 (or yesterday he slept from 4.45-5.30 and i did bt 8pm. I think he is Os from ds1 and i do bt alone so i need to help him calm down and settle quickly ideally. Sometimes he falls asleep quicky but wakes 40 mins later and wont resetle (usually on early bt days), or else he acts ot/os (frequently wakes but quick to resetle). Thanks for your advice! Xx

[Babyjmum]

I am having the exact same problem as you with ds3 at the moment. Like you I have tried every combination of BT early/late etc. I found with the frequent night wakings that I had to stop the patting. If he went to sleep with patting he would wake all night wanting to be patted back to sleep. I now just lay my hand on his back with the shh. This seems to work.
I will be interested to see what suggestions you receive from everyone.

[deb]

A couple random thoughts:

6 months is a huge growth spurt and developmental leap. Both my girls' sleep went wonky whenever there was a developmental leap imminent.

Is he teething?

How about reactions to the solids? Tummy troubles?

[jakobsmom]

Have you tried giving any pain relievers to rule out teeth?  My DS has had a rotten 2-3 weeks and we too tried everything....we would have a couple of good nights (with 1 night wake) but then it would fall apart.  That being said, he just cut his first tooth this week.  We kept wanting to think teething but it is so hard to know until you see the tooth if it is or not.  I found that the better nights were the ones when I gave him tylenol at BT then advil at his first night wake.  It is so hard to know what the issue is - my DS has never slept through the night.  We are happy when he does 5 hours stretches!  Also, we have had to really watch the amount of daytime sleep that he is getting 3 hours total seems to be optimal.  And we have been trying to get rid of the CN as well.  DSs bedtime used to be at 7 but lately (when his naps work out) he is up until 8, not sure if he is trying to tell us something???  I prefer the 8 bedtime - allows me to get a few hours of sleep before the first NW.  Not sure if any of this might help you - and please let me know anything that works for you as well!  When we do go in to DS during his NW he is always sideways/backwards/on top of his covers etc. so probably some developmental stuff too.

[j.and.e]

thanks ladies! Will hp its developmental. Guess i was hoping for a magic routine answer... Xx

[jakobsmom]

I completely agree with you about wishing there was a magical fix!  Every night I go to bed thinking 'ok maybe tonight will be the night he sleeps through' - have to keep on hoping!

[Syedoo]

Hope everything is going better with LO's sleeping. Im going through exactly the same thing w DD - 6 months, 3 weeks old. Ive tried dropping the CN, adding it, lengthening the CN, shortening it...nothing seems to be working.
After reading all the above posts, i'm hoping its just developmental and this phase will pass!!

[j.and.e]

I've been trying to reduce patting, and give him a short Bt routine, so its 15 mins, but is always bath, pj, book, lulaby, cuddle, bed. Ds1 can watch a dvd! At the mo i am tryin 20-30 min cn, then trying for a bt btwn 6 and 7. If he does 2long naps we try no cn. We have had 2days where he has gone down well. We had nws where he needed to be rolled over, but short (ie not 30 mins of patting!) Now i try just rubbing his back or a quick cuddle. I think things are improving (slowly) xx

[mjohnson33]

I am so fed up ladies!! I am going through the EXACT same thing!!!!  My DS (sounds like a male problem!! lol) will sleep great during the day and nights are a disaster!!! I dread BT every night!!  I have tried everything as well and nothing is working.  He wakes up so many times through the night....last night he woke at 5 am ready to party!!! I finally got him back to sleep around 5:45 and then had to wake him at 7:30 to go to work!  Here was his day yesterday:

Wake 8:30
E: 9am
A
S  10:55-12:20

E: 1:20
A
S  4:20-5:50

E: 6:00
A
solids 7:15, then bath
BT 8pm (fell asleep eating bottle at 7:50)

then woke every 5 minutes from 9:15 on until I picked him up at 10:15 and held him to sleep.  Then I put him in bed and he was very restless, started stirring around 1am then wokeup at 5am and had to work to get him sleep.....like posted above! Help me!!!

[mmom]

MJ, I would start your own thread. 

Looking at your EASY though, I would think your day can be tweaked.  You have a 4 hour A between the first and second nap.  I would shorten that A, so that you have a reasonable A until bedtime.  Is your LO just 6 months or older?

[mjohnson33]

sorry, I normally dont have the A that long in between naps.....that was just yesterday.  DS, just turned 6 months old last Monday. I will start my own thread.  Thank you!!

[j.and.e]

ok, horid naps but great nite! Bt 6.50 nw 7.30 and 9pm (fed at both) then slept thru til 5.50, playd hapily in his cot, got him up at 6! Naps were all 30 mins, but i squeezd a 4th one in (with a battle!) so 2hrs day sleep. Praps its time to drop the cn. Will see how today goes. Xx

[mjohnson33]

Yes, please let me know b/c I am dying over here!!!   I also work full time so I am unable to really control how his days are.  My sitters will do what I ask but I wish I could do the experiementing. 

[j.and.e]

ugh. Funny day again, got up at 5.50, and i put him down at 8.15, as i thought his 30 min naps y'day were OT. He did 1:05, then fell asleep again at 12.10 (in a noisy pizza restaurant!) but only napd for 30 mins. We went home and i put him down again at 2.30 and he slept til 3.50. I put him to bed at 6.30. He woke at 8.30 and i fed. Will try a df at 11.30 (or earlier if he wakes). Will see how the nite goes and try again tomorow. We are totally out of our routine! Xx