Sudden night wakings - every 45mins - 1 hour - please help me!!!!

[snowbird]

Hello,

I've been having problems with my LO and night wakings.  It started off with a few times in the early hours of the morning where she would want her soother and then

Last night she woke up every 45 mins - 1 hour from bedtime until 5am when she then slept for 1.5 hours.  She woke at half 6 and for 15 mins I tried to get her back to sleep as her EASY begins at 6am.  She wouldn't go off so I got her up at fed her for 7am.  When she wakes up she grumbled loudly until I went to her and, once her soother was back in, settled to sleep with me just holding her hands where she tried to grab her soother.  She regularly tries to grab the soother now.  She can take it out and put it back in.  The only problem is she transfers it to the other hand and then tries to put it in the wrong way round (she is holding onto the teat part!) Once she is calm I can let go of her hand/s and she settles herself to sleep.  Her naps weren't great in the day: 1h15, 1h45 and 30mins.  No catnap as I'm transitioning to 4 hour EASY.

The previous 2 nights were as follows: she slept through from being put down for the night (and a dreamfeed in the middle) until 1.20am (the 1st night) and 1am (the second night) and continued to regularly wake up until I fed her at 4.45am (the 1st night) and 5am (I think, the 2nd night).

The NWs have started since we started to amend our EASY as we are trying to transition her to a 4 hour EASY from a 3 hour one which we had perfected!

She moved to her own room a week ago (from ours) but that doesn't seem to be the problem.  She was used to napping in her own room in the day anyway.

I know the soother is a prop but I am hoping to stick with it as she is so close to being able to put it in herself and she finds it a great comfort. 

LO has woken a few times already this evening - looking like every 45 mins again.  Hoping we are not going he same way as last night.  Can't face yet another night with no sleep!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Snowbird xx

[darcys mum]

Hi Snowbird,

I think we are in the same boat! DS has been doing this for the last 6 weeks however
I wonder if it's an age related thing?
He also does the same thing with his dummy!

[snowbird]

I do think it's developmental but there must be something we can do. It's so bad! Can't imagine how you're coping after 6 weeks. Are you having constant wakings EVERY NIGHT?

We did have a better night last night. Woke after the 1st and 2nd cycle but then slept until 3.40am.think I disturbed her as I went in to turn the fan off - was worried about her being too cool! Anyway, i  settled her and she did go through until 6.10am but couldn't get her back off after that (easy starts at 7am). Not sure if it helped that i settled her without her soother after the dreamfeed. Think it meant she could settle herself when she stirred in the night. Had to give dummy at 3.40am though.

Naps today: 2 hours (couldn't believe it!), 1 hour and then a 30 min nap in pram. Tried to get her cat napping but not interested so going to bath her and put her to bed. Hope the naps don't make tonight a bad one!! 

[~Sara~]

Have you tried swaddling her?  Some LOs just need it to keep their hands from waking them up.

[darcys mum]

Yep, EVERY NIGHT!!!
Went to visit our Child Health Nurse yesterday and she thinks he may have a little bit of silent reflux She suggested first trying Brauers natural stomach calm and a visit to a paed chiropractor and if he is having a really restless night a little bit of mylanta.
Last night I gave him a bit of the Brauers and elevated his cot at one end and he did sleep from 7pm to 6am (with 11pm dreamfeed), not sure if that did the trick or he was finally exhausted or a combo of both!!! A good nights sleep sure feels good though

[snowbird]

Looks hopeful! Can't imagine how tired you must be feeling!

We didn't have a bad night - up once on the night and wouldn't go back down when she woke at 6.10am. Going to W2S tomo am!

Having some probs with naps, especially the last one - think I need to focus more on her tired cues. Also probs when we go out and she needs to nap in pram/pushchair. Napped on way home today as planned ( in pushchair for 45 mins ).then tried to get het to take next 45 mins in her cot but she was not complying lol! Prob over tired! Got there eventually - 45 mins sleep for over an hour of hard work getting her there.

Thanks Sara, yes - we've been swaddling her but weaned her off it over the last couple of weeks as she's 19 weeks now. Did 1 hand and now both and she is in a grobag.

[~Sara~]

Glad last night was good   With the naps out and about, my DS was like how you described: he would only sleep one sleep cycle and that was that; he wasn't UT or OT, he was just not in his crib   Honestly, I think if she's not resettling for her nap after ~20 minutes, just go ahead, count that 20 minutes as A time and put her down for her next nap earlier (normal A time minus ~20-30 minutes).

Keep us posted, hon!  Hopefully she's not waking every 45min-1h at night