6 month old - frequent night wakings - GS?

[tbsd]

Hi,

My almost six month old (10 days shy) has nevery STTN (i.e. from 7-7).  He has for a number of weeks been sleeping until 2-3 am from 7:30 bt (with a DF at 11).  He is BF and on a 4 hr EASY.  For the past month, when he wakes in the night, we hang back and he was often able to settle himself without us or we did a minimal amount of s/p and he fell back asleep.  This allowed me to feed him only once in the night after the DF.  He would then usually begin fussing and waking around 6 and I would get him up at 6:45 - 7:00 am. 

Beginning 3 nights ago, he started waking every 1.5 - 2.5 hrs.  He goes to bed around 7:30pm and wakes at 10:30pm, 1am, 3 am, 5 am and then seems ready to rise around 6am.  He is also no longer soothing himself back to sleep.  He cries instead escalate quite quickly and we have to settle him with a combo of PU/PD and sh/pat.  I still give him a DF at 11pm and so try to hold off feeding him until 3 am (which is 4 hrs later).  There have been a few evenings when he has gone 5+ hours without a feed so I know he can do it.  I also know that a GS happens at six months. 

Our EASY looks like this (typically):

E/A - 7 am
S - 9 am (normally 2 hrs and I often have to wake him)

E/A - 11 am
S - 1 pm (normally 2 hrs and I often have to wake him)

E - 3pm
A - 3 - 5 pm 
S - we try for a catnap at 5ish.  This doesn't always works.  Sometimes he goes for 45 minutes.  Other times he's fussy and wants to eat and then falls asleep on me for 30 mins or so.  Sometimes there is no CN.

E - Cluster feed - I find he cluster feeds at 5 and 7pm.  He has been doing this for about 2 weeks. 
A - 6 - 7:30 (if he CNs, if he doesn't than it's from 3 - 7pm)
BT - 7:30 (with a nurse but he his normally put down sleepy awake)

DF - 11pm

Just wondering if anyone has ideas about why he is now NW so often. 

1) Could it be the GS?  I have noticed during the day he seems to want to take both breasts (this is new). 
2) Also, what do you think that it means that I often have to wake him at 2 hrs from his naps?
3) Is there a link that talks about the 6month GS?

Thanks so much in advance!!!
 

[mmom]

I think after the 2 hour nap, you should be able to push the next A a bit.  2.25-2.5 hours is the average A at this age.  Also, if there isn't a CN, I would do a way earlier bt. 

Any chance your LO is teething.  Have you tried medicating to see if it helps?

[tbsd]

Thanks.  After a 2 hr nap, he tends to show pretty clear signs 2 hrs later that he is ready for another nap and is often asleep within 5 minutes of us taking him to his room.  He does do longer A times just not always consistently.  We have been finding that he seems to show sleep signs after being awake for as long as his previous nap was with the exception of short naps (45 mins or less).  He has always been on the shorter side of the A time but I will try to extend it a bit.  Won't this then mean that his E times start being more then 4 hrs apart if he continues the 2 hr naps?  I'm guessing that's not a problem. 

He may also be teething, however, if he is, the teeth aren't ready to cut, I don't think since there are no swollen bumps on his gums.  I was thinking that he was more entering the 6month GS. 

As for today, his naps were all over the place because of some outtings we had.  He was super tired so we tried for an early bt at 6:15.  He woke promptly 45 mins later (as he tends to do for any naps between 5 - 7 pm).  I only just now got him down after another feed (he's been nursing all day) but it took us a good 45 mins of s/p and pu/pd which is unusual for us.

Thanks for your insight.

[mmom]

Does he have any teeth?  Teething can cause chaos for months before teeth actually show.  The teeth moving down in the gums are the most painful. 

The frequent nursing signals comfort to me. For my LO that would be teething or reflux.

Often LOs show tired signs at the A times they are used to. Even on the low side, I would still try and push by at least 10 minutes or so.

[tbsd]

Thx.  Last night was much better.  I think we're moving beyond whatever was bothering him (either teething or GS), at least fingers crossed   I will try pushing his A times.  My first son was like clockwork on a 9am & 1pm 2-hr naps and 8pm bed time.  It was magic for him so I never considered pushing A times.