5 month old wakes 1.5 hours before NF

[Alysa80]

Please help! My 5 month old generally goes down for naps and BT really well, but our problem is his NW. He get his last feed at 7:00 pm and is in bed asleep by 7:30 most nights. I DF at around 10:30 (as sometimes I have to wait for him to resettle, since it has caused a habitual waking). He goes back sleep  perfect but then it all goes down hill. Some where between 3:30 and 5:30 am he will wake up and start crying. Since I am trying to stick to feeding him at 5 am I shush/pat, 25% he goes back to sleep and wakes again in an hour, 75% he wines untill I feed him at 5. Usually its not crazy crying just loud wining and intervals of crying. During his feed he eats for about 15 mintues, then i put him back in his crib where h takes a few minutes some times longer  to resettle and go back to sleep till 7 or 7:30.But then he isn't even hungry till about 8! I am wondering if, since his long fussing period is concluded with a feeding if I am encouraging the NW.  I try to get him back to sleep but how far past his feeding should I go? Please help, I have a 2 year old too and wish to be a more rested mommy for him. Here is my easy. I am really discouraged!

Wakes:7:00
E     7:45
A     8:00
S     9:15 (2 HRS)
E     11:45
A     12
S     1:30(2 HRS)
E     3:45
A     4
S     Rarely I can get him to nap from 5-6
E     Cluster feed at 6
A     Bath at 6:30
E     Last feed 7
S     7:30
E     DF 10:30

[Bex09]

Hi there and welcome to the site.

Have you tried feeding your DS when he wakes? The fact that he keeps fussing and waking until you feed him could mean that he is actually hungry. You might find that if you just fed him when he wakes that he goes straight back down until 7am. You are still doing one NF so not really any difference, you are just feeding earlier. Plus if it settles him quicker you will all get a better night's sleep.

[Alysa80]

Sorry ok sooo long to reply, these nights have been killin me! Ok so I tries the feeding him when he wakes up and just wakes about 2 hours after that feed! So normally it is feed at 5, wakes at 7:30 about, feed at 4, wake at 6! Arggg! He is also waking in the morning not hungry at all. Wonder if I should stop dream feed. So many questions, so hard to fix! Haha

[Bex09]

The DF doesn't usually effect sleep until around 7 months, so if it has always worked fine in the past I doubt it would be that.

Is your DS breast fed? How much/long does he feed for during the NF? Does he fall asleep independently and does he have any props? Dummy, feed to sleep? etc.

I am also thinking his A time to BT is long if he won't take the CN between 5 and 6, which could mean OT. But that would usually show with frequent NW before midnight. How has the CN been going?

Don't worry we will work this out.

[Alysa80]

Ok so my son is breastfed but gets a couple onces of formula here and there. He does it small amounts of solids too.  We have already gotten ride of the paci and don't rock or anything to sleep. I am anal about following directions so he goes to sleep completely  independently. The cat nap has been going much better where he sleeps from 5-6. But now he is waking at like 6 am! Which hardly makes thr 5 am feeding useful. HR doesn't even want to eat at 8 like usual. I am wondering if instead of dropping DF I should exten 5 am feed to like 7? See how that goes. My first son really tricks me, being a perfect slapped and all. I swear.

[Tay]

Have you tried not doing the DF? If so what happens?
xx

[Bex09]

Yes you could maybe try pushing the feed later and possibly reducing the amount/time he feeds for and see if he can get through until morning. If he is truly hungry he will be sure to let you know! lol.

How long ago did you start solids and have the NW happened since then? Just wondering as we introduced solids early at 5 months on our Paed's advice for reflux and they caused awful NW due to digestive issues. So we had to stop and wait until 6 months.

[Alysa80]

Ok so last night I didn't feed him at the 5 feeding at our night went like this.
7:00 last nursing
7:30 asleep
10:30 dream feed
3- 3:15 NW
3:15-4:20 asleep
4:20-4:40,5  NW
5-6:15 asleep
6:15 awake
6:50 feed
Everytime he woke crying it was only in like 5 minute increments then he would try to put himself back to sleep. The crying isn't escalate it was always the same. I thought I he wa really hungry he wouldn't try to pit himself back to sleep so quickly. Last night wa tough but I am gonna try it again tonight. Thanks so much for helping. Oh and this has been going on since he was 3 months old and we just started solids last 2 weeks.

[Bex09]

Great that he was putting himslef back to sleep and without the NF too. How have things been since?