Extreme night waking and don't know where to start

[CaelsMommy]

I'm new to this forum but have been reading the BW before C was born.  I find myself completely confused about what is happening.  This post could also be related to prop issues, but not sure...
He was waking constantly in the night as his dummy fell out to be replugged.  Nine days ago we decided to wean him from the dummy in the hope that he would stop waking in the night.  He took about 5-10 minutes to settle down (using shush/pat) without the dummy for the first days and we seemed to be making progress (note he is swaddled)
Three nights in, he slept through from 7pm to 5am. Since then things have been getting gradually worse.     He takes longer and longer to settle down.  A few days ago I unswaddled one arm, and he put himself to sleep for a nap with his fingers in his mouth a lovey that has been in the cot for a long time.  Yesterday at his lunchtime nap I tried to settle him using PU/PD and shush/pat for one hour, until I finally gave up in tears.  He is also teething, but I don't think this is always the issue because he has Calpol and bonjela at regular intervals.  My husband was able to put him down using shush/pat about 1.5 hours later because C was exhausted.  Last night, he went to sleep after feeding without any help, but then woke at 11, screamed with PU/PD for 3 hours (would fall asleep for 10 minutes once an hour).  I gave in and fed him, which always works, he woke up 10 minutes later.  I did PU/PD for another hour, without much PD because it was constant screaming.  Finally went down for 2 hours, then we started all over again at 4am until 7am when my husband got up with him.  This was the worst it has ever been with him.  I'm tempted to give the dummy back because at least he went back to sleep almost immediately with it.  Anything is better than this crazy mess we have created.  Normally our daily routine is below.
A little background:
How old is your child? 5 months, 1 week
What’s his/her daily routine? We were on a 3 hour routine, and i've been trying to get to 4 hours...
7am: wake up
E: 7am - both breasts
A: 8:15 Solid breakfast
S: 9 am for 30m to 1.5 hours depending on the day
E: 11 am - one side or both sides
A: Solid lunch around 12
S: 12 for 30 to 1 hour
E: 1:30ish one or both sides
A:
S: between 2:30 and 4, doesn't always sleep
E:between 4 and 5:30 one or both breasts
E: 6pm
A: bath
E: 6:30
S: 7pm
11:00 wakes up, needs to be resettled
02:00 wakes up needs to be resettled
04:00 wakes up needs to be resettled
05:30 wakes up needs to be resettled


When you go to him/her is she fussing or crying? Or is it a mantra cry? We usually go in when he starts to fuss a lot and start the shush/pat.  He does a mantra cry as he falls asleep.
What have you tried to settle?? PU/PD, shush/pat, rocking, jiggling, sound machine, projector mobile
What do you do for A time and how long is it? He usually does A for 2 hours, we play with developmental books, read stories, bounces in his jumperoo, eats solid food.
Are there developmental issues such as teething or milestones? TEETHING! Two little white buds are peeking through.  He is regularly given calpol or calprofen and bonjela and teething powders.
Have you introduced cereal? Why, how much, and how many times a day? (for LO’s under 6 months) - he has cereal in the morning for breakfast
Do they have a prop? If so what is it? Used to have a dummy
Do they have a lovie? Yes, he has a bunny and also a silkie little blanket

Please help me, I don't know what to do - I know we are being inconsistent but I feel lost and don't know where to start!

[becj86]

Just so I'm not missing it, does your LO have reflux? The frequent feeds, wakings and short naps and difficulties since you weaned the dummy could be related to that... also the length of time PUPD is taking to have any effect shows that there's something amiss, in my opinion. Now that may just be that you've given in and fed after so long and he's learnt that if he cries long enough he'll get a feed, but it may be that he is in pain.

What is his temperament?

Are you feeding him at all in the night? I just wonder, as its not unusual for a BF baby to be having one or even two feeds at night at this age still and he may be genuinely hungry, especially when he's waking so frequently in the early hours of the morning.

When did you start the cereal?

Something else that strikes me if that he has quite a low amount of day sleep - are you doing set naps or aiming for a specific A time?

[CaelsMommy]

Thanks so much for getting back to me!
He has had reflux in the past - so maybe recently it has been worse in the night and I haven't picked up on it?
 
Things have improved since I last posted, he is now usually sleeping though the night, or waking up only once to be fed.  PUPD is also taking less time, as my husband realised he wasn't doing the technique properly.  Now we are both on the same page and LO is going down really well, and is easy to resettle with PUPD (usually not even necessary though).  I've also realised that the Bonjela and the Orajel that I gave him in the night may have been making him hyper - a few of my friends have had this experience.  Now he is exclusively on a natural teething powder that seems to do the trick. Also, I know that the FDA recommends against Orajel, so best to stop using it anyway.

As for the short naps - this is something we have tried to address with him in the past but he doesn't seem to be able to sleep longer than 1 hour max during the day.  However, he is really happy when he wakes up and doesn't act tired again until it is time for his next nap - so I think maybe this is just his natural rhythm - what do you think?

We've also been working towards a 4 hour EASY, and things seem to be falling into place, so perhaps his naps will extend as we solidify his schedule?  Would be great to get some feedback on the napping situation.

[becj86]

I'd say you may have been in the 4-month regression, then - it happens when LO's sleep patterns become more cyclical and baby has to learn how to stay asleep through that light sleep transition to the next cycle of sleep. If PUPD is working and he's back to sleeping well, reflux probably isn't an issue.

He should be well and truly onto 4hr EASY by now - A times up around 2.5-2.75hr after a good night/nap and maybe slightly less if the nap is only 1hr. Most babies are at 3hr A time and dropping the catnap at 6-7 months of age.

As for the short naps - this is something we have tried to address with him in the past but he doesn't seem to be able to sleep longer than 1 hour max during the day.  However, he is really happy when he wakes up and doesn't act tired again until it is time for his next nap - so I think maybe this is just his natural rhythm - what do you think?

Its possible, absolutely. Just that at the moment with these short A times, its hard to tell whether its that or undertiredness.