5 1/2 mo wakes every hour after 11pm?

[Michmum]

Hi all,

I am hoping someone can help shed some light on what is happening with my 5 1/2 mo son. He has never been a great sleeper at night but has recently become worse. I used to be able get him to do 3-4 hours straight but now he wakes every hour after 11pm, sometimes every 1/2 hour! He is not distressed but starts off whinging then that turns to a cry. He sleeps wrapped and has a dummy and I can usually settle him pretty quickly by fixing those two things. If he is extra unsettled then shh/pat usually still works.     
I have a 4yo daughter so A time usually consists of running her around to kinder, swimming etc.
I am pretty sure he has started teething but no signs of teeth yet.

This is his routine:

7am wakes breastfeed (5mins each side)
8am cereal (was advised to start solids as showing clear signs of readiness)
9am nap (1 1/2 hrs)
11am bottle 240ml
1pm nap (1 1/2 hrs)
4pm bottle 240ml
5pm vegies
5:30pm nap (30mins) doesn't seem to want this anymore
6:30pm bottle 240ml
7-7:30pm bedtime

He has recently moved from having 5 x 180ml bottles to 4 x 240ml. i have dropped the 10:30pm dream feed because I thought maybe that was disturbing his sleep but now he seems worse.

He settles himself to sleep really well for naps and when I put him down at night so I figure something is waking him enough that he can't settle himself back, I just don't know what??

Any help would be greatly appreciated 

[becj86]

I'd say he probably need a bit more A time during the day - you say he's refusing the catnap which is a sign that its time to start moving to drop it.
Average A times and "Is my baby ready to increase A time?"

Are you feeding him at 11 when he wakes? He's pretty used to having that dreamfeed, so could well just be hungry - if you're not feeding him then and he's waking every 30min-1hr, I'd say that points to hunger or pain, hunger being more likely.

[Michmum]

Thanks for your reply.  I am not feeding him at 11pm but was thinking I will start again because dropping it hasn't helped at all.  I will try extending his A time and hopefully that might help.  I do go by his tired signs but maybe I will just stretch it out a little longer and see what happens...

[becj86]

He's likely in a bit of a rut with the A times - he's so used to going to sleep 2hr after waking that you'll have to take the A time extending pretty gently - 10-15mins every few days and keep that last bit low key, little walk around the garden or something.

[Michmum]

He is great at going down for his naps, never thought that might be the problem.  Thanks again I will give it a try.