6mo takes forever to settle if waking at night

[GeorgePorge]

Hello,
Tho I'm a new member, I have successfully used Tracy's books and found this site as a guest. So far The BW techniques have worked like a charm both when we dumped the dummy and to get DD to settle herself to sleep. Amazing! Now, though, I'm a bit stuck!

DD is just 6m/o and is on meds for reflux. I don't think it troubles her any more - a happy chucker prob due to meds. DD goes to sleep on her own for both nighttime (following a routine that we started at 6wks) and for naps (which are now usually 1.5/2 hrs thanks to BW). She is BF with a 150 formula DF. She was weaned early (4.5m) due to reflux and eats 3 'meals' (puréed - just started protein at lunch) a day.

The issue is that when she wakes at night she takes forever to go back to sleep (1.5/2 hrs). To start with she just grunts and wriggles. She does this for a very long time with the occ cry too. I leave her to settle herself at this juncture. Eventually (after at least 30m) she cries and - after a few minutes - I go in to find nothing wrong. PU/PD or Shh/pat (still likes my variant on that) commences and quickly settles her, the thumb goes in but she just can't go back off to sleep. We then revert to Pu/Pd or S/P a few more times (inc settled thumb sucking efforts on her behalf) and eventually she drops off.

I wondered if anyone had any ideas as to why this is happening or how to solve the issue. Many people have sugg some form of CC now she's 6mo but I don't want to do this. My mum wouldn't leave me in tears at 33 - why would I do that to her!?!

Thank you so much in advance!

[Erin M]

Hi there, welcome!

Could you post your EAS as it is right now (like this)?
E
A
S

Your daytime routine might need a little tweaking, which will help with your nights.  Well done on not listening to those who would have you do CC!   Love that line about your mom not leaving you to cry at 33!

[GeorgePorge]

Hi Erin M,

Thanks for taking the time to help!

Wake for day 645am...

E 7am (BF then Baby porridge and fruit)
A play gym/dress/few minutes to chill then
S 845am

E 1015 (BF)*
A swimming/singing/toddler group or some such but including (E) protein meal at about 1145**
S 1230

E 1445 (BF)
A walk in fresh air with dog
S 1630

E 1715 (baby rice 2 cubes fruit)
A singing/playing/naked pre-bath time! Bath at about 1820
E BF
S 1900

E 2230 DF (but usually wakens fully on being put down and settles self back to sleep again)

* and ** I have tried to ensure any baby activities are always in this slot. I either BF before heading out then feed solids whilst out or give both after activity. I am kind of following another method's weaning plan but haven't yet dropped the 11am feed as it would suggest or the DF. DD feeds quickly when BFing so I find it hard to know what she's having and therefore am reluctant to drop either feed until we have some better sleep going on!

Many many thanks

[Erin M]

From looking at your routine, my guess is that she probably needs some more A time.  Even though she's taking some good naps, she's probably getting a little bit too much daytime sleep and it's causing her to be a little bit too awake in the middle of the night!  You're probably headed in the direction of dropping the cat nap and getting on to just 2 naps a day (there's good info on that here: All about the 3-2 transition- 5/6 months) -- average A time at 6 months can be up to 3 hours (though by all means, you don't need to be that high!) -- I'd bump it out gradually by no more than 15 minutes every 3-4 days. 

The advice from the WHO is to keep at least 4 milk feeds until a year -- and in the BW books, Tracy recommends keeping the df until around 7/8 months (I didn't drop it until nearly 10 with my ds, just like the reassurance that he was getting the calories as he was a big and hungry boy!) so I would agree with your decision to keep it all! 

Oh, and I imagine that you know that feeding length isn't really a good indication of how much she's getting -- as long as she seems content to wait between feeds and is having good diapers, you're fine!

[GeorgePorge]

Thank you. That all makes sense - just have to convince her (but Mummy, in sucking my thumb and turning away. Why wouldn't you put me down for a nap?). I'll try a few low key activities and try and stretch the A gradually.

I'll have a look at the link too.

Thanks again

[Erin M]

Yeah, tired cues can get a bit unreliable at this age, they're just so used to sleeping at a certain time it's hard to convince them otherwise sometimes.