Hello,
Was hoping I could get some insight and maybe some suggestions. M has never been a good sleeper. Ever. I think the longest stretch of time he's ever slept is 6 hours, but that was twice. 5 hours straight maybe 3 or 4 times. He typically wakes every 3-4 hours, even if he has had a really long NW. I can't remember when the long NWs started -- I think maybe about 2 months ago. They are the norm, a night where he has an NW and settles back to sleep easily is the exception. I have no idea why and what to do. Please help me! I can't believe he's almost 7 months and this is still going on!
Here's his EASY:
6-6:15am - WU (although sometimes it's 5:30 or 5:45)
7:30am - E (2-4oz of formula, 4 tbsp of solids)
9:00am - S - this one is tricky -- I have a preschool run every day at 8:30. If he has had a really bad night or if he has awakened really early, he will fall asleep on the way there for a few minutes. In that case, I am able to wake him when we get there, and keep him up until we get back home and put him down in his crib, then he'll fall asleep by 9:15. If he doesn't fall asleep until after we drop off, around 8:50, I just drive around and try to get him a nap of 1.5 hrs - he doesn't transfer well and I fear waking him and putting him down as we have to go back out at 10:50 to pick S up. In general, though his nap will last about 1 hr 15 to 1 hr 30 min. On occasion, 2 hours.
10:45isham - WU
11:30am - E 4-6 oz formula
12:30pm - 4 tbsp solids
1:45ishpm - S
3-3:30pm - WU
3:30/4pm - E 4-6oz formula
6:00pm - 2 tbsp solids
6:30 Bedtime routine and 4-6oz formula
7:00 - asleep (he falls asleep totally independently)
10:00 - NW1, E 5-7oz, usually goes back to sleep pretty easily, but on occasion not
1-2 - NW2, this lasts for 1.5 to 2 hours
2:30/3 - S
5-6 - up again, sometimes just stirs and puts himself back, sometimes needs assistance, sometimes a bottle, sometimes just up early, usually up for the day between 6/6:30
During NW2, I start out by patting. If he doesn't quiet down from that, I pick him up. Only if he continues to cry do I try to feed him. With that said, even feeding him does not put him back to sleep. Rarely will he even take a full feed at this time. I really don't think that's what he wants, but I am usually getting desperate at that point. Many times, he will fall back to sleep with patting etc, but once I get back into my room, 5 minutes later he's crying again. This goes on for 2 hours. I try to rock him once I'm really desperate and he may quiet down, but won't go to sleep. If I think he is asleep, I'll put him down and he'll cry again about 5-10 min later. He knows how to sleep independently for both naps and BT so I don't know what is going on. We had a few nights last week where he did sleep from 7-1, was up for an hour, and then slept until 5:45. We always get a random night thrown in there - usually not necessarily better, but different, which throws me for a loop. I am wondering if the 10pm feeding, which he wakes for is throwing him off. With that said, he takes 7oz at that feed, so I don't know. I feel like if it were a DF, he may sleep longer versus him waking for it, but I don't think it makes sense to DF him before 10 which is what I would have to do, and it probably doesn't make sense to try to establish a DF now that he is almost 7 months old. Is it time to wean the NF? He isn't used to a bottle at a specific time in the middle of the night (only the 10pm one) so I wouldn't even know how to go about this because sometimes I feed, sometimes I don't.
His naps have been good lately, but we always have the odd day of a messed up nap because of preschool or doctors appts, etc. Could he just be so OT from months of bad sleep (which I believe initially started due to his reflux) that we can't get it to work now?
He cut his first tooth last week, started solids close to 6 months, and doesn't seem to be in as much pain from reflux anymore. I don't think it is the solids because I try new foods in the am and he doesn't seem to be bothered by it during the day. Also, even when he doesn't have solids we have these issues.
Developmentally he is doing new things constantly, and for awhile I thought it was because he was trying to sit up, but now he can sit up on his own and is even crawling (in his own way). He even pulled to standing in the crib the other day (another story).
It just seems like he cannot settle with or without help at that NW. Please help! I can't believe that we are almost at 7 months and he's still not sleeping any better. It doesn't have to be perfect, but just a little better, like shorter NWs?
TIA!!