11 Month old waking up throughout the night

[RainbowMama13]

My son is 11 months old. He started sleeping through the night when he was around 2.5 months old. He'd have his last bottle around 6:30 and be in bed by 7 pm. He'd wake up a few times throughout the night for his pacifier, but he'd go right back to sleep. We would have to rock him until he fell asleep and then he'd stay asleep in his crib.

About two months ago, he started waking up constantly throughout the night. The pacifier wasn't working nor was singing to him. We had to pick him up and rock him just as if he were a newborn again. He wouldn't eat and would usually only take 10-15 minutes to get him down.

But then about two weeks ago, he started where he'd scream until we came to get him. We'd have to rock him and he'd fall asleep, but the moment we laid him down (even if he was completely asleep in our arms), he'd be screaming and standing up again. Tonight he's been up for the last hour and a half refusing to sleep. We're clueless on what else to try.

His daily routine is as follows:

6:30-7:15 - 7 Oz bottle
9 am - breakfast
9:30 - nap (usually this only goes for about 20 minutes)
11 am  - 5 oz bottle (sometimes he'll only drink 3)
12 pm - lunch
2 pm - 5 oz bottle (sometimes he'll only drink 3)
2:15/2:30 - nap (also only about 20-30 minutes)
3:30 pm - snack
5 pm - dinner
6:30 pm- 7 oz bottle
7 pm - snack
7:30 pm - bed

For his bedtime, it usually takes us well over an hour to get him down because he fights it so hard even when he is clearly tired. He usually wakes up 5-8 times per night for the past few weeks. Some of them he'll go right down. Other times, such as tonight, it takes well over an hour.He wakes up in a screaming fit until one of us are in there to get him. And then as i said before, the moment he's laid back down, it's another screaming fit. 

He's a very active boy always on the go. He loves to play. After his last bottle, we start to wind him down. We give him a bath, read him some stories and snuggle up with him. So I don't think he's over stimulated at night.

He's had reflux since a newborn. So he's been on Zantac. That usually helps him calm down, but it did nothing tonight. He's also been teething since he was 4 months old (no teeth yet). The doctor has been saying for the last two months they're poking through, but nothing has happened. We try not to give him medicine, but nights like tonight we ended up giving him some Tylenol. It didn't do anything at all for him.

He does have a lovie, his sleep sack. He's worn it since he was a few months old and has become very attached. So now he has to have it all the time. He refuses to sleep without it.

Any help on how to fix this current situation would be greatly appreciated.

[Skadiver13]

Hi hun, after reading your post a few things stick out. One is he is reflux. When is the last time you had his dose updated? The reason I ask is Zantac is super weight dependent and at some point will stop working due to weight gain etc. Do you give it to him all the time or only when he seems to have a flare up? I'm wondering if something he is eating at night is causing a reflux flare up at night. Does he do this for naps too?

Second am I understanding your easy that he's only taking 2 20min naps a day? maybe I"m reading it wrong?

Third, has he ever been an independent sleeper or have you always rocked him to sleep?

[RainbowMama13]

Sorry it took so long to reply, it was hectic with the holidays!

His dose was last updated about 4 months ago. He doesn't need it very often anymore, so the doctor doesn't bother to change it. He does have an appointment on the 17th, so we may bring it up again since he's been needing it more often lately. About 3 months ago, he stopped needing it three times a day and we were giving it to him about once every 4-5 days. For the past 3-4 weeks, we've been needing to give it to him at least once every other day, sometimes everyday. He does act like this for naps also. He absolutely refuses to lay down to sleep unless we're holding him.

I'm not sure I understand about being easy with the 20 minute naps. I'd prefer that he takes a nap that is consistent to what he needs. Right now, I know those are too short for him. He wakes up groggy and super cranky. It takes a good 30 minutes just to get him happy again because he's still so sleepy. But he absolutely refuses to go back to sleep. We recently switched the humidifier in his room for a fan, last night to be exact. He's used to a colder environment and now that it's winter, his room stays warmer. Last night he slept from 8 pm until 5 with only one wake up. But after that, he refused to go back to sleep until well after 9.

As for independent sleeping - After about 7 months, he started to go down without being rocked. We'd snuggle him for a few minutes while reading him a story, kiss him goodnight and lay him down. He'd fall asleep on his own. Then over the last few weeks, he's started where we have to rock him to sleep and then he screams when we try to lay him down.

We've been giving him new foods, we realized. So we're cutting out everything new to see if that makes a difference and see if that had anything to do with it.

[Skadiver13]

Hi hun, he is definitely in the throes of 2-1 nap. So one nap ether in the AM or PM is going to need to be capped. So it sounds like he's got a bit of OT and I would definitely check out the doseage for his weight. My LO was off reflux meds for a good month at that age and then had a bad flare up and he's been on it again for another 6 months as teething gave him bad reflux. So if his doseage hasn't been upped in a while I be you the dose he's on probably isn't high enoug. You could post that question on the reflux boards if you want.

The other thing is you'll need to re-sleep train him again. Bummer I know but if you are rocking him to sleep it's become a prop and he wakes up and can  no longer re-settle himself.  However, if it is reflux no amount of sleep training is going to work while he's in pain.  I think removing any really new foods is a good idea while you figure that out.

As for your questions about being easy with a 20min nap? According to your easy you wrote in your first post it's saying he napped 9:30 for 20min and 2:15 only 20/30min??