8 mon old wakes almost every 2 hrs~~help please!

[ce-zxy]

So my DS is just over 8 months old. He has never been a very good napper/sleeper. Around 7 months his daytime naps finally got better (used to be a 30min napper despite what I tried, now can do 1-1.5 hours each, occasionally need a little pat at 45min mark). But now his night wakings are killing me....

DS is on EASY almost since birth. At 8 months our typical days are as follows:

7:30am up breast (both sides)
10:30-11:30 nap
11:30 lunch (solid food)
14:30-16:00 nap
16:00 bottle (5oz)
17:30 dinner (solid food)
19:30 breast (both sides)
20:00 sleep
4:00   night feed (breast, one side)

usually wakes 3-5 times during the night. For example around 9-10, 12-1, 2, 3-4, 6am, everyday is a bit different. I only feed him once at the 3-4am NW, sometimes feed more at the 6am one (just too tired to do shush/pat ). He would fuss a bit and quickly start crying. For 80% of the time, with a little bit shush/pat (less than 5min) he will calm down, fuss a bit more, and send himself to dream. But the other 20% it would take a lot longer.

We don't have a spare room so DS sleeps in our room. His cot is just next to our bed.

This kind of NWs have been on for a while (almost 2 months maybe?). Very occasionally we can get a good night with only one NW around 3-4am for feed.

DH and I both work during the day and we desperately need some decent sleep with longer than 4hours stretch...Any advice would be highly appreciated!!

[Skadiver13]

Hi hun just a few questions did this start around the time you introduced solids? Also is he an independent sleeper? Your easy doesn't look too abnormal so I'm thinking something else migth be going on. How long is he awake when he does wake? Is he happy or crying a lot. Does he try to Self settle?

[ce-zxy]

Thanks for reply!

We started skids around 5.5mon. His sleep did went downhill afterwards. There's no any other signs of congestion/allergy though. I'm not sure if we can call him an independent sleeper..During the day we put him down drowsy and he sometimes needs some gentle pat. For bedtime he normally just fall asleep right after feed.

80% of the night wakes are quite short. Maybe around 3-5min? Other 20% could be 15-30min. He either gets fussy and then starts crying or just goes straight to crying. I can tell he is trying to self settle. But I guess he is not patient enough and quickly become angry to find out he is still awake.

[michaeljacknnugg]

Is it possible to give him more milk during the day? I don't think we were down to two day feeds at 8 months. I think we were feeding roughly every four hours, with solids in between.

It could be that he is waking repeatedly because he is hungry.

[Skadiver13]

I would introduce at least an additional if not  more feeds during the day, get rid of the PM solids for now so that he takes a full feed at Bedtime. The short night wakings are probably not due to discomfort but the inability to self settle when he wakes up. Is he still swaddled? Just making sure temp is not to hot/cold, no lights etc could be disturbing him.

[ce-zxy]

He does take a full feed despite the pm solids. Actually we kind of serve the pm solids as a cluster feed... BTW he is a big boy in 95% for weight for his age. I do think he wakes up around 4-5am because he is hungry... I'm thinking about maybe I can try a dream feed (or just feed him when he wakes) around 9-10pm and cancel the 4-5am night feed?

For the last couple of nights he wakes up around 9-10pm (cry a lot), 1-2 am (easily comforted), 4-5am (feed) and 6:30am (fussy a lot and cry a lot so I just feed him again). Could the 9-10pm one and 6:30am ones be habit waking? or simply just unable to self settle?

Is he is just unable to self settle during the night, how should I respond him? Currently I whisper and pat him for comfort. Shall I just let him cry?

[michaeljacknnugg]

I think unless you can get more milk into him during the day, he's likely to wake for it at night. My friend's LO has tongue tie and didn't feed much during the day. THe solids keep him going but at night his tummy is empty and he needs more calories. Unless you can rule out hunger, I wouldn't try to settle him multiple times in the night.

[Skadiver13]

Hun if he wakes and you don't feed him and he wakes less than an hr later than he's just plain old hungry. If he's a big boy then he's going to eat more than someone smaller in stature and need more calories. By feeding him solids at BT at 8months you are actually taking up stomach space he would fill with BM. Maybe posting over on the BF page may help with a good feeding routine? At that age my lo was doing a feed at around 11/12 and again at 4:30/5. And he was small for his age. We slowly weaned that first feed around 9 months and the it became one 3am feed till about 10 months than we weaned that one. And he was FF, many BF babies need 1 feed till a year especially one that needs more calories.  Just some thoughts.

[ce-zxy]

Thanks ladies! I'll surely try giving one more bottle during the day!

Last night I stayed by his cot around 9-10pm, and jump to him and pat him when he just started fussy. He wasn't fully awake and went back to sleep without crying. And then he only woke around 3am for feed, and slept soundly to 7am. I remember same thing happened before.

I think I might try repeat for a few nights. If he only wake once at night, I'm totally happy with this 3am NF and will keep it as long as he wants. 

[michaeljacknnugg]

That sounds like a good plan. Let us know how you get on!

[Skadiver13]

You could also try w2s. Going in before he wakes and gently stirring him to reset his "clock".

[ce-zxy]

I can't find a way to w2s as he wakes up at different hours every night. He is always asleep by 8pm, but his first NW can be any time around 9pm-12:30am..

Recently I also find that his first NW might have something to do with gas!! So if I try to keep him more awake during BT nursing and do more burp pat, his nights are usually better.

Will come back and update!