We are having some trouble getting our almost 7 mo to sleep through the night, and we are hoping someone might have some suggestions to help us through.
First I will say we have had some successes: We started the EASY routine on July 12 and have gone from 30 min. naps in the crib to 1.5 hr naps twice daily. He was getting up every 2 hours through the night, and now sleeps solid until approx. 2 am when it goes all downhill. He no longer uses a pacifier which was definitely a prop. He no longer falls asleep in our arms, but in the crib although we are still standing beside the crib and will occasionally put our hand on his back until he settles a bit, but never until he is sleeping.
Our trouble: LO wakes every night b/t 1:30-3:30 AM, but most often between 2:00 and 2:30 am, and does not go back into a solid sleep for the remainder of the night. I will note that he has never slept well past this time, and prior to July 12 we would randomly (although never nightly) take him into bed with us. And prior to July 12th my DH would take him at 4:00 am and he would sleep in his arms until around 6:00 am. I will also note that if LO goes back to sleep after 2:30 he will then wake again around 4:00 am.
Lo receives a DF via bottle (otherwise he is BF) around 9:30/ 10:00 PM. We will not feed him again unless he is screaming that scream and rooting which generally doesn’t happen until closer to 4:00 am, and not every night.
We have tried leaving him to sooth himself back to sleep which we will sometimes do, but will only remain sleeping for aprox. 15 min before waking again and he then generally becomes more upset.
We have tried intervening as soon as he starts to fuss, hoping to bypass the meltdown, which can succeed in doing that, but then he will still wake every 10- 30 min for the remainder of the night unless we were to keep our hand on his back, which for obvious reasons we can’t do.
We have done the rousing at 1:00 am hoping to short circuit the 2:00 am (ish) wakeup but at the most this has only extending the wakeup until 3:30 am and again not always.
PU/PD: picking him up when he is crying, he will almost immediately stop crying even before I am standing straight. I will say my motto and put him right back down, but on the downward motion he is already starting to cry again. We have done this for over an hour each night and he generally gets more upset before he wears himself out and will fall asleep, but again never in a solid sleep.
Our nap routine consists of saying goodnight to the sun while putting down the shades, reading 1-2 short books, sitting quietly for 3-5 min then putting him down.
Our night routine starts with a bath, then BF, goodnight to the sun, book, and ending by sitting quietly for 3-5 min.
His approx routine:
E: wake 6:00 AM, BF f/b solids 6:30
A: 3 hours
E: 9:00 but not to sleep eats outside his nursery
S: 9:00 for 1.5 hrs sometimes 2
E: 10:30 BF f/b Solid snack and Solids again at 12:00
A: 3 hours
E: 1:30 but not to sleep eats outside his nursery
S: 1:30 for 1.5 hours
A: 3 hours
E: BF 4:00 pm Solid snack
Bedtime routine starting at 5:30 pm
Generally speaking he is BF every 3 hours during the day, and having 2 meals and 2 snacks with solids.
We are fine with a 6:00 pm BT with a 6:00 am wake we aren’t looking to extend that, although right now it seems more like we are just giving up our battle at 6:00 am vs him actually waking.
How can we get through this, we are all v. tired?
Sorry for the long post, and if you have read the whole thing, thank you v. much!