Author Topic: 7 mo waking at 2:00 AM won't go back down  (Read 1321 times)

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Offline Saygert

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7 mo waking at 2:00 AM won't go back down
« on: August 04, 2015, 13:31:55 pm »
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!

Offline nevinsmama

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Re: 7 mo waking at 2:00 AM won't go back down
« Reply #1 on: August 05, 2015, 03:00:13 am »
Hi there, welcome to BW! First off, great to see you acknowledging your successes! Also, when you say "left him to it" was LO alone? If so, I hope we can find some gentler methods to help you all get some rest as BW doesn't advocate leaving a LO to CIO or CC.

Have you tried just feeding LO at this 2 AM waking? My 2 were BF and still had a DF and NF at this age. NOt all LOs do, but is it possible he is needing that? I don't know if I would feed anymore than 4 hour frequencies, but if he has already gone 4.5 hours, I would feed him! That waking so soon after going back to sleep also sound like hunger to me.

When LO is going in to the crib for naps, is he AWAKE or drowsy? Is he putting himself to sleep or needing some shh/pat or some variation on it? If you choose to trial feeding him at 2AM, which I would recommend, then pending that I would persist with PUPD in the age appropriate version outlined here to get him back to sleep: How to PU/PD (inc age adaptations)
Hang in there and keep us posted!

Maryn


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Offline Saygert

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Re: 7 mo waking at 2:00 AM won't go back down
« Reply #2 on: August 05, 2015, 18:16:00 pm »
Thank you for your advice, I have gained a lot of useful information from this site as well as the books. It is v. much appreciated!
First, we have never done CIO. After looking into several different methods we both agreed on BW, and this has been our first attempt at incorporating a more defined routine as well as making solid attempts at improving his sleep. I suppose better late than never!

I think you are correct regarding the NF, my DH gave him a bottle of BM around 2AM last night and he did settle much more quickly, although he still got up every hour until 6 AM. So we will continue to feed him at night if he wakes and doesn't immediately go back to sleep. If he isn't waking for hunger I am not sure how to transition him to falling back to sleep on his own. He goes to sleep initially on his own. We lay him down in his crib awake, he generally will almost immediately stare into the void (is this considered drowsy?) and he will fall asleep now with us across the room (we haven't tried leaving the room straight away yet). With the staring he will also sometimes make a low meowing noise and kick his leg for a bit. He does this consistently for his morning nap and at bedtime, and sometimes for his afternoon nap. In the afternoon I will sometimes have to have my hand on his back when he first goes down. We don't do shh/pat anymore given his age.

He will often sleep a solid 1.5 hours without crying out, but if he does cry he doesn't sooth himself back to sleep without intervention from me. He will also generally want to know I am there and will reach out for my hand or keep opening his eyes to be sure I haven't left.  If this is going to happen it is always 30 min into his nap.

We have read chapter 6 repeatedly regarding PU/PD but I am still not sure if we are doing it right since it almost always seems to make things worse. Currently we are picking him up at a fussy cry (not sure if we should be waiting for a full on cry or not) we say our phrase and if he isn't crying (he often stops the moment we start to pick him up) then we immediately PD. After doing this several times he generally will continue to fuss cry even in our arms so we will continue to hold him although not for more than 2 min. At some point this seems to devolve into full on crying but in hindsight that could be because we should have fed him.

I am hoping the NF will help at least a little bit, but am fearful it will not resolve the frequent night wakings that still occur in the early mornings.

Again thank you again for your advice!

Offline nevinsmama

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Re: 7 mo waking at 2:00 AM won't go back down
« Reply #3 on: August 12, 2015, 02:00:34 am »
OK, I apologize for my absence and am so glad you haven't CIO.

WRT your questions, I would not pick up on a fussy/grumbly cry. Only PU when cry escalates in to "I NEED YOU!" I would try to settle and calm in teh crib whenever possible. Repeat your sleepy phrase, pat the mattress, rub back, pat on bum whatever works for him. Have you taken the Baby Quiz? KNowing which type he is can help shape your "sleep help" to what works fo rhim and doesn't overstimulate. I know you read the chapter in the book, but just wanted to drop this here in case you missed it: •   You don’t pick them up as a matter of course but you offer them pick up. You hold your hands to your baby and say “let me pick you up” and you pick them up when they reach to you. 
•   You pick them up in a cradle position and say “It’s okay, we’re just going to sleep.”. Don’t rock or sway and don’t make eye contact. 
•   Put them down immediately after you say your key phrase. 
•   Once your baby starts to soothe you continue to soothe with words and a hand for presence if this helps your baby.  Some babies may find this too disruptive so you take your baby’s lead. 
Baby quiz is here: http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=52283.0
Has he got white noise, a good dark room and is he swaddled? Are there any signs of teeth? If LO is going from eyes open when going in to the crib and is calming himself down then that would be considered "Independent." Hang in there and do keep us posted.

Maryn


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