7 mo. old new NWs - want to try wake to sleep

[Ilariomama]

Hi!

My son has been sleeping through the night with no issue for a while now. We went on a vacation and since we've come back he has been waking up at 4:30am. He is back on his routine and it honestly didn't get that messed up. He was just a little extra tired and hungry. I thought the first couple times he woke in the night it might be a growth spurt, but it has been the same time for the last 5 nights. My husband and I have tried everything we know to try to get him back to sleep without a bottle, but right now that's the only thing that will work. We even tried reintroducing dreamfeeds a couple night but that didn't solve the 4:30am wake up.

I would like to try wake to sleep, but I'm not really sure how to do it. I know the concept and have read up on it in the BW book, but there honestly isn't much detail on how much to wake him and realistically how to wake him only partially and not fully.

I can really use your advice. Thanks!

[lauradj]

Hey there!  I've attached the link that outlines W2S in a really clear way.  My only suggestion for you is to make sure it genuinely is not a growth spurt, those can go on for several days.  If it is a growth spurt, W2S may not work.  As well, although it appears to you that the vacation hasn't affected him, time changes and location changes can affect babies a lot more than it affects adults so I wouldn't totally rule that out either.  Coupled together, you have two very good reasons for NW's. I would suggest you give it a solid week before you do anything.

How do I address habitual wakings? (wake-to-sleep and other methods)

[Ilariomama]

Hi there. I wanted to give an update and see what everyone thought.

My son is still waking up at night and I have not been able to break the habit or figure out why he's doing it. There have been 2 nights he's slept through but it's been 2 weeks now that he's been waking up like this. He wakes up upset and is not soothed by picking and does not want it does not keep his pacifier, which is his usual nighttime habit.

The first week he woke up at 10:30 and 4:30 very consistently. Now it's all over. We've tried dream feeding and trying to feed him lots of solids and of course plenty of milk during the day. Sometime he isn't interested in finishing his bottle before bed and then will wake up hungry.

Has anyone had experience with something like this? Maybe he knows he'll get fed at night maybe so goofs off and doesn't eat as well during the day? Sometimes though he seems to eat well and still wakes up. Could it be developmental or still a growth spurt? Any solutions? We tried once not going in and trying to soothe or feed him. He fussed a little and after maybe 10min soothed with his pacifier. He wasn't too upset so we felt ok with it. But then he woke an hour later and was very unhappy again so we fed him. I'm beginning to think the only way to stop this is to not feed him no matter what at night but I would like to see what you all think.

Thanks!! This is so confusing as he was sleeping through the night before.