Author Topic: 7 month old doesn't sleep at night  (Read 24974 times)

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Offline becj86

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Re: 7 month old doesn't sleep at night
« Reply #15 on: February 08, 2016, 08:22:00 am »
It may well be worth increasing those A times by 15-30min in the second of those 2 weeks and see what happens to the naps. I think if you were to get an OT nap (30min), then we'd know we've maybe gone a bit far and at least know where we should stop for a bit. Its so hard to know when his nights are still so broken :-/ It would not be at all unusual for a LO of his age to have A time of 3.5hr, so might be worth another jump just to see if that helps him get a stretch in somewhere in the night.


Offline Islandmama

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Re: 7 month old doesn't sleep at night
« Reply #16 on: February 09, 2016, 04:22:45 am »
Okay, when we do that, should we wake him up earlier in the morning to accommodate the increased A time?

Today was a complete bust. He was totally OT for his first nap because of increased NW last night. He only slept for an hour and wouldn't go back down. If he woke up at 12 instead of 1, do we still put him down at 4 for his next nap or do we put him down an hour earlier? He was very clingy today and wanted to nurse more than usual. I wish I could say teething (he has no teeth yet) but his gums aren't swollen at all. Tonight for two NW so far he refuses to be rocked to sleep by his dad and screamed until I fed him. Perhaps a growth spurt? He will be 8 months in two weeks.

Offline becj86

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Re: 7 month old doesn't sleep at night
« Reply #17 on: February 09, 2016, 04:35:12 am »
An hour nap is generally undertired. I'd say that is a good sign that he's recovering some of the sleep debt and you could increase the A time now. Could be GS, could be the feed to sleep association, could be ill or teeth moving around. If he woke at 12, it would be PD for next nap 3hr from when he woke, so 3pm. You're working on how long he is awake, not set nap times.

You can wake him earlier or just put him down for his nap later. What are your ideal wake/bed times?

Offline Islandmama

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Re: 7 month old doesn't sleep at night
« Reply #18 on: February 09, 2016, 05:53:39 am »
I would love to have him on an 8am/8pm wakeup/bedtime or 7:30am/7:30pm, which would give me some time with my older boys before they go to bed.

Offline becj86

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Re: 7 month old doesn't sleep at night
« Reply #19 on: February 09, 2016, 08:13:34 am »
A 12hr night might be a bit pie in the sky once he's sleeping better...

Offline Islandmama

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Re: 7 month old doesn't sleep at night
« Reply #20 on: February 09, 2016, 11:54:38 am »
Oh I was just answering your question about ideal wake/sleep times, I thought that's what you were asking :) Technically he goes to bed at 8:30pm and wakes up at 8am, it's just the frequent NW that are difficult. I dont expect him to aleep 12 hours straight, but decreasing to just one or two NW would be a dream come true for me haha.

Offline becj86

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Re: 7 month old doesn't sleep at night
« Reply #21 on: February 10, 2016, 06:18:41 am »
Right, so something earlier, with BT around 7/7:30 would be better? I didn't mean straight sleep there, I meant night length - from BT to waking for the day.

How has he been going with the increased A time?

Offline Islandmama

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Re: 7 month old doesn't sleep at night
« Reply #22 on: February 10, 2016, 06:30:57 am »
So we should try for an 8am WU/7pm BT, correct? Tonight was an improvement - he has been going 2.5 hours at a time, although we are on the second NW now and he is taking 30 minutes so far to go back to sleep. I do wonder if it is teething as he keeps jerking awake after falling asleep. He also has some eczema and gets very itchy at night which probably doesn't help.

Offline becj86

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Re: 7 month old doesn't sleep at night
« Reply #23 on: February 10, 2016, 10:21:00 am »
No, 8pm BT, 7am WU - an 11hr night length is a more reasonable expectation at this age.

Are you treating the eczema? Being itchy definitely won't help and I'd say it's probably not worth sleep training until that's at least under control. It may never be completely gone but if he's uncomfortable like that, he will wake - perfectly reasonable.

Offline Islandmama

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Re: 7 month old doesn't sleep at night
« Reply #24 on: February 11, 2016, 04:34:08 am »
The eczema is not severe but before we knew that's what was causing the itching, it was untreated and I think caused some of his early sleep issues - even while cosleeping he had several NW and was fairly restless. Since we have been treating it (about two months now), he seems much better and only scratches when irritable or sometimes at night when the air gets dry. NW during cosleeping stopped entirely so I definitely think it was bothering him a lot more before.

Offline becj86

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Re: 7 month old doesn't sleep at night
« Reply #25 on: February 12, 2016, 00:52:00 am »
Ok, if under control, its fine to ST, just not really fair if they are uncomfortable or ill, yk?

Offline Islandmama

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Re: 7 month old doesn't sleep at night
« Reply #26 on: February 13, 2016, 04:54:19 am »
Yes that makes sense for sure! Just an update that NW are now every 2.5 sometimes even 3 hours instead of every 45 mins to an hour. And he is much happier during the day and less OT at naptime. No more rocking for half an hour either - he goes to sleep after only a minute or so of rocking. Definite improvement!

Offline becj86

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Re: 7 month old doesn't sleep at night
« Reply #27 on: February 13, 2016, 06:31:23 am »
That's great progress already. FX for a steady improvement :)

Offline Islandmama

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Re: 7 month old doesn't sleep at night
« Reply #28 on: March 22, 2016, 23:07:17 pm »
Just an update! We are just now attempting shush pat in the crib after weeks of multiple illnesses in our house - a stomach bug that hit every one of us and the flu twice! Everyone is finally better but now my little guy is having extended NW from 3am to 6 or 7am. I work freelance at home during the nights so this means I have gotten zero sleep some nights and it is killing me. So tonight is night 1 of shush pat. The patting is difficult because he grabs my hands and tries to play with them and thrashes around. He is extremely tired right now and screaming whether he is patted, shushed or picked up. Any suggestions or do we just keep shushing/patting and picking up to get him to calm down?

Offline Lindsay27

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Re: 7 month old doesn't sleep at night
« Reply #29 on: March 23, 2016, 02:13:24 am »
So you mind posting your current EAS hun just to see where you are now routine wise?  When you are doing shh/pay where are you patting him? Just thinking if you roll him on his side and pat his back he may not be able to play with your hands as much?   If he gets hysterical I would pick him up and calm him before putting him back down and patting, you can pay him while you have him picked up and then continue when you put him down.