6 month old struggling with her nights!

[catty47]

Hi,
I recently posted a query about my 6 month old, who has learned to go to sleep for naps and at bedtime, but has started waking 1 hour after bedtime, then 2 hours later, and seems to be back on every 2 or 3 hours in the night.
At first I thought it might be hunger or thirst, and was advised here to drop a solids feed and get more milk in, but my health visitor says we need to up her calories since she's falling off the scale a bit.

However, I don't think it is always that she's hungry - last night she woke 45 minutes after going to sleep, and she is really upset - we had a hell of a time putting her down again, even though I did feed her just in case she was hungry and offered her water in case she was thirsty.  She is getting so wound up, and then of course when she is dropping off she's waking up with her jerky crying and snotty nose!  It's clear she wants to sleep but is having trouble getting past the first 10 seconds.

I have also tried getting her to bed earlier (sometimes 6.30 or 6 so it can't get that much earlier!), and she is dropping off okay, rather than being hugely overtired.  She does still have a tendency to be very sleepy in her last feed.

My question is - should I try the sleep extending thing?  Go in at 35 minutes and wait for the jerky sleep and try to keep her asleep through that?  Might that smooth her journey for the rest of the night or is that only for daytime naps? 

What is strange is that at 4am she woke and I didn't go in but she just whimpered herself to sleep after about 40 minutes, so it seems she can do it, but really doesn't seem able to in the evening time. 

I have already posted her EASY routine on another post - she is pretty standard 4 hour, although I have been working on sleep extending her naps - might she have become reliant on that??

Any advice would be appreciated - I need some sleep myself!  I'm sure I should be able to get her to sleep more consistently at 6 months.

Thank you!

[Johno & Aurelias Mum]

Is she swaddled?  That helps with jerky sleepers.  I think if its a regular time, then try going in and soothing her back to sleep.

Evenings are notoriously difficult times for some babies.  Sometimes its just a matter of working out if something outside their room is disturbing them.

I think dropping a solid feed was a weird idea from the HV I can see why you need to up her calories in some form.  What is she having for tea and at what time - she might be having trouble digesting that.

Anyway, I'm rambling, Have you had any suggestions from the EASY board?

[catty47]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply!  It was on one of these boards actually that I was advised to drop a solids feed, but between me and the HV we've decided to get her onto dairy a week earlier than recommended to stuff her full of calories.  Pureed carrot and apple is all very well but it's more like being on a diet!

Like they do, she surprised us last night by going to bed and not waking till 1am, so I didn't have a chance to try the wake to sleep thing!

I had moved her last meal to 4pm and she had two more milk feeds after that, so perhaps digestion was an issue before.  I also removed a blanket, so maybe she had been too hot previously, and finally she had had a nap until 5.20pm so was not overwrought and overtired by her 7pm bedtime.  All or none of which could have helped her sleep better...! 

I won't hold my breath - she might be at it again tonight, but certainly last night was an improvement.  I'll observe for a few more nights to see if it continues, and then try and bring back a dreamfeed, because she's tending to be a little unsettled from 4am onwards - she puts herself back to sleep but with a lot of chatting which keeps her mother awake!  It's also confusing the EASY in terms of what time it starts, so I'd like a more defined wake-up time for her in the morning.

I could try swaddling - certainly she seems more comfy with a sheet/blanket tucked in tightly over her and she likes to sleep on her side which is quite a cosy position.

Thanks for your advice - I'll check the EASY board too.

[Johno & Aurelias Mum]

I think all those things you are doing are things I would have suggested.  I would try the swaddling if she likes being tucked in tight.  I think you are probably spot on about the carrots and stuff, have you tried something like porridge for tea - sounds weird but its easy to digest slowly.  I don't know when you feel comfy intoducing gluten but pasta can take the place of porridge for tea when they get older and I find that worked wonders, plus you can have the veg with it so the best of both worlds.

Good luck tonight, keep doing what you are doing and hopefully, she'll be back on track with her eating and the sleep will follow.

[catty47]

Thanks - good to know I'm doing something right!  She's just had a bit of porridge for breakfast so hopefully that's burning nice and slowly in her tummy!  I will introduce gluten soon, yes - she's already had a bit of flour in a cheese sauce, and I'll just do it slowly.

Lovely bit of lasagne followed by rice pudding and fruit for tea should do it I think!

x x x

[Johno & Aurelias Mum]

Excellent tea idea.  Does she have teeth or is she happy to chew with her gums?  If so, cheesy, eggy bread is an excellent one when she's a bit older too.