Suddenly sleepless nights at 6 months...

[obi1d]

Hi I've only used the board once before on naps and the advance was a huge help, so I'm hoping that someone can help me with my latest bumps along the parenting road with my spirited by happy daughter!

We have sleep problems that have suddenly started after months of sleeping through.  LO is very difficult to settle in the evenings now (used to be the perfect baby - bed time routine, put her down slightly drowsy and shut the door - not a peep til morning).  For the last week she continuously wakes and cries out when she stirs in the evening before the dream feed and then wakes throughout the night crying out.  Naps are the same, will not go down and last two days have had to resort to taking her out in the pushchair to get her to at least have some sleep.  The added problem is that as soon as I put her down she turns herself over on to her tummy and cries, and no matter which side I put her on, front, back, left or right side, she just cries.  She's beeing turning over for months so its not like its a new trick!

I have to say its really starting to get me down    as I'm getting increasingly tired with the night wakings and the nap struggles in the day.  I feel like I'm letting her down by not understanding what is wrong or what she wants, I'm failing her. :oops:

In the mornings I'm torn between letting her sleep on a bit as she was awake for 2 hours or so in the night, to waking her at 7/7.30 to set her body clock for the day.  What do you think??

I feel I'm in a cycle of 'she's overtired so she needs to sleep, but she won't sleep because she's overtired'.

This morning, Lara woke at 7.00am and I normally put her down 2 hours later, this morning I took her up earlier and (I still can't believe it) she's actually gone off to sleep without too much of a fuss!  Maybe I need to put her down earlier for everything - naps and night time???

Thank you so much in advance for any advice given, this website is a huge help to us all.

Karen & Lara
13.06.05
A (normally) very happy SPIRITED girl!

[corrina01]

Can you post what your routine is please, so we know what sort of day she is having. 

Is it possibly she is teething?  Has she got any teeth yet>

[Deb_in_oz]

sounds like 6 month Growth spurt - are you feeding her when she wakes in the night this week? is she taking the feed?  both my girls were sleeping through befopre they hit growth spurts, then we had night feeds and/or wonky days for a bit and then they resumed sleeping through.  when they go through a GS it can take a lot out of them and that could explain needing to go down for sleeps earlier.   is she starting to sit up as well - as that will have an effect on her day.  HTH

[obi1d]

Hi routine is as follows on an average day:

0700/0730 Wake and bottle
0800/0830 Breakfast usually porridge or weetabix
0900/0930 Nap for 45-50 mins
1130 - 1200 Bottle and lunch (savoury and sweet)
1300 Nap for 1hr - 1hr 30 mins (on a good day 2 hrs but rarely)
1500 Bottle
1730 Tea (usually fruit and rice as two courses seemed to keep her tummy gurgling through the evening) some milk
1900 Bed time routine and rest of bottle

Could be more teeth, she had her first at 4 months and second the week before Christmas.  She has a sore bottom and bit of a runny nose, could this be teething symptoms, plus chewing fingers and thumbs,  but she's always done that!

Growth spurt is also a possibility as she will be 7 mths on 13 Jan, she's quite a tall baby and grows into trousers and vests very quickly.  I fed her for two nights but stopped at the 3rd thinking it would form a habit?? :shock:   She did take the feed the first night, but only an ounce or so the second.  She is sitting up and has been for about a month now, also rolls over too.

Any help for the diagnosis?!!!

THANK YOU

[corrina01]

Sore bottom and runny nose are signs of teething again. 

I see from your routine she doesn't have a catnap in the afternoon, is she tired at all? When did she drop the catnap?  When does she finally go to sleep? 

Thats all the questions for now 

[obi1d]

Sorry I forgot about that one  :shock: , yes she does have a catnap usually around 4-4.30ish sometimes a little later, on average 30 mins or so.  She finally goes to sleep around 7.15 - 7.30pm, although its been later recently as she won't settle easily and cries if I take a step towards the door!

thank you

[corrina01]

Have you tried putting her down at about 5pm - 5.15pm?

[obi1d]

Hi Corrina

is that for the catnap?  Yes on occasions she has slept at that time, it just works out a bit later a little bit depends on what we've been up to in the afternoon, its never given her any problems settling later, no matter how close to her bedtime.  Why do you suggest that time?

UPDATE....the last 24 hours have been much better, L only stirred in the evening and during the night last night and re-settled herself, with exception to a 5am cry which she needed turning over to re-settle and went through til 7.10am.  She also refused her dream feed at 10pm which she has never done, normally takes at least an ounce, hopefully she can drop that one completely soon.  But today she refused her 9am nap completely, surely she isn't ready to drop that at 6.5 months is she??  She seemed to eat a lot more yesterday lunchtime and I gave her her 11am milk feed completely separately to her solids ie. they were later and so believe that she had more calories in her yesterday to satisfy her.  So, could have been a growth spurt or just needing me to persevere with solids even when she indicates she's had enough.  Maybe wait a while and try again?

BTW which milk feed is it that I should be dropping - 11am or 3pm??

Fingers (and everything else!) crossed that tonight will be a quiet night again! 

Thank you for your help.

Karen & Lara
13.06.05
Spirited but a happy cheeky monkey

[corrina01]

Probably a growth spurt then.  I don't know about dropping the milk feed.  My DD is roughly the same age as your DD, but they are totally different. My DD eats every 3.5hrs with 2x solids a day and sleeps a total of roughly 4 hrs during day.

Why I suggested that time, is because the routine you indicated her awake times are 2hr-2.30hrs.

But then again, she is getting over (hopefully) night wakings.   

[obi1d]

I spoke to soon, we had 3 wakings last night, the last one I offered her milk and she took two ounces, not sure whether I should do this again as I don't want to create a habit and her expect it.  How long do growth spurts last?  The first two wakings were just a 'can you help me turn on my side and prop me up', she went off fairly quickly, the final one was a totally awake girl on her tummy pushing right up on her arms.  It seems she's forgotten how to fall back to sleep / get through the transition from one sleep pattern to another :shock: .  I will endeavour to get more food in her today, she has already had a fare helping of weetabix and most of her milk.  Just going to put her down for her first nap, we'll see how this goes as she totally refused it yesterday.

I'm at a loss to know exactly what is wrong... but I suppose there are times like that until they can talk!

Have a good day
Karen & Lara
 

[corrina01]

Has she found anything new to do just recently?  Could be a developmental thing, her waking up.  When my DD has found something new, like blowing raspberries, her naps have always been affected.  This last for about 5 days.
 
Growth spurts last anything between 1 day to a week,  it just depends on your little one.

Is she crying out when she wakes up in the night?

After re-reading your post, does she show tired signs before the 2 hrs awake mark.  My DD can stay awake for 1.50hr only, if I push it for 2hrs, she does not nap at all well.  After her catnap  (4pm-4.45pm) she can stay awake for 2.15-2.30hrs.

[RebeccaH]

Can I join in? I spent the time between 4.30 and 6.18 planning my post and then found someone had got in before me with an identical problem! My ds was sleeping through perfectly (with d/f) until new year and then chaos. He now wakes about every 3 hours. This was last night:

6.30pm bed, straight to sleep as usual
10pm D/F (by the way this was the first night for a week he slept til 10, he used to have his d/f at 11 but I was in the middle of moving it forward)
1ish - woke up, settled straight away with teething gel and dummy
4.25 - woke up, settled after about ten minutes of me holding his arms down (that's how we've always settled him, day and night)
4.45 - woke up, wide awake, eventually (after about 20 mins of usual settling) I decided to feed him as maybe it was a growth spurt. He guzzled for 20 mins then fell asleep at the breast, however as soon as I put him back in the cot he was partying again. He eventually settled at 6.18, I stayed with him all the time.
7.15 I woke him up to try and keep on track, he was tired though and went back for his nap at 8.30 rather than the usual 9.

His daytime routine and all other things (physical developments) are very very similar to Lara's.

I hope someone can help, my dh works away alot and I'm going back to work this week, I'm starting to loose my sense of humour.

Oh wanted to add, in the past I've been guilty of rushing in. I'm sure though that I'm really only going in when he needs me, I don't let him cry alone but he's certainly crying out when I get out of bed. Also I've noticed he usually rolls onto his tummy and then gets stuck, that's when he really cries and is hard to settle. But he can roll back and before new year used to sleep really well on his tummy too.

Thank you!

[corrina01]

With the 6 month mark most babies are unsettled during the night as well as naps, (this is happening to my own DD), this is mainly (as I have found) they are teething, phsyical developments, solids, growth spurts all are contributing factors.  They wonder what is happening to their little bodies.  I personally have found, take each day as it comes, and be there when they need you, they will get through it in time. 

I too am guilty of rushing in before DD needs me, this all part of being a new mother, but you will work it out when your lo needs you. 

You are great mothers, just be their when your lo's need you, as I am doing. Think ahead to when they are sleeping right through again, maybe tonight, tomorrow night or maybe even in a weeks time, thats how I am looking at it.

[obi1d]

Corrina, my apologies, I kept checking back to see if there were any new posts on this page and couldn't see any, doh! didn't see that you had replied, will read all the new msgs and come back to you.  Just going to get my head down for 20 mins as LO in bed - hoorah!

...spoke to soon, she's just woken after just 33 mins!

 :shock:  :shock:  :shock:
Karen

[tracefo]

Same old, same old here.  How long will this last?  Is there something I should be doing to get it under control?  I think I cry more than she does lately!  Is there a way we can all go into a chatroom and compare notes?
Tracey