So tired of resettling...what should I do????

[wilsmum]

DS is 8 months old, breastfed and only just started solids (not eating much).  For the last 8 weeks he has been waking at night frequently (between 3 and 10 times a night).  I only ever feed him once overnight, usually at about 3.30 am.  I am convinced he is not hungry when he wakes prior to the 3.30 feed as he goes back to sleep quite easily.  When he wakes and cries, he is usually on all fours "practicing" his crawling technique, so I guess it is developmental rather than hunger.
My problem is that I am exhausted by having to always resettle him.  All I have to do turn him over onto his back and usually he goes back to sleep straightaway, but only for about a 1/2 an hour.  He has excellent day time sleeps (2 x 1.5 hours) and feeds well during the day. 

What should I do?  SHould I continue to resettle him in the hope he grows out of it?

[Katet]

Don't you love that "practicing crawling" ... I'm enjoying that stage too & ds has decided to wake me when he "crawls into a sitting position"

The only thing I can suggest is give him lots of time to "practice" crawling in the day time & make sure that when you put him down at bedtime & for naps he is awake... if you are feeding him to sleep or rocking etc, then that will probably be the cause of your problem & we will have to address that... if he is going to sleep on his own from awake, then you unfortunately have to ride it out...I can tell you it isn't fun esp as my toddler sleep talks & wakes me up too ... hey they grow out of it

[wilsmum]

Thanks Kate.  He isn't fed or rocked to sleep.  Falls asleep on his own for all sleeps and doesn't usually need resettling during the day, it's just at night between midnight and 4 am.  He gets to practice crawling all day 90% of the time.  I spoke to a sleep centre today (run by the Australian government) and the woman suggested that I shouldn't turn him onto his back when he wakes up (ie; if he is on all fours crying for me).  She said to go to him, say ssshh and touch him on the bottom for 30 seconds and then leave the room.  She said to repeat this every 2 - 5 minutes until he went back to sleep.  My prediction, is that if I do this he will continue to cry all night and won't go back to sleep.  Im getting confused about what to do.  Any thoughts?  If it's something he will grow out of I am prepared to get up and resettle each time but not if it continues to be a habit.

[Katet]

I'm also an Aussie, so I can bet they suggested a form of controlled crying - which is what going in every few mins is.

I go in & help him reposition & then leave... kind of know with being ds#2 it does end, so just stick with it, hard as it is, I just tend to think of it as seeing a little more of him growing up... I have to think like that otherwise after more than 2.5 years of broken sleep I'd be insane...my ds #1 has asthma & sleep talks so wakes me up coughing or talking most nights...such is life for me

[NYCKelly]

My 8 month daughter is going through the same thing with the practicing crawling and sitting.  Then she also is teething...so the night wakings are not fun.  Although she never slept through the night maybe once or twice...I've come to accept it.  Some babies go to sleep and you don't hear a peep from them...where others are just challenging.  I know this will pass (I hope).

[Livingmom]

I was basically coming onto this site to post the exact same questions. My DD is almost 8 mo. old and up until last week has been an awesome sleeper--she always slept through the night, had great naps during the day and ate well. Her new trick in the crib is pulling her self up to standing on her knees--that is usually how I find her in the wee hours of then night when she starts crying.

My DH and I have been spoiled up to this point--but I was wondering if there was anything that we should be doing differently. From the advice already given--it seems like we are on the right track.