Advice Needed on Night Wakings Please

[CarrisElliTylerMum]

Hi there,

I have started to experience problems with my son night waking. My two daughters slept through the night since they were 9 weeks old and my son followed suit at around 14 weeks. He has always went to sleep on his own and never used a pacifer of any sort to do this. Suddenly, for the past week he has started to wait up anything between 1 and 4 times. I give him a bf that only lasts about 5 mins, and put him back in his cot and he goes off to sleep happily. I try ignoring his whimpering noises and the constant pushing himself up his cot, but i pick him up before he wakes himself up too much. I don't want to continue giving him feeds during the night, as he was sleeping through from 10pm till around 8/9am for weeks before. Any advice on what i should do? He is quite a big boy at 16lbs 4oz, but can't seem to take more than 3/4oz in a feed. He has 5 5oz formula bottles throughout the day and only gets bf at night if he wakes up. Here is his routine more or less

E 8.30am 5oz formula
A
S 11am (anywhere between 20mins and 2 hrs)
E 1pm 5oz formula (usually never finishes it)
A
S 3pm (anywhere between 20 mins and 2 hrs)
E 5pm 5oz formula (usually never finishes it)
E 7pm a few spoonfuls of vegetables/cereal and 5oz formula (usually never finishes it)
A bath and storytime
S 7.30pm (anywhere between 20 mins and 2 hrs)
E 9pm last 5oz feed (takes up to an hr to get him to take it all)
S goes to bed around 10pm

Once in bed he wakes at various times throughout the night between 1am and 5am

[annas mum]

Hi there
     Just wondering about the solids - how long have they been in? My gut reaction is at 14 weeks he may need  to get more calories from his milk and the solids could be taking the edge of his appetite, and/or they can also cause night waking when introduced, as their little tummies get used to them?
My other thought was overtiredness - I would wanting to be shooting for a bedtime between 6-7pm at this age depending on how well the naps had gone that day, as after that time his body clock should be telling him its nghttime so any feeding after that should be considered a night feed  - i.e just a feed in low light with no interaction and striaght back to bed, and if he is up for any length of time after that as your shedule suggests it could throw off the rest of his night time sleep. Is he in his own room/bed after 7.30pm or do you have him in a moses basket in the lounge or elsewhere in the house until he goes to bed at 10pm? If he is not in his own bed I would try that and see if it makes a difference, along with a good wind down routine prior to this so he knows the cues fo sleep time.
Also wanted to add that I can relate to the old adage that boys are more difficult than girls - my DD slept through at 11 weeks - my son still gets up at least once for a feed at 23 weeks (sooo tired)!!

Thats all I can think of at the mo!!
HTH

Clare

Mum to Anna 2yrs and Nathan 23 weeks

[CarrisElliTylerMum]

Thanks for your reply.

The solids were introduced a few weeks ago. Just a little bit each day to get him used to it. He was at that point still sleeping through the night quite happily with the odd whimper but always drifted back to sleep. Luckily, he has always been a baby that could go back to sleep on his own. He is now, however learning to roll over and i think that might have something to do with his restlessness at night. It is as if he is trying to push his way out of his covers. He is halfway down the cot so that he can't wriggle under the covers. Maybe i have the covers tucked too tight down the side, i just don't know. I did try him in a sleeping bag, but he hated that. He got too tangled up.

I will however try your idea of putting him into his cot around 7-7.30pm rather than leaving him in his rocking chair to sleep. Would this then mean that i would have to wake him for his last feed before i go to bed. I have tried giving him a df before, but he just won't open his mouth.

Yvonne

[Jo-FrasersMum]

Hi Yvonne

I agree with Clare - 19 weeks is quite early for the introduction of solids - perhaps the fact that solids have been introduced and co-inciding with increased night wakings might mean that DS has a bit of tummy upset because of not being quite ready for solid foods just yet.  Most current recommendations suggest that you should wait until 6 months before introducing solid foods.

I also agree re the earlier bedtime and putting DS in his bed at that earlier time.  You could also try persisting with the dreamfeed - if DS will not open his mouth for the feed gently place him back in his bed and try again in half an hour when he is at a different point in his sleep cycle. 

I also noticed that your DS feeds at 8.30am and then not again until 1pm - that is a long stretch between feeds for during the day (although only half an hour longer than Tracy's recommended time frame) and means that you are giving the feeds closer together later in the day to try and get enough calories into him during the daytime.  Perhaps because those afternoon feeds are coming closer together he is tending to snack - resulting in him needing milk during the night to fill him up.

Also, development wakings (caused by things like rolling over and sitting up) are commonplace around this age, as is the need for additional milk as DS becomes a bit more mobile.  Developmental wakings are ones that unfortunately you just have to ride out.  Hunger wakings though you can try and eliminate by working on upping the daytime calories - perhaps by looking at your daytime routine.

HTH!  Good luck
Jo

[Kimberly®]

I have to agree 19 weeks is to early for solids. I'd also recomend taking them out and not reintrodusing them untill he takes 4-5 8oz bottles a day. The solids are 1)mkeing it so he doesn't get his daily need for calories, and 2) probably making his tummy upset. LO his age are not ready to digest solids easily and it could be causeing cramping or gas.
Also when he wakes you said you pick him up so he doesn't wake himself to much, instead try to place your hand on him and talk very softly or shush and at him and it should calm him back into sleep.
I think, however the main problem is probably the solids

[CarrisElliTylerMum]

Thanks for all your advice guys. Even though i am a third time mum, i am experiencing things that i never did with my first 2. Tyler has slept much better the last 2 nights. I have got him down earlier and tried to ensure he doesn't go any more than 2 hours between daytime naps. Even though he wakes up from his naps around the 30 mins mark, I finally managed to get him to take a pacifier and he has been going back to sleep for about an hour at each nap time. Nightime wakings have been minimal, and as soon as i here him whimper, i gently put his paci back in and he happily sleeps on. He woke up both nights around 2am/6am but was back asleep within minutes.He then got up to feed around 8am.

My only concern now is how to wean him off the pacifier. My 2 girls never used them, and although it is a godsend at the moment, i don't want Tyler running around at aged 4 with a dummy hanging out of his mouth like a lot of other kids do!!

Should i be letting him use this now just to get him over this night waking hurdle?

Any advice is very much appreciated.

Yvonne