Hi Everyone,
My 5.5 month DS goes down easily at bedtime, but he goes through a number of what we like to call "false starts". For the past 2 months, about every 40 - 60 minutes he will wake up and need help resettling until I give him a DF between 10:30 and 11:00. In the past it hasn't been a real problem, we would simply go in (after waiting to see if he would self soothe) and SHH, rub his head, tell him it's sleepy time, maybe give him back his soother and he would quickly go back to dreamland (at least for another 40 minutes). Lately, however, he goes to bed easily, but then after 40 minutes he wakes up crying and none of our attempts to soothe him seem to help - in fact his crying escalates to screams and it takes us anywhere from 10 to 60 minutes of trying to get him back to sleep. This has been going on for about 1.5 weeks. I have tried feeding him and he will often refuse the breast, but will take a bottle of expressed milk or formula (about 3oz). This usually calms him down, but by this point he is wide awake and ready to play (but exhausted and overtired). He has also started to wake up more at night too. He used to wake once anywhere from 3 to 5am for a quick but full feed, then back to bed until 7:30am. He now wakes up around 2 am, then again around 5 or 6am. He seems hungry, and eats really well from at least one side (he usually takes both). He has also had nights lately where I can't even count how many times he woke up(6+?) and needed help settling. I find this especially frustrating because the week before this all started he slept right through from the DF until 7:30am a few times. Two steps forward, one step back I guess!
Some other information that might be relevant: We started solids about 2 weeks ago and he has managed the change really well. He is pretty big - almost 19lbs, and also quite active. He's rolling now (back to front) and tries SO hard to sit up from a lying down position. We have also been fighting the 40 minute nap since about 2 months old, but lately have been making progress in this area. He will now have at least one 1.5 - 2.5 hr nap with little or no help getting over the 40 minute mark. His other two naps are usually 40 minutes and he wakes up happy.
Our basic routine is (but we haven't had too many of these days lately b/c of all the night wakings we've been off)
7:30-Wake up and BF
8:00-Activity
8:30-Solids
9:30-Nap (usually 40 minutes. if he wakes up crying, I try and help him extend it, if he's happy I let it go)
11:30 - BF
12:30 - Nap *this time changes depending on his a.m. nap. He will be up for 2 - 2.25 hrs before the p.m. nap starts.
3:30 - BF
4:30 - Cat Nap
5:15 - Solids
6:00 - Bath and massage with dad
6:30 - BF, then finish off bedtime routine of book, sing and cuddle
7:00 - Bed
And then the wake ups start from 7:40ish onwards.
Sorry this is so long, but I figure too much information is better than not enough.
Can anyone help me sort out this mess??
Thanks,
Tracy
