Waking hourly at 6 months

[joosiewoosie]

Hi all. My dd is almost 6m old and after recent teething ( now has 2 sprouting through the bottom gum), is continuing to wake hourly almost at night. As soon as she's picked up she relaxes and cuddles in, but as soon as we put her down again, she wakes again and refuses to sleep in her cot. She's been sleeping on us for much of the night for a couple of weeks now. I'm shattered and just need sleep!

I'm exclusively bf, but dd is now on 2 puréed 'meals' a day, plus all usual bfs, with the last solid no later than 5.30pm. I haven't a clue what's going in but feel like I need to tie a knot at the end of my tether and hang on!

DH is excellent in the day and does try hard to help at night but is so sleepy it's hard for him. I just snapped his head off for snoring as I've had 30 mins sleep since we cane to bed and just as I return from the 'go to sleep in your own cot' challenge number 1 of the night, he's snoring his head off, which is making me jealous and cross, and now I can't sleep! Grrrrrr!
Any ideas? If not, any words of wisdom to see me through? Thanks in advance x

[CabbageLooking]

Just to let you know that I'm sat here with a squealing 6 month old myself. He was sleeping through but since starting weaning 3 days ago he seems to be waking constantly. No advice I'm afraid but you're not alone.

[nannyof3]

Look into control crying

[CabbageLooking]

Incidentally has she ever slept through the night?

[Tolly81]

I've had two major sleep regressions with my nearly 8 month old. She didn't settle down from teething until the teeth were completely past the gum line so if they aren't then its probably still that. Give her ibuprofen rather than calpol after bedtime bottle as it lasts longer. Please don't do controlled crying with a teething baby - it will just make her far worse and it is not recommended when there are other issues causing the sleep problems. What was her sleep like before this? What time do you try and put her to bed? A very exaggerated bedtime routine with everything the same every night and no stimulation can help. She's also at an age where a comforter might help - does she have a favourite teddy she can go to sleep with?

[joosiewoosie]

She's never been a brill sleeper but has slept in her cot between feeds for most of the night before. Now, after her first 2 hours, she wakes and will cry and winge til we pick her up. I tried crying if out last night, but I can't do it. After a few mins she for herself in such a state it took ages to calm her. She came into bed and laid on me from 1.15 til morning. Not much fun really. :-(
Her bedtime routine us excellent and usually goes down well for the first bit. It's just the wake ups after that that cause the issues.

[joosiewoosie]

And cabbage...I feel your pain! X

[CabbageLooking]

Hope you got some rest in the end Joosie. My DS used to go down well then sleep until about 3/4am then take an age to settle back down. At around 5 months he had 3 really awful nights where he seemed to be up every hour and then all of a sudden he switched to sleeping 7pm-7am for no reason whatsoever. I'd love to claim I did something clever to make that happen (if I had, I'd do it again now so he'd go back to normal!) but it seems he was just developing and resetting his own patterns. My DS is formula fed so I can't really suggest anything for you I'm afraid.

I have everything crossed that we both have a less interrupted night tonight. :)

[joosiewoosie]

Thanks Cabbage. I hope that's what's happening here too. Fingers crossed for a good night for us all tonight x

[melonribena]

I have nothing to add except sympathy! My 5.5 mth old is exactly the same!

[dibsmum]

my 7 month old sleeps fine at night but in the morning if she wakes early she comes into our bed, I feed her with us both lying on our side in the bed and then we both doze off. I have my arm round her so she doesn't wander off. I just wondered if this might work for you with baby lay beside you rather than on you so you can both get some sleep? I hope things get better soon.

[joosiewoosie]

Thanks dibs. My DH is 6 ft 5 and had incredibly long arms and has been known to have accidentally elbow me in the face on occasion! I don't think he'd trust himself having DD between us! Nice idea though. When dd wakes up around 5/5.30 she just wants to play and shout anyway. There's no persuading her to sleep longer if she's decided she wants awake! Fun, fun, fun! :-)

[Loislane78]

Same here too 21 wks BF.

At 9 weeks was doing 2 feeds a night, by 12 it was occasionally just one but since the 4 month sleep regression (plus recent cold, conjunctivitis and Christmas disruption) we're on 3 feeds a night plus random other wakings.

Goes to sleep at bedtime no prob but after the 1am waking doesn't like being in cot and she used to be fine - arrrggghhhh!!! Feeling way more tired than I did when she was a newborn.

When shall this pass [pleading face]

[joosiewoosie]

And melon, although I'm sorry that you are having the same, it is nice to know its not just me or something I'm doing/not doing. Roll on the next positive change in sleep pattern!

[joosiewoosie]

Lois, I'm hoping it will soon pass for us all! Sometimes, hope is a nice place to live :-)

[joosiewoosie]

Well, I'm truly flummoxed. Night before last, DD would only sleep if in me, last night she went down in her own cot at 7.45 ish and only woke twice at 12.15 and 3.15! Slept on DH from 4.45 to 5.45 but a brill night comparitively. Proof that she's in charge of sleep or not, if ever I saw it! Weird. But good :-)

[Loislane78]

Keeping to torch of hope alive joosie!

[KatAndKit]

Co sleep! I'm not fond of it but I wouldn't have got through last few months without cosleeping for part of the night most nights. Don't put the baby between the two of you, that isn't safe. Put a bed guard up on your side of the bed and put the baby next to it.
Alternatively will the cot fit in your room next to your bed - perhaps just being close by would be enough?

[melonribena]

Wonderful news Joosie! Long may it continue! The last three nights we've only had three wakeings a night so am hopeful too!

[Loislane78]

Yeah, we're having to co-sleep part of the night now. I don't really sleep but at least lying down you get some 'rest', only way sometimes as you say.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Is she getting enough feeds in the day or could she be hungry and trying to make up for it at night, try googling kellymom reverse cycling 6 months is also a major growth spurt so could it just be that?

If you haven't got the heart for cc, and I never did, especially with one so young, have a read of 31 ways to get your baby to sleep and 12 alternatives for the all night nurser. Have you read the No Cry Sleep Solution too?

[mamacoffee]

I had one of those kind of sleepers 2 yearsago... He now wakes up once a night most nights, so we're proof it will get better! With dc2 who is 6.5m I decided to learn from my experience and co sleep from the start, it has made life sooooo much easier!

[joosiewoosie]

Thanks all. Will look up those books jilted. Last night was a 6 wake up night. No rhyme or reason...I don't understand. She's eating loads in the day and wanting to be with me and breast all night too. She's such a puzzle, especially on v little sleep!

[belindarose]

My 6 mo is waking very frequently too, OP, although he does (usually!) go back to sleep after a BF or just a cuddle if that's all he wants. He's never slept all night (apart from a few times around 6 weeks) and wakings are generally 1 or 2 hourly. I'd love a stretch of 3 hours at a time now!

The only thing that helps me cope is to get up with him when he wakes at 5am ish (with no chance of going back to sleep!) and let DH sleep. Then I go back to bed for an hour while he gets up with DD and has them both till he leaves for work. That hour of peace and no responsibility really helps me!

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Are you bfing before solids? If not she may be hungry.

[custardpies]

Same here, except mine is 18 months old. Not much help, am I?