7 month old NOT SLEEPING!!

[RooTwo]

I've posted so many times on here over the course of DD's life that I feel embarrassed to be doing it again, but here we go. My lovely, happy-as-you-can-possibly-imagine DD turns into total non-sleeping baby at night. She sleeps from bedtime (7ish) to around 11 or midnight, but then wakes constantly, perhaps every 1.5 hours. She is put to bed sleepy but often awake, and can settle herself with just a little bit of crying. But when I put her back in the cot after night feeds she either won't go or wakes up an hour later crying. I've started just keeping her in bed with me but that isn't giving either of us any more sleep - she still wakes just as often, and will only sleep ON me, so I'm really not getting any sleep at all. I'm not feeding her every time she wakes - on average twice a night (last night was 11.30 then 2.30 I think) as sometimes she just moans and cries and snuffles and goes back to sleep again, but often after quite a bit of crying (still ON me, I might add). It's getting to the point where if she sleeps for 2 hours that is GOOD ...

I'm really getting to the stage where I'm feeling pretty broken - I haven't had more than 2 hours sleep in a row for weeks and weeks. If she was teething, wouldn't she be grizzly in the day? There are no signs of it as far as I can see ... She really is such a happy baby, has 4 breastfeeds during the day plus two meals (BLW, so not a lot going in her mouth, but she enjoys).

Any advice or suggestions hugely welcome! I'm at the point where I just feel like I'm going to have to sleep on the sofa and shut the door on her :( (we have no spare room for her at the moment - she's in with us) She used to sleep pretty well as a three month old - self-settling brilliantly. So I know it's in there somewhere ....

[sometimesyouwin]

I feel for you I really do!! I'm in exactly the same boat with my DS2 and went through it all with DS1 as well. I went to bed at 8:30 last night and have managed a total of 3.5 hours in broken chunks. I'm currently on the 6th wake up and won't get any more sleep now as DS1 will wake at 6 then it's nursery run etc. For the first few months I skip along saying things will change, it's a "regression" blah blah blah, but after DS1 I know DS2 is just a totally crap sleeper . Teething is definitely part of it for us at the moment as they're breaking through but like yours he's a very happy baby all day (just as well or I really wouldn't cope!) The only thing getting me through is remembering that DS1 did eventually sleep through. I wake for the final time each morning, have a little cry, then try and pull myself together and get through another day. It's my immune system that's suffered the most from it. But I can promise that I you do get through it and come out the other side. It's bloody awful though! Just hang in there and know you're not alone!

[purplemurple1]

From what I've read teething hurts more at night because they are laying down so you could try calpol to see if it helps.
Also cod the issue be that she is more aware now and knows you are there esp if this starts around the time you come to the room to sleep. Is there anyway tocreate a separate section of room for her so she is 'alone'?

[Flissity83]

Could it be she's hungry? You say she doesn't eat much and only has 4 milk feeds a day. Also has she got in the habit of using you as a comforter? Does she have a soft toy she likes that you can give her at night. Wear in your bra so It smells like you. Hope you get some sleep soon

[Highlove]

Are you me? Although my similarly happy-by-day, won't sleep at night 7mo is in her own cot in her own room. She also used to be great, would do 5-6 hour stretches most nights at 3mo. She had a terrible regression at 16wks and hasn't ever recovered. She only feeds 2-3 times a night but wakes lots more than that. She often settles herself off eventually but by then we're all awake (monitor in our room) and it just means she doesn't ever manage long chunks of sleep. Sorry, no advice but lots of empathy. I honestly thought we'd be down to once or twice a night by now. Frustrating that I've no idea how to help her.

[RooTwo]

thank you everyone for thoughts ... poor you sometimesyouwin - I reckon I"m getting a bit more than 3.5 hours a night, though not much. Last night she was awake at 12, 2, 3 (I resisted feeding at 2), 5, then up with DH at 6.15. GAH! She's my third so I do know somewhere inside that she'll sleep one day, but I'm finding it hard to imagine that at the moment. Highlove ha ha - yes sounds like we are in entirely the same boat ... Let me know if you have any great ideas about how to get these little monkeys to sleep.

[BabyBongo]

Totally sympathise with you. My boy is 10 months and i am lucky to get 3-4 hours broken sleep a night and its been like this since he was born. He is so happy all day long but he just changes at night time.
My hubby is great but we are both working and very sleep deprived. I wish i knew when things would get better!!
Sorry i cant help with any advice. xx

[RooTwo]

I think with my DD that there is really nothing wrong (ie teething etc) and that she's just got into the habit of waking and needing comforting. I read a very interesting article recently which was about the different sleep patterns that babies have after six months. Basically they have many more phases of light sleep than when they are very small, and shorter sleep cycles - especially after midnight. Between midnight and morning they come into light sleep often and, if they can't get themselves back off to sleep again, that explains the endless 2-hour wake ups ... I am pretty sure that what I need to be doing is calming her while she is in the cot when she wakes, not feeding, not picking up, and helping her to learn to go back to sleep on her own, but I'm just too flipping exhausted to do it!

[redcaryellowcar]

I am in same boat too! ds2 is 7m, goes off to bed ok but wakes around 9/10 and will only be settled by me, then he might do 2-3 hour stretches but I bring him into bed with me around midnight as it feels like I am getting more sleep am! with ds1 he was a bad sleepers then I read no cry sleep solution which helped a lot, problem is with two small peoples chaos and very little sleep I don't have the time or energy to read it. I think it needs to be my weekend homework!

[NickyEds]

The sleep might just get better on its own. DS is 10 months now and we've had a nightmare over the the last 4 months with sleeping. Very similar to pp-from 6 months my previously great sleeper (slept through from 12 weeks to 6 months) just started to wake up all of the time. He'd go maybe an hour/90 minutes then need me or oh to re settle him. We've tentatively tried a few gradual retreat style things but to no avail. Just this week he'started doing much better (only 1 wake up last night- yeah!) I think it's because his first 4 teeth are through and he's dropped to one longer nap during the day. Sorry no advice but maybe a little light at the end of the tunnel !!!!

[Ticklepot]

Just wanted to chime in too-I'm in the this boat!
My second is 7 months this week, and she hasn't ever been great but self settles without drama for most naps and sleeps (which DS never did before slightly traumatic sleep training at 10 mths when I couldn't cope any longer). DD hasn't been too bad, but just these last few days has been more unsettled and unable to STAY asleep after settling (Even after a feed sometimes). As in, we take ages to settle her, when finally asleep, she'd wake up again after 5/10/15 mins. Its happening sometimes at bedtime, sometimes in the middle of the night. Happened at 2.30 the other day and we didn't actually get her back to sleep at all- so no sleep after 2.30 for me. It's horrible!
No other signs of teeth, so it's a mystery to me why she is like this. She is very happy and has often has long naps in the day. So, no advice from me, but you are not alone, and nice to hear others the same... Especially with two- knowing the 3 yr old will be awake and needing love at 6.30am is crushing. Maybe it's one of those developmental blips?!

[SleepyLambs]

That's exhausting! :( How is her sleep in the day? What time are her naps? Babies who are overtired produce the stress hormone cortisol and subsequently fight sleep.