Baby awake for hours at night

[Purpleboa]

My DD is five months, and has never slept well at night. It got progressively worse at three months...then we hit the four month regression, and never really recovered. Occasionally we will get a good night with only one or two wakings, but usually it's about 3 wakings.

Things have taken a turn for the worse over the past two weeks. She's been waking up to feed...and just not going back to sleep!! She can be up for four hours, and there's no guarantee she'll sleep late after that. Tonight she woke at 11, then 1, and she's still awake.

I've tried all the usual soothing techniques; very dark room, white noise, feeding (I'm ebf), shush pat, rocking, singing. She's obviously tired but every time I put her down, she starts crying and thrashing about. I've moved her sleepyhead from the cot into the bed next to me (DH sleeps in spare room). It hasn't made a difference. She will sleep on me but I really don't want to go back to that - plus I really need some sleep!

She never used to poo at night but will do so now, meaning I often have to change her nappy which doesn't help.

I'm not sure if she is teething. She chomps a lot and will gnaw on whatever she can find, but not much drooling and no sign of teeth.

Does anyone have any advice? I can deal with night warnings provided she goes back to sleep, but this is a new level of hell! Going to call health visitor tomorrow, don't expect she'll bemuch help though. Do I just wait it out??

Going to move her into her own room next week so that might change things. Getting desperate here!

Thanks in advance!

[StarSpotter]

You have my sympathies. Have you tried giving her a good 15/20 mins before she's properly asleep on you to transfer her to her sleeping area? I keep my hands under my baby in the cot to warm it up a bit before removing and crossing everything in the vain hope I might get some sleep before Christmas.

[sphinxster]

Going through similar with 2 month old. He was fab at nights up until this week and only woke up for a couple of feeds, now he's wide awake from 2/3am.
I read that you can try to increase daytime feeds so they get more calories during the day and fewer at night, limit daytime naps, and don't over stimulate. We've been trying a three hour cycle of: feed, play, nap throughout the day then bath and bed.
By 'trying' I mean we did this yesterday and I'm currently sat with a gallon of coffee after being awake from 2:30 ( it's 7:30 where we live)!

[winchester1]

At around that age I moved mine back to a mosses basket to stop the thrashing around which helped for a few months.
Also if she isn't a thumb sucker would you try a dummy?

[saranga]

No idea about the sleeping, but the pooing may be teething related so she may be in pain. Tryva teething gel,see if that calms her down.

[Queendedede]

I would say teething at that age. We persevered in keeping our DS in his cot all night, even when he was awake for hours I would resist picking him up - I just offered him as much comfort as I could while bending over the cot or patting bottom through the bars for hours while sitting on the floor! Benefit was that even now at 19mo once in his cot he knows he won't be picked up until morning so doesn't expect it or bother asking.

I've been kind of following your story on the regression thread, did you try going dairy free?

[Purpleboa]

Thanks all! Comforting to know I'm not alone, although obviously would rather none of us were in this situation!

She won't take a dummy. She's found her thumb but doesn't seem to know how to use it to self settle. She's way too big for her moses basket now. The whole point of is spending lots on a Sleepyhead was for extra comfort butdoesn't seem to make a difference!

I'd love to just leave her but even if I go to her and shush pat her, she will scream the place down!! It's awful.

Queen, I lasted a day doing no dairy till I realised it's probably not that anyway and I just couldn't hack it!"I'm miserable enough as it is! Someone did suggest I see the doctor first before making any big decision re diet.

[Purpleboa]

Star, good point about waiting longer for her to fall asleep. I think I heed to do that. Sphinx, yes, been trying to increase daytime feeds but to no avail! Should I be limiting naps? I always thought that sleep leads to more sleep...not in this wee scamp's case! Plus if she doesn't nap she gets so irritable and cries a lot. I also worry that she's not getting the sleep she needs at night, so she needs it during the day. But might try that today...what have I got to lose??

[StarSpotter]

It's so hard isn't it? I try to wait longer til mine is properly asleep, but I'm just desperate to lie down again. At least you know you're not alone. Good luck.

[Lilipot15]

Have you tried lots of fresh air and daylight in the daytime? Think forward facing sling in town or playpark with older kids for an hour or so. I do this when I know my 5 month old has napped in car or pram then I think it gives her good stimulation and daylight exposure.

[Lilipot15]

And exactly what someone else has said, at night I've found it helps to wait till she's deep asleep on me (floppy arms) and then transfer to sleepyhead (large one) beside me - she has grown out of her crib. I know this is setting up another prop to get her to sleep but at this period in our lives we do what we need to get sleep.

Babies would be so easy if they knew how to get to sleep wouldn't they?! I am very envious of those whose babies apparently just go to sleep with no outside intervention!

[sphinxster]

I'm not sure what it meant by limiting naps but we've been waking him for regular feeds (to increase daytime calories) and having longer playtime after feeds but he's still having his long afternoon snooze.

Some good advice here: I've brought the Moses basket back out as a back up and am going to attempt to hold him for a bit longer when I put him back in his cot. Wish me luck and I hope everyone else has a good night.

[StarSpotter]

Good luck. I'm currently performing the pick up, put down dance.