7 mo keeps waking every 1-2 hrs all night

[Rubytaib]

Hi please help my 7 month old daughter had been getting up every 1-2 hrs every night for the past 3 months.

I have no idea what I am doing wrong.

Please HELP

[ZuleikaD]

I don't think this is by any means unusual. Most babies don't sleep solidly all night until they're closer to 1. My two certainly didn't - both were still feeding every 2 hours around the clock at 7 months. You're not doing anything wrong, this is just what babies do.

[Rubytaib]

Hi zuleika.

Thanks for your post but she isn't waking for feeds. Infact she hardly has milk since she started solids.

Is there really no hope til she's 1.

[ZuleikaD]

So what's happening when she wakes up? Is she distressed or does she coo/sing to herself? How does she go back to sleep? What does she do if you try and feed her? At 7 months solids haven't really kicked in yet - milk should still be the primary source of nutrition at this point so it wouldn't be at all surprising if she was waking up hungry.

[CatsRule]

My ds was sleeping from 11pm to either 6 or 7am for quite a while then about a month ago he got a wee cold and has been waking up every 1-2 hours every night.

The most he has slept in the past month has been for 5 hours one night. He is also 7 months.

I thought it was his cold but he doesn't have it anymore.

I have heard sleep regression is common at 9 months...I'm not sure if 7 months is the same.

Could she have an intolerance to any solids? I've been trying different things and trying to eliminate possible problems but no joy yet...maybe it's just a phase!

I can sympathise with the lack of sleep though. I'm dreading him still being like this when I go back to work...it's bad enough just now!

Sorry I have no advice but will be interested in your replies from others

[cloudhands]

this amazing article explains why babies wake, and what you can do about it, it helped my daughter to sleep through the night.

Helping Children sleep

[ZuleikaD]

I disagree completely with that article's premise that it's only emotional upset that wakes a child over six months in the night. I know perfectly well that what woke mine up at 11, 1 and 3 every night was being hungry.

[cloudhands]

I think that premise is based on some studies into babies. The article helped me as I knew with my DD that she wasn't waking for hunger, though breastfeeding was the habit that got her back to sleep.
She started to wake more than she did as a newborn, which is why I also thought it must be emotional tension.
Personally, I think you know your baby, and so, if you think they are hungry you should feed! But if your puzzled as to why they are waking and can't seem to find the reason, it could well be emotional tension.

[Rubytaib]

Hey ladies. Thank u for the comments. To answer Zuleika; she wakes up screeching really loud and starts to cry at which point I give her the soother. And sometimes she'll fall asleep but at times that doesnt work therefore I have to pick her up and rock her to sleep.

I have tried giving her a bottle when she cries but she'l have two sucks and cry as though to say put me back to sleep.

She has 4 meals a day. Weetabix when she wakes up, then two meals during the day and weetabix again an hour before bedtime. Am I feeding her too much?

Also is it because I am not letting her sleep more than two hours during the day?

Any suggestions I am very much open to. And thank you all again for your advice.

[waterrat]

OP - until she is 1, milk is meant to be her major source of nutrition - so I would think she could definitely be hungry.

re. the waking - I think they also wake up around this time because of developmental leaps etc and they don't know how to get back to sleep - as other posters said, sleeping through the night is unusual..!

and re. naps - they need 3/4 hours a day at this point.....so you should let her sleep more.

[ZuleikaD]

I definitely wouldn't curtail her naps. Sleep begets sleep, remember!

[Rubytaib]

I hav increased her naps to 4 hours a day and still no joy. Ive noticed she's farting all night. And she hardly has milk 4 ounces a day is as much she will take after forcing it down her. I don't know what else to do.

[Rubytaib]

Oh and she has been like this for the past 3 months now.

[Marmiteisyummy]

Hi op.
4oz milk a day is not nearly enough. As pp have said, milk has to be the main nutrition til age 1. Weetabix fills up but doesn't have the calories. You might try cutting back on the bulk of meals, just offer small amounts of different tastes. Maybe try a different formula, such as a comfort one if very windy. Or a different teat or offer from a cup.
May also be worth a chat with your HV or gp.
Tbh, I think she's probably hungry but tummy to full of non-digestibles to want milk.
Very best of luck. I know how hard it is when you don't get enough sleep.

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

Cut back on the solids!!! Stomach full of weetabix is not going to benefit her at all. All it's doing is filling her up with stuff that's goingto bung up her insides. I'd cut back to two small
Meals a day both after a milk feed. And make sure she has a good full breast or bottle feed before bed. Food is not main source of nutrition til they r one year old!!! Start from scratch again get her used to small bland easily digestible foods. Take it very slowly and make sure she has milk before u give her solids. She's probably got an awful stomach ache :(

[cloudhands]

agree with the others, weetabix is rubbish, it's full of salt and sugar.