nearly 10 mo DD sleeps only 1-2 hours at a time. HELP!

[Jules125]

Hi, my DD was a great sleeper when small but has gradually got worse from around 4-6 months onwards. For the last two months she's been waking every 1-2 hours through the night - she goes down about 7:30pm and gets up about 7:30am but then wakes typically around 9pm, 11pm, 1, 3, 5 and 6. I'm back working a few days a week (at home) and really struggling - totally exhausted. I think this may be related to separation anxiety as no-one can settle her apart from me. It takes me a while too. She's been awake for an hour now and I'm just letting her cry at the moment as i can't seem to settle her at all. I'm lucky if i get 3 broken hours sleep in total and this is night after night and although I can cope for a while it feels a bit unending.

She's also desperately unhappy if she can't see me during the day [I have relatives looking after her while I work mainly at home. She probably naps for about 2 hours in the day - one am, one pm.

I'm breast feeding her and sometimes she wants milk but most of the time I think its just waking for comfort / reassurance. At times I think it might have been due to teething / having a cold but really I think its been going on way too long now to just be that.

Is there anything I can do or do I just have to keep trying to ride this out and hope this phase will pass before too long?

Has anyone else been through anything similar or have any suggestion for me? Any thing welcome at this stage

Thanks ...

[LikeABlackFlameCandleBNQ]

I honestly am NOT a fan of co-sleeping, but I do think it would be a good solution for you, if at all possible. She may still stir at those times she has been, but may just be happy you are there and snugge back in?

It is a phase, and it will pass, and you are being very strong wrt letting her cry it out. She will settle back into sleepin through, eventually.

[Jules125]

Thanks for the suggestion. I've thought about this (DH is not keen at all) but am worried about the risks of co-sleeping - one of her tired parents rolling onto her in the night!

I'm not very strong by the way, quite soft really, but just so exhausted I can't respond to her all the time any more.

[childsleepsolutions]

Hi there, sounds exhausting!! What do you do to settle her each time?

[Jules125]

If I think she's hungry (she's not a good daytime eater - she does eat 3 meals a day and snacks but very small amounts given her age), I breast feed her, otherwise I just give her a cuddle and sing for a while. She tends to stop crying if its me holidng her in the night, but screams for DH! Sometimes she does cry for a few minutes when I put her down but not usually long. Generally she's not too bad at going to sleep its staying asleep that seems to be the problem. I think she's hungry sometimes when she wakes but not every hour or two!

[childsleepsolutions]

It sounds like she is struggling to self-settle and requires a bit of comfort and preferably a feed to settle, even if you do not actually hold her to sleep. Hunger shouldn't be an issue at her age if she is thriving and gaining weight. The amount some babies can eat seems tiny but if she is growing ok she is probably taking in all she needs. Could you try settling her in her cot. If its not a sleepy self settling cry you can intervene and try and calm her in her cot, picking her up for a v brief cuddle only when nec. It may take a while for her to settle at first but she will soon learn to self-settle. I am a child sleep consultant and this is a very common problem and can always be resolved. Nicola

[Jules125]

Thanks - so I should try to settle her in the cot rather than get her out each time I guess? She's a small baby, but has been tracking the 9th centile since 6 weeks old so is growing fine [I'm very small too].

Did have a much better night last night (only 3 awakenings! Blissful!) and feel better today, but that's still quite a lot at 10 months I think.

[childsleepsolutions]

That is still quite a few but any improvement is a step in the right direction. Yes, try to settle her in her cot, even if you have to lean right in, bit uncomfortable but she should start to settle quicker in time, try and gradually decrease yr input. And as you said, she is staying on the same centile so she is getting enough nourishment. Hope you get another good night tonight.

[Catabelle]

Hi, just wanted to let you know that I'm in the same boat. My DS is going off to sleep (fed to sleep) but then wakes 40 mins to an hour later. He used to sleep for 2/3 hour chunks and even slept through for a while when he was 6 months but that seems like a distant memory now! I'm basically surviving on no sleep at the moment. If you find a solution or the reason for it let me know, otherwise just take it as reassurance that you're not the only one :)