DD 6mo wakes up after a few hours and refuses to go back to sleep

[mamaCam]

at bedtime DD falls asleep while bf then (perhaps because she's sleeping to deeply) doesn't bring up any wind.

she then wakes about 3 hours later with really bad trapped wind. a cycle of feeding, winding and screaming then begins. eventually it gets to the point where I'm sure she's full but she refuses to go back to sleep without being on the breast. she will then scream for hours, DH and I take turns comforting her but eventually I end up having to bf. we're exhausted

is there anything we can do differently? does this get better?

she was sleeping through at 3mo but now things are getting worse and worse each month that passes

[moojie]

I just posted about this last week. My ds is a bit older at 8mo but we tried a few things and the last night he has slept right through and tonight settled well. Like your dd, ds2 was a great sleeper but it all went a bit wrong somewhere.

I did wonder if it was teething so have been giving pain relief before bedtime but what I think has made the most difference is not feeding to sleep. He has been self settling for naps for ages but at bedtime was so tired that he would fall asleep at the breast. The last 2 nights I have fed him slightly earlier at 6.15 and talked to him throughout the feed to keep him awake. He has been sleepy but relaxed and sat through ds1's story then went down and settled by himself at 6.45pm. Both nights he has stirred at some point usually around 8ish but has quickly settled again.

I feel your pain as Christmas Day evening we were up for 3 hours with him. I'd fed him so much I knew he wasn't hungry but just wouldn't settle for either of us until he was so tired he finally fell asleep comfort feeding. It's still early days so I can't be sure we have found the answer but it seems to be working so far!

[mamaCam]

DD has gone back to sleep after only 45 of screaming! DH thinks he was found a way to tire her out.

apperently you lay down placing dd horizontally across your stomach so that she has to use her hands/arms to hold up her head and shoulders, do this for 5-10 mins, give cuddles and reassurance (he points her toward the light in the hallway at this point) then put her into her cot, if she doesn't settle repeat - dh says he only had to do the entire cycle twice before she fell asleep.

thanks moojie. I'll try and keep her awake while feeding and see how it goes. then hopefully DHs "press up technique" won't be necessary

[mamaCam]

she woke up again with yet more wind and I think a little constipated, was up for another two hours

[moojie]

Oh no how rubbish for you :( My ds stirred a few times and I was on the edge of my seat but he settled back down. Wasn't proper screaming like normal but more of a moaning so I left him. He actually slept right through until 7am which he hasn't done for months. I know this doesn't help you right now but hopefully it shows you there is light at the end of the tunnel! Fingers crossed it comes soon for you.

[moojie]

Also your DH's settling technique seems similar to my DH's for our 3yr old! Bizarre as it is but he manages to hype him up so much and then he falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. Definitely not the calming wind down the books recommend!

[mamaCam]

I'm trying to keep her awake while feeding. but I feel so mean making her stay awake when she's clearly tired and falling asleep