7 month old sleep help

[Liv316]

Hi all,

So my 7 month old is a pretty bad sleeper. I know they’re meant to be at this age but it’s wearing me down and wondering if anyone has any advice to help. It’s impacting my mental health quite a lot and I am obsessed with his naps and sleep.

He only really does his first nap in the cot as it usually ends up taking 20 minutes for him to nap in his cot for him to then only have a 20-30 minute nap. Then lunchtime I usually take him out in the pram so that he’ll actually do a longer nap which is usually about 1 hour/1 hour 15 minutes. His 3rd nap will be around 3/3:30ish for 30 minutes.

He is usually quite grouchy leading up to bedtime and that ends up being 6:30ish. Nighttime he wakes every few hours and I have always boobed him to sleep as every time I try and comfort any other way he gets hysterical. We can be up between 4-6 times a night.

I appreciate I’ve not really helped myself by feeding him each time but when the 4 month sleep regression happened, that’s what I was told to do and so that’s why we are where we are. DH has tried to settle him and we get nowhere. I’m not great at leaving him to cry and don’t want to follow this approach. However I think it will get to a point where I am drastically struggling with it.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

[DinosaurDiana]

Does he actually need that first nap ?
How long are you thinking of BF ?
Does he have a dummy ?

[Liv316]

@DinosaurDiana I think so yes, he’s usually quite tired by the time it comes round. Do you think I should try and push it further?
Was aiming until he is 1 year old. I feel I don’t have time at the minute to make meals for him weaning wise so wouldn’t have time to do formula and bottles.
He wouldn’t take a dummy no matter how much we tried, he just plays with it in his mouth.

[DinosaurDiana]

I used to co-sleep so mine , so waking didn’t bother me that much to be honest.
Is he actually having a feed, or using you as a dummy at night ?

[Liv316]

@DinosaurDiana we haven’t tried co-sleeping but as he has reflux and struggles with wind, I usually have to put him upright to get a burp so would defeat the object of co-sleeping with us. But at first he is just using it as comfort but then he does have a small feed

[Vicky1989x]

Might be time to transition him to 2 naps - my DD was doing this around 7 months so I dropped the 3rd nap and pushed the other 2 slightly later. Took her a few days to start napping longer/adjust but it did stop the night wakings.

She usually was waking around 6:30-7 so first nap was between 9 and 9:30 and second nap was around 1/1:30 then bed at 6:30/7. I gradually started pushing the second nap back to 2/2:30 as she started sleeping longer/got older.

[FATEdestiny]

I don’t have time at the minute to make meals for him weaning wise

He is 7 months and you are not giving him solids meals. Is that right?

[Liv316]

@FATEdestiny no I am giving him solid meals but I am someone who needs to do everything the best and so at the minute I am just quickly chucking things together for him rather than having the time to make proper meals

[FATEdestiny]

Maybe lower your standards.

You should be giving vitamin drops to your baby by now, especially if solid diet is limited. These are avaliable from your HV, or any pharmacist.

Jars or pouches would be better than nothing. So rather than not giving a meal, give those. There are very simple "meals" you can give too, especially breakfast and lunch:

• slice of toast and butter
• slice of toast or bread with peanut butter, cream cheese, hummus, any other sort of spread you have
• porridge oats and milk
• "Picky Lunch" of bits - chunks of cheddar cheese, cucumber buttons (peel off skin), cocktail sausages, bread sticks
• Egg. That could be scrambled, poached, fried or as an omelette.

All the above served with Greek yogurt and soft fruits for afters.

You baby needs to start eating in addition to your breastfeeds (not in place of) or your nights may well be affected.