18wk old - irregular waking at night

[kateandtoby]

hi all

looked thro threads and don't think this is too much of a repeat!

pls help! 18 wk ds on goodish day routine - feeds every 3.5-4hrs, 2 x 1.5hr naps + 1 45min b4 bath then a dream feed at 10.30!

6wks ago he was waking once at 3/4am for a feed then sleeping till 6.30/7 BUT for the last 3-4wks he has been waking 3 or more times a night - sometimes every hr!!!

I stopped feeding him at night and he seems ok with it - doesn't seem hungry... wakes up chatting mostly - chats for 10-15 mins and if we don't come in then it turns to shouting/crying.

the only consulation is that he calms and goes back to sleep quite quickly - ~10mins shhhshing.... BUT then wakes about an hr later!

• he's in a sleeping bag with blanket as comforter
  
• maybe he is teething?? - but doesn't seem in pain particularly
  
• often seems wide awake and quite happy!
  
  help - think adrenalin is about to run out...
  
  thanks

[Tanis]

I know exactly how you feel... my dd2 - 16 wks old USED to sleep till 4am and then decided to wake every 2hrs until 5am when she would want to feed hourly! - I have started cutting out night feeds gradually but I'm looking for an answer too! I suspect the only way to get your boy through the night is to leave him to cry, he is obvioulsy not hungry but wants comfort, you could try making your visits to him shorter and then lenghening the time in between visits - but ultimately it means leaving them to cry. A really helpful book is 'Solve your childs sleep problems' by Dr Richard Faber (or Ferber) - it worked for my dd1 but she was a little older 20 wks, I think I am hoping for too much from dd2 but I'm sooo knackered can really symphasise