This is getting stupid! help now please!

[charleepeters]

I have posted on this subject before but its getting worse............ Ds was a good sleeper from about6 months untill about 5-6 days ago, he started waking two times in the night now its every three hours, he crying now he had his bedtime bottle at 7pm but now hes screaming, why? whats changed? hes not ill or anything! argh!!!!!!

[bambino1]

I had exactly the same with my dd. Is there any chance he is teething? Is he eating enough in the day?

[Magscat]

You have my sympathies. Maybe he's just worked out that he can get your attention this way? Could the really light nights be bothering him? Has anything else in the routine changed?

[charleepeters]

nothings changed and he eats quite a bit in the day.......... many times i have thought hes teething but never had any signs of and peggys! hes dribbling loads but thats all. unfortunatly before we got him to sleep through but controlled crying but now we have people living in the flatt down stairs with young kids so its just not fair on them to let him scream. i dont know whtas changed! his rooms quite dark and were not loud or anything. help!

[Gobbledigook]

How old is he charl? My 9.5 month old is the same - he's been sleeping like a dream almost from day one but this week and last week he goes down OK but wakes shortly after really upset. He might wake again once or twice in the evening. He often stays settled in the night but a few times he's woken in the night too and he's NEVER done this before!

I don't know why, i can't calm him down for ages either. I'm putting it down to teeth as he's got a few coming thru atm.

Sorry can't help - just don't know what it is with my ds either.

[bambino1]

Do you feel maybe you are a little too aware of downstairs so maybe not as relaxed as he is used to? Also lots of dribble is sign of teething. how old is ds now?

[charleepeters]

hes 9 1/2 months now and downstairs have lived there for a while so i dont think its that. hes awake now hes got a bottle of water i dont know what to do, do i get him out or leave him to cry, he wont be settled by me just being there to hold his hand ect............... help

[Gobbledigook]

Charl - ditto!! If I were you I'd just get him up. That's what I do in the end cos I don't want him waking ds1 and ds2 in the next room (they are 4 and 2). It's a pain but just get him up and let him chill with you - bet he'll be Ok then go back to sleep when you go to bed.

Don't know if this a 'textbook' answer and probably lots of people will come on and say 'nooooo' but that's what I'd do because I couldn't stand the screeching!

[Gobbledigook]

Have you got some calpol you can give him? It really could be that his gums are sore even if you can't see the teeth - they must be on their way up. This might just calm him down enough to settle in half an hour or so.

[bambino1]

How long has he been down this time? Have you tried calpol if he seems to be in pain. When my ds did this I wouldnt talk or make eye contact just give her a cuddle and some water in a quiet, dark area until she calmed down and went to sleep again. It was shattering as she done it for about a month but then all of a sudden she was back to sleeping through. TOUCH WOOD!!!!

[charleepeters]

i know what you mean, its just i dont want him to get into the routing of having all these bottles and getting up in the night, it took us so long to break him of it i dont want him to get into a routine of doing it. its just i dont know why hes doing it, he doesnt ssem ill, hes full up, hes clean, dry was happy as larry going to bed i put him down he went strieght to sleep but now hes awake and i can bet he will be every 3 hours untill about 4 - 5 then he wont sleep again tonight!

[Jampots]

Ive said it a hundred times.... have you tried the ticking clock?

[charleepeters]

hes been down from 7pm untill now 9, the he usually wakes at 12 and then 4 then i have to get up because he wont sleep again, hes sleeping again now i think he just wont stay asleep.

[bambino1]

This is a tough one as I know how desperate you feel. Do you work? As I can imagine you are just physically and mentally exhausted. Does your ds sleep much in the day?

[Lonelymum]

Give him the Calpol if he wakes tongiht and see if that makes no difference. If it does, you know it is teeth, if it doesn't you have at least tried something new. I still reckon those toothipegs will be along soon.

[charleepeters]

i dont work but am always very busy, he used to go to bed at 7pm and sleep till 7am then have a sleep at about 9am then again at 3pm for about 1 1/2 each time.

niow hes getting up at 4 am and then has his next sleep at about 8am then at 12 then sometimes at 3pm. i am so tired, i have a bad bladder.kidney nfection at the moment i am getting treatment but i still feel as rough as hell, its really hard at the moment especially as he was doing so well.

[bambino1]

oh cp I really feel for you. Does your partner help at all during the night waking?

[charleepeters]

yes he gets ds a bottle while i feed him, the only thing that has changed in our life is that we rehomed our dog but surley that cant be affecting him???

he woke again at 2 last night but i left himt o whinge and went back to sleep then he had a bottle at 4 when he woke up. its driving me mad my3 month old neice sleeps better than he does! anyone know how i can overcome this??????

[koalabear]

mine went through this at this age - a MNETer suggested that around this time they are going through a separation thing because their awareness is growing - they need to know you are there - we would get up to DS, give him a cuddle or pat, and he would go back to sleep - it lasted about a month

[charleepeters]

so you dont think its because hes missing the dog? he really seemed to love her.

[koalabear]

no to the dog cute though it might seem

at 9/10 months, imo, it is either 1. needing to know mum/dad is there, or 2. teething, or 3. hungry (needing to eat more during the day)

when my DS wakes, we first leave him to see if he settles, if that doesn't work, we go in and pat his back, if that doesn't work, i pick him up and give him a drink of water, if that doesn't work and he is really upset and i think he is teething, i try neurophen baby (taste better than calpol), and if that doesn't work or not applicable, and everything is going to pot, i give him some warm watered down milk (only occassionally)

[charleepeters]

thanks Koala ds doesnt seem to respond to soothing in his crib, he goes back to sleep after Juice, but i dnt want him to gety into the routine of haviing bottles of juice/water in the middle of the night

[koalabear]

ps. i think this is very normal for this age, and also remember, each baby is different - my son did exactly this, and i remember being really upset because my friend's baby slept through 7 til 7 from the age of 6 weeks - different children will have different needs

[koalabear]

i would really steer away from juice because of the natural sugars - not good for teeth - go for water, or very watered down milk

i too was concerned about the "habit" thing, so that is why i just keep the milk week - that way, he takes it if it he is hungry/thirsty, but not for habit

[charleepeters]

I see what you mean i do give him mostly water, but the occasional bottle of juice for treats. he cant hold it himself yet so i sit by his cot and give it to him, what i meant is i dont want him to think he cant fall asleep again with out a bottle of water.

[koalabear]

charlee - how are you going?