taking 2 hours each night to settle 7mo HELP!

[HeidiT]

Hi

For the past few nights it is taking me 2 hours to settle my 7mo ds.

She was ill with sickness and squits for 10 days prior to this so was used to having some drink in the night. I think she may also be teething as she has bright red cheek.

Last night she woke at 2am. I always leave her for 10 mins to see if will resettle herself but no joy. I then gave her some teething gel and calpol thinking maybe teeth hurting. Still no joy. Left her 20 mins to see if settle nothing. Gave her her teddy blanket to knaw on as she was knawing her fist left again for 20 mins still crying.
Gave her some water still cried so finally caved and gave her some milk which I am always reluctant to do as she has not had any food beyond her 6pm feed for months and used to sleep thru the night. She had 3oz and still cried.
By now I was crying not knowing what to do. I just left her then for 20mins and finally she fell asleep by this time it was 4am.

I dont know what has gone wrong, she has always been a good sleeper sleeping thru from 10:30 to 6am from 12 weeks then 6-6 from about 5.5 months.

I thought sleeping got easier when they got older at least when she was newborn I could feed her and she would sleep now I have all these other things running through my head at 4am about what is best to do. I dont want to give her bad sleep associations (ie milk)

She has great naps in the day and settles herself within 10 mins.

Please help!

Sallyx

[BeckyBendyLegs]

Hi Sally, it is probably just a blip. They don't just sleep through the night from whatever age until they leave home unfortunately. It sounds as if you did all the right things trying to settle her and the only thing you can do is be patient and hope the next night will be better until she gets over whatever it is that is upsetting her. If she's teething that would explain her being unsettled. I remember nights like this with both my first two DSs and we'd try everything - calpol, singing, cuddling, patting on the stomach, shusshing and eventually they'd drop off again. They usually settled back down to sleeping through the night after the illness / teething ended. Please don't worry that this is it, she'll never sleep through again. I am sure she will!