7 month old started waking up every 2hrs again! HELP!

[Thankgodforcaffeine]

My 7 month old baby girl had been into a settled routine of waking up once a night, around 0300 or 0400 then going back to sleep until around 0630. For the past week though she has fallen back into a pattern of waking up every 2hrs again like when she was a newborn, and she won't go back to sleep without nursing.

There hasn't been any change to her daily routine, and I don't think she's teething, as her behaviour during the day has not changed, and she sleeps fine during her naps.

Has anyone been through something similar? Any tips?

Please has anyone got any suggestions? I am really dreading tonight...

Sorry I'm not going to be a beacon of hope here, but I remember going through the same thing from 7 months with DS and I was tearing my hair out.

Unfortunately only two things helped - going to bed myself really, really early (as his first sleep was the longest), and bringing him into my bed from around 3am.

It passed by 9 months. Sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear! Hope your dd settles sooner.

Has she started doing anything new like crawling? If so it could be developmental like the 4 month sleep regression some babies go through, and will settle in time.

She isn't crawling yet, although she is trying.

Sorry if I'm thick but what is the 4 month sleep regression?

It's where they do what your LO is doing! Previously good sleepers start to wake up again lots. Usually around 4 months. Possibly related to teething/learning new skills/becoming more socially aware

It makes sense.

I guess as long as I know that it is just a phase I can reason myself that it will pass...

Thanks for the replies!

It is just a phase! Just been through it myself! She will get back into a routine!

Is she getting enough to eat during the day? At this age they need a lot of iron + protein, so at least one meat based meal during the day, say at lunchtime, is a good idea.

My 8mo is doing EXACTLY the same. Weird that they are both fine in the day...! My DS is bf and I do let him feed twice in the night, he has been teething and has been ill - but for the last week no sniffles, nothing.

I've been trying to rock him to sleep (as suggested in the No Cry Sleep Solution book) but in the small hours last night I wondered if he was genuinely hungry. He's been eating solids for a while now, which he enjoys, and now nurses less in the day - perhaps he's not getting enough milk in the day and making it up at night? Perhaps this is your LO's problem too?

Thanks leBFG and kiwiinkits, I will look into the food side of things, and see if it makes any difference

Yes, it sounds to me like she is hungry. My daughter started waking up more at exactly that age. More high calorie filling solids are the way forward I think alongside getting as much milk down her as possible. The problem with weaning is that many solid foods are lower calorie and less filling than milk so they dont have as much during the day as before.