5mo waking up more than before..? Sleep regression?

[sksk]

DS never really sleeps through the night (maybe once a fortnight). Doesn't matter what I try. Dream feeding never really worked, I keep a routine at bedtime (massage, batch, bottle, bed). He has been teething for about 2 months now and the teeth haven't yet arrived. This has made things more difficult for him (and us), especially with getting to sleep. Last night and tonight, he seems to wake at around 12:30, has a feed and then won't sleep but basically needs to play. Last fed him at 19:30, so it's like he just woke from a five hour nap! Though tonight is a bit better than last night where fed at 18:30, 21:30 and 12:30, this is not easy. We have had five months of sleep deprivation and I am feeling awful and DH is exhausted too. We have tried just leaving him but DH wakes early for work as it is, so for two nights I have just brought DS downstairs just to use up his energy and to have some peace ( worked last night, he slept from 02:30-06:00). He is a master of variety and I have read about sleep regression, but am really just seeking to find that I am not alone!

My DS has started to wake more often again, 2 or 3x a night when most recently it was only once around midnight so plenty of time to get a decent sleep once he had gone back down. I think he's teething which is the root of the problem...

A friend swears by more maps in the day time and a really rigid timetable during the day. I'm trying this this week and will let you know! She has leant me a book, don't have it to hand right now but will post again with the name.

you're not alone!

More naps not maps...

Thanks,
Glad I'm not alone. He doesn't nap much, unfortunately. But somehow he appears rested- must be quality not quantity for him! Must be a phase that hopefully he will ride out. Oddly though, despite the playing and waking, he managed to go about 6 hrs without a feed this time. He did have this naughty look on his face when I brought him downstairs at night, hehehe. I think he knows...
Sending good wishes for more rest for us all!

I have just been through this.....I agree with mostlycake's friend, I have a tight routine for feeds during the day and plenty of naps. usually 40 min to 1 hr nap between each feed - the most important being before bedtime feed! when he went through sleep regression, teething, illness and growth spurts I stuck to this routine and everything got back on track eventually to sleeping through the night.
I would say try to make him nap during the day more, persist even his he struggles, 5 's' helped me (swaddle, side, suck, shush and sway).
hope it gets better x

Thanks. He only sleeps half an hour at a time during the day, but not always between every feed. But I do have to sway and rock him. His teething has really made him so upset. Took him swimming this morning which has made him tired ( by swimming, I mean he floated/ kicked in his support for about 15 mins. Then he came home and bounced! Hopefully he will get back on track soon.

I hear you. we are in a nightmare sleep situation with 4.5month old. basically waking up everyhour for the last fortnight. am struggling to do much in the day with a potty training 1.5y0 in the mix. dd2 can't sleep longer than 20mins during the day. dd1 and I sometimes wake her up. life is a frustrating round of trying to get them both to sleep and emptying the potty.

I've had enough!

That is tough. I am finding it difficult with just one baby! I'm too tired to go swimming or do any exercise apart from going up and down the stairs/ lifting baby! I am not huge but I need to lose weight; I've never been heavy before. Everything aches. Have some blood tests next week but probably there is nothing wrong with me. Everyone says it gets better but with time flying by I'm sure I won't get myself/house in order before I go back to work!