7 month old sleep issues

[Kmm395]

My son used to sleep through the night until he was 4 months old. Then he started waking a few times a night. I read about the 4 month sleep regression so figured it would pass, hes now 7 months old and wakes multiple times at night. He goes to bed around 8pm wakes at 9pm then will sleep till 11pm. He then wakes every 20-45minutes. I’ve tried laying him next to me but he just fights until I lay him in his own bed then will cry soon after so I pick him up, this goes on all night and I am exhausted 😩 He wakes to start the day anywhere between 5-7am. Any suggestions on how I get him to sleep longer at night? His naps to around 3 hours a day. 1st around 10am-11.30am 2nd around 2pm-3.30pm and a very short nap around 5/6pm. Also he is breastfed and screams if his dad tries to settle him so i do nights alone.

Have you tried earlier naps? I try to follow 2, 3, 4 nap guide so have a longer awake period later in the day so that DC are more worn out ready for a longer sleep at night.

Thanks for your reply 🙂 I’d never heard of this (just googled it) I’ll give it a try

I literally could have written your post, my DS is following exactly the same pattern as yours! How are his sleeps now? Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

Unfortunately not 😣 he used to nap really well during the day now he wakes as soon as I lay him down. He normally goes to bed around 8pm he might sleep till 11 then pretty much spends the rest of the night in my arms, people keep telling me to sleep train but I just couldn’t ignore his cries 😞 I know it will get better though my daughter was the worst sleeper until she started walking then she started sleeping 8-8 with no wakes 🙂 she’s almost 3 now and still sleeps through so it does get better 🙂

The only thing that worked for us was sleep training. Once she learnt to fall asleep on her own she was then able to get herself back to sleep when she woke in the night. She now mostly wakes once for a bottle and that's it 6.30pm-6am.

Oh no! I know everything is a phase with babies and it will pass eventually but that doesn’t make it any easier when you are in the middle of it 😔 Feels like we have tried everything other than formula and sleep training. Didn’t want to stop bf yet as it’s worked so well for us but we are willing to try anything at this point! I feel the same way about sleep training, I just know I couldn’t stand to hear him cry. Glad to hear it does get better though 😅

Giving formula might help would mean someone else could feed baby while you get some rest 🙂 my sons awkward though and won’t take a bottle but I probably could have tried harder tbh

ugh going through similar with my 7 month old. Naps great. Goes down at 7. Wakes at 8.30 then constantly, feeds every time as he’s so irate despite eating a carby dinner and having a big bottle before bed (neither formula nor breast milk make any difference). I’m going back to work in a. Month and I am broken! I’m telling myself it’s teething and learning to crawl. What id give for an evening out!

@K37529 Ds isn’t great at taking a bottle either but I am trying harder just so hubby can do some feeds at night.

@RMarieClaire Ds is the same, doesn’t matter what he has for dinner, makes no difference to his sleep so I don’t think formula will help either tbh but it’s worth a try! Just keep telling myself it will get easier at some point, was just hoping it’s sooner rather than later!

I don’t think formula will help make him sleep longer as we did that with my daughter. didn’t make her sleep longer but did mean my partner could help with the night shifts, it actually got to the stage we’re she would only go to bed for him which was great for me 😁 and same here it doesn’t matter what I feed him before bed makes no difference to how much he sleeps 🙁

Research baby sleep. Use the Huckleberry app. Stick to recommended wake windows. Look at suggestions on historic threads xxx

He’s my second. Trust me, I’ve read all the books and tried all the apps. I think it’s probably separation anxiety. Or teeth. Some babies are just tricky and don’t follow the rule books.

Not a very helpful comment for any of the mums struggling here.

@Kmm395 yes I think formula is a bit of a myth but I’d try anything. It didn’t work so at least I can save my money.

My daughter always slept evenings till 2ish so I used to pump and offer expressed and I do think that helped - but he feeds and wakes so much I don’t get a chance to pump.

Cut the third nap.

First nap around 2hrs after wake up for 45min. Make the second nap finish at 2.30pm, no later.

Bed time at 6.30/7ish.

Good luck OP!