daytime naps/nighttime sleeping at 6 months old

[motherpeculiar]

have posted previously about DD2's "routine' going out the window about two weeks ago. Up until then she had been napping well during the day and sleeping well at night (with a few feeds at night but I was coping) Then it all went ballistic and she was awake a lot at night, also in evening from being put down until we went to bed with the result that her naps went a bit crazy too. She used to self settle really well in her cot but hasn't done that for about two weeks either. Yesterday took the biscuit - she had one nap of about 50 mins and that was it, ALL DAY! It was in her buggy too, we'd tried to get her to sleep in her cot but to no avail. She is also awake lots now, during the night and evening. I've read so many threads about things going a bit haywire around this time and I think she may be teething but I thought it might have sorted itself out by now...

is it normal for an almost 6 month old to get by with so little sleep? (she sleeps about 11hrs in stops and starts at night) she is in great form, but looks a bit peaky and tired to me. And her mum and dad are DEFINITELY peaky and tired (and talking of divorce, but we are hoping that is just the sleep deprivation doing its evil thing)

anyone?

Hi, dd is 7 months and frankly routine changes all the time. Teething could a reason, as could getting a cold, growth spurt, hungry the list is endless. I used to worry that dd didn't sleep anough and always looked tired ( exhausted actually) she also struggled to settle herself. even now her sleeping isn't great. Naps, maybe 2 hours maybe 10 mins. What happens when you put her down to settle herself in her cot?

hope you don't get divorced either

my lo (8month boy) did exactly the same he was completely knackered would sleep about 1hr 20 mins during day and then started waking in the night - I think it was teeth as after about three weeks the front two appeared almost together! happy days - I am now using Aston & parsons teething powder ( I think the top two are coming through now) which seems to really calm him down. Otherwise its just a change in their sleeping patterns, it happens and we have to live through it! I should try the powders though I think they really work!

MP - sorry you're still having problems with DD2's routine (I posted last time on your thread). My DS (6 months) has been all over the place just recently and is particularly unsettled from bedtime onwards. Goes to sleep OK but wakes 2-3 times before we go to bed and cries hard but usually settles quickly once I go to him.

At night he sometimes wakes up and settles himself, sometimes needs me to settle him, sometimes sleeps through and sometimes wakes at an unearthly hour (2.30am the other morning ) and doesn't want to go back to sleep. This has been going on/off for about 3-4 weeks now. Then yesterday morning, two little teeth suddenly appeared so I'm thinking (hoping ) that's what has been causing the unsettlement.

I know it's no help but I just wanted to let you know you're not alone. I remember you saying DD1 slept brill from very early and mine was the same so this not sleeping at night thing has also come as a real shock to me too

Hope you get through it OK

thanks guys - good to know we are not alone. sorry you are all having a hard time too though.

pjsmum, I'll get some of those powders then.

bizzyw - thanks again (remember your post on my other thread made me feel a bit better too)- sorry to hear your ds is still unsettled.

i'm feeling a but reassued that it might be those pearly whites. can't remember which ones come through first, top or bottom.

it doesn't help that dd1 is also sleeping really badly at the moment...[exhausted emoticon]

MP, know the feeling. DS slept better last night (until 5.30am) but DD woke up at 12.00am crying that her back was hurting and she had pains in her tummy and I got back to bed at 1.30am

It will pass, we've just got to grin and bear it for now and send each other reassuring messages in the meantime My DH is hopeless at saying the right thing (bless him) so I always come to MN to feel better.

On the teeth front, both my DD and DS cut their bottom two teeth first and this was preceeded by lots of horrible nappies, nappy rash, a stinking cold and excessive dribbling (as well as no sleep of course). Any of those factors might indicate that's what's happening with your DD.

Have a nice day if you can

sorry suss, just realised it was you suggested the powders - thanks for the tip. see, i am completely addled!

pjsmum, she normally screams blue murder when i put her in her cot, althoug just to be different last evening she went down like a lamb. was awake within a couple of hours though.

busyw - will look out for those teeth. It must be that. I am so fed up though as it dd1 was always a crap sleeper and i thought i had struck gold with this little one, until a couple of weeks ago.

I have just returned to work p/t and have about as much concentration as a disco dancing gnat, so am feeling crap about that too.

know what you mean about the dhs not saying the right thing. and i am VERY snappy right now, poor guy!

hope it sorts out soon for both of us

MP my DS does that waking thing after an hour or two of going to bed. I've found that once I go to him and calm him down, he will actually settle himself back to sleep if I leave him alone. Does that work for you.

If it helps, come and join the post natal thread for March babies. Every day at least 2-3 of us update on the crappy nights we've had and I always feel better knowing lots and lots and lots of babies don't sleep well yet.

What is she eating during the day? Does she seem distressed when she wakes? High pitched crying or more a moan?

she is still exclusively breastfed - I did try some baby rice about 3 weeks ago (this was while she was still my angel baby in terms of sleeping) and it really upset her nights so assumed she wasn't ready. Planning to start again with the solids within the next few days. TBH I am dreading it in case she gets all upset with it again.

she tends to wake moaning and groaning then progresses to full scale "come and get me" within about 5 mins if I haven't gone in

today we have done well, two naps in her cot where she settled herself down however they were of only 30 mins and 20 mins duration

why, what are you thinking jambots?

MP - two sleeps in her cot settled by herself is really good news, the longer lengths will come again

Fingers crossed for tonight and good luck with the solids. Jambot's on the March post natal thread as well and her DD (six and a half months I think)is a demon feeder and very good sleeper. She'll be able to give you good advice about food intake.

MP - My DD is 6 and a half months. This whole thing sounds to me like a vicious circle and unless you fix one problem you can't fix the other. Frustrating. I think you should try and work on her nights first. Is she wanting a feed when she's waking? I know you're nervous of starting the solids but I really think you should get stuck in now. If she's sleeping badly anyway at the moment, what have you got to loose? Does she have a specific bedtime routine? And does she have any way to self sooth? Dummy, blankie etc? What time are you putting her to bed?
I'm surprised she seems fine during the day. I know if my dd wasn't getting proper sleep she would be impossible.
Sorry it's more questions than answers but the more you tell us the more we may be able to help

I'm not going to tell you how much dd is on solids wise - you'd probably freak!

no help from me either, but am going through exactly the same with ds who is 4 months.

it's now been three weeks since we had more than 2 hours continuous sleep.

we haven't discussed divorce, but are seriously wondering whether it might be time to try a bottle of formula last thing at night. in fact, was going to try tonight. do feel really, really bad about it though.

sorry to hijack, but lockets - is the formula working? are you getting any more sleep?

same old story last night

she went down ok at about 7 but was up again from 8 in a bad way, crying unless she was on one or other of our shoulders (this is really unlike her) fell asleep on my shoulder about 9ish and managed to smuggle her back into bed. SHe woke then about 12ish (I think - neither DH nor I can remember excatly as we are so tired) and I fed her, then she was up again another couple of times and was fed. At 6 I decided I could take no more so sent her downstairs with DH. She was happy to sit in her rocker chair. He gave her about 2 oz formula at 7.45 and tried to put her back in bed. She screamed. I bf her about 30mins later to settle her, she was hungry and took a good feed. Still wouldn't settle in cot - turned herself over and migrated up the mattress. Took her downstairs and she was quite happy again. She is a little conundrum!

Jambot - to answer your other q's - we do have a bedtime routine of sorts - nappy off time downstairs anytime from 5.30on (while DD1 has tea) then bath about 6.30pm and bed asap afterwards (generally about 7 - tho' a bed later recently as I have been dreading it so much). SHe used to be a great self settler and just smile and head off to sleep but in the last couple of weeks she has been REALLY unhappy when put down (apart from ysterday of course). She doesn't have a dummy or blankie - would be happy to introduce blankie but how? DD1 was never that interested. She (we) are in a habit of feeding back to sleep when she wakes in night as it is easier. Although we did di DR Ferber on her just before this all erupted and had got her back to just one feed a night. I do think she is tprobably eething as she does seem in some pain when she cries and I guess being up distracts her.

She is still incredibly happy when up and distracted. (I'm not - I'm exhausted!)

Will start on the baby rice today, as you say, it can't get much worse (famous last words)

so JAmbot, how much does your DD get through then, solidswise?

BusyW, Lockets, anyone else suffering the same fate - hope last night was a bit better

would lik eto crawl into bed but have to work now. I am feeling sorry for myself!!!!! (and just look at my typing - they'll get no good out of me today I fear)

Oh MP Am so, so, sorry you are having such a hard time of it. I bet it's especially hard as she was doing so well before all this. Having said that, I think the positive thing is that she was so good and she won't have suddenly forgotten how to put herself to sleep. Therefore there must be something specific causing this and once you've cracked that, she'll go back to her lovely, happy self In the meantime, is there anyone (family/friends)who can help you during the day so you can catch up on some sleep?

This is quite a long post as I've been trying to rack my brains and think of anything that might help you. I think the problem is either teething or hunger or maybe a combination of both. If I were you, I'd tackle the food first as there's nothing you can do about teeth and teeth also seems to come in fits and starts (IME anyway)

My DS has an 8oz bottle when he wakes, anywhere between 5.00-6.30am at the moment then at about 8.00am he has porridge which he loves. Once we've done the school run, he has a bit of my toast (although he ends up wearing most of it rather than eating it). At about 11.30am he has lunch which is usually 3-4 cubes of vegetable puree mixed with some of his milk and a bit of baby rice if it's watery. This week, I'm going to start giving him some protein (chicken, red meat etc) at lunchtime as their iron stores start to run out at six months and can't be replaced by milk alone. This is what I think is causing my DS to wake so early at the moment. After his lunch he has a bottle (usually about 4-5 oz) although I'm trying to phase this out and am slowly increasing the solids he takes.

He then has a bottle at about 3.00pm before we do the school run and usually has about 6-8oz. He has tea at about 5.00pm which is 2-3 cubes of fruit puree mixed with baby rice and then has a final 8oz bottle at 6.30pm before bedtime.

My DS seems to be back to settling well and last night I didn't hear a murmur from him from 6.50pm when he went to sleep until just after 12.00am. I settled him in about 5 minutes by putting his blankie over his face. This is a Kaloo teddy which has a square piece of fleece for it's body and DS can suck on this as comfort and also likes to put it over his face to go to sleep. I've been putting this in his cot with him at every sleep for ages now so maybe something like this might help your DD. I ofetn hear him in the night sucking on his teddy before going back to sleep himself.

He then woke again at 5.00am, I fed him but he didn't go back to sleep until 6.30am. This early morning waking I think is now down to protein as I said already so that's next on my list of things to tackle.

I think once you introduce food, you may see some improvements. You also said you were BF'ing. Do you give any bottles and if not, do you think this might help. Maybe some formula might fill her tummy a bit more. I know lots of friends who've introduced bottles for the afternoon and evening feeds at about six months.

Sorry, lots of rambling but I hope some of it might be of use. Chin up, I know it's hard (as I've been there) but it WILL get better

busyW - thank you so much for your very helpful post. It is so nice to hear such a rational take on this - both Dh and I are turning completelt irrational now and don't seem clear on what is happening or what to do at all. Sleep deprivation, a wicked thing!

We have just, after about two months trying with a million different teats, managed to get her onto bottles. Also trying with formula but she will only take alitle of that, far prefers ebm, but the way things are I have no chance to express enough to really get the bottles established.

Am going to give her some food at lunchtime today. She is almost 6 months now and I reckon you are right, it is probably a combo of hunger and teething. Thanks for giving me so much detail on what your DS eats. No wonder DD is starving compared to that!!!

I have a mother's help who comes twice a week, but I am at work (from home) when she is here so can't really use the time to sleep. Although I am so useless in terms of work I might as well. Not sure anyone would actually notice, but I'd feel bad. Funny I don't feel so bad about coming on MN.....

will get one of those blankie teddy type things and try that - saw them in the chemist yesterday. Worth a try.

MP - MN is essential for your sanity and any sensible person would understand that

Good luck today with the food, I'll be thinking of you

that's true about MN busyW
well, just gave dd a small bit of baby rice and it was like - "where have you been hiding this all my life?" she lapped it up. Fingers crossed.

MP. This is Lauren's daily routine and eating story.

Up at 7:00. Change nappy and has a 7oz bottle.
At 8:30 she has a bowl of baby cereal(7teaspoons) mixed with formula, plus a bowl of fruit(7 teaspoons) (pears, banana, peach), mixed with 7 teaspoons of full cream yoghurt.
At 9ish, when I see her getting tired, I put her in her cot, after singing her 'sleep song'. She has a tag blankie (with little strips of silk ribbon). Introduced this at about 4 months and she is crazy about it. Pulls it up over her face and sleeps like that. She sleeps one and a half to 2 hours.
At 11 she has a bit of diluted juice in a Avent Magic Cup and has a finger food. Carrot, rice cake, bit of banana, rusk etc.
At 12:30 she has lunch. 3 cubes of green veggies. 3 cubes of other veggie, plus 3 cubes of chicken.
Down for another sleep at approx 1ish. Sleeps until about 2:30.
At 3pm she has a 7 ounce bottle, which she sometimes doesn't finish.
At 5:15 she has dinner. 3 cubes chicken. 6 veggie(butternut, sweetpotato, carrot, sweetcorn, plus about 4 teaspoons of full cream fruit yoghurt.
Bath at about 6:15. 7 ounce bottle and in bed by about 6:45.
Always give her her evening bottle in darkened room. Walk round for a bit singing her sleep song and put her in her cot with her blankie. She has never wanted a dummie, which I'm fairly glad about, but her blankie is a winner. I would definetely try one. Every time I wash hers, I stick it inside my bra for an hour or two so that it gets my smell.
Really wish I had a magic answer for your problem. A bit flummoxed I must admit, but really hope that somehow the above can give you some ideas.

Good luck and please shout if you have any more questions or just want to talk.
Lots of sleep vibes to you and DD.