6 month old sleep patterns

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Hello

My 6 month old had started sleeping 8 pm to 6 am waking just once at about 3. Now he's started to awake every 3 hours!

I'd been bringing him into my bed when he awoke at 3 and now when he awakens the first time he simply refuses to settle back in his crib!

Also in general (even through the day) I find it almost impossible to get him to sleep even if he's very sleepy unless I offer him the breast. Once I do he nods off in moments. Is this a healthy habit?

I've just started him in nursery for a couple of hours so dont want too many changes for him, and am not in favour of the cry-it-out methods.

Any advice please?

Well done - now tell me every single thing that you did yesterday so I can copy it...

Oh god HotGiggity, just read your post from earlier, what a hellish night. I hope you've managed to get some rest today.

3 nights of CC and it seems to have paid off. We'll see tonight whether it was a fluke or not!

Yes you can give rescue remedy to babies - you can use the special night one if you prefer one without alcohol in it (alcohol in it is less than that of gripe water though, I believe). I just put on DD's temples and on me before her final feed. It's a bahk flower relaxation remedy, totally harmless. Reki is more whacky - it's basically a form of hands on healing/relaxation - babies and animals in particular love it. My mum taught me. Yup, since having a a baby I've turned into a a big old hippy. Still last night was excellent - down at 7.20 (earliest ever) with very brief wakings at 10.30 and 4.30 - quick BF and reki back to sleep both times - woke at 7.30 for day. Might sounds nuts but def less nuts then CC or CIO for me.

I know its hard but don't take it out on your baby, is it worth you introducing a bottle so somebody else can feed your baby some times TheSecondComing??

DS has been in bed with me the past few weeks feeding on and off, one day she will sleep through again!!

I read that with tired eyes and got 'I don't take out my baby, I am just really fevery, cabin fevery' and I was thinking no wonder...

I've read it properly now, that does sound totally shit. I couldn't help but giggle at the thought of a couple of tits floating about a cot...there's something wrong with me...

My ds is 6 months and doesn't want to sleep day or night.Naps are 1/2 hour at the most and up every 2-3 hours at night. When he was 10 weeks old he was managing 7 hours at night but that only lasted for 2 weeks. All I can think about is sleep.

ds2 has finally broken me. Bed at 7pm in hysterics as he refused all but 10 mins of an afternoon nap.

Woke at 9.30pm, fed. Fussed around until 11pm when I finally got him back to sleep by feeding AGAIN. DH had tried for an hour during that time to get him to sleep without the boob but to no avail.
Up again at 1am, feed. Up again 3.15am, feed. Then woke every 20 minutes and REFUSED to go back to sleep unless he suckled for a suck or 2, then back down for another 20 mins until just before 7am when he wanted up for the day. REFUSED any kind of dummy, rocking, swaying, singing, bum patting, shushing. etc etc
I am on my knees. He keeps waking DS1 up as well. (I live in Asia so it's daytime here, am not typing this diatribe in the middle of the night, though I might as well since day and night is indistinguishable)
When will it end????.........don't know how much more I can honestly take.

TheSecondComing are our ds twins separated at birth?!? Seriously, you could be describing my ds2, it's the fussing/clawing/crying I can't stand, it drives me crazy and it's been going on for WEEKS.

I think I need to buy a pair of those big fake boobs you get in joke shops and he can claw at those all night instead...except of course he'll know they aren't mine cos they'll be the same size as each other whereas mine are 2 cup sizes different from each other because ds2 fricking refuses to drink from the right boob

Oh SecondComing, you managed to make me smile this morning at the idea of flinging severed breasts into the cot!
I'm totally at the end of my rope with it all, and am getting really frustrated with DD's refusal/inability to sleep. Potato, how was last night? CC is looming. I actually cried last night when DD woke and took an hour to resettle. Although her sleep is better than newborn, she certainly slept better at 3 months than she has since, and I can't hack it any more.

Last night was better, fewer wakings and when he did wake he was happy just playing in his cot.

I have bought the 'No-Cry' book just to see what it says really...

I suppose maybe it's a bit like the BLW book, put food in front of them, when they are ready they will eat it...

Yes, my problem with the NCSS was that it just replaces one set of sleep associations with another. My DD will not tolerate a 'lovey' (that's ma girl, has clearly inherited my hatred of whimsy ), and hates white noise. If ever I whisper my soothing 'sleep words' she either laughs in my face or goes ballistic.

I've got the pounding-head-everything-swaying thing going on today.

potato, come back! I want to know how last night went!

Oh poor you Overtired. It's terrible when you're that exhausted. Last night she also slept through. Although I went out last night so not feeling as bright as I should be today.

Haha Secondcoming, that's an extremely positive way of looking at it! But just remember you mustn't take it out on your baby..... How long has your DS been fussing like this through the night? Do you think he's ill/teething, or just gotten himself into a really bad sleep pattern?

Hi potato, well, I think that might have clinched it, CC here we come. When you say 'slept through' do you mean 7 til 7, like a whole proper night?
Did you follow any particular timings? I looked at the Supernanny site and the instructions there from the Millpond woman look easy to follow.

secondcoming, I think people who say things like 'don't feed for five hours' are the same type of people who say 'when your baby looks tired pop them into their cot'. ie people who have had easy babies. Bastards.

When I say slept through, from about probably from 7.30 til just before 7. And she only whimpered for about 5 mins before she fell asleep.
I didn't follow any particular rules, just did some reading about it from various sites and kind of adapted it to what suited us. I feed her then put her into bed, pat and soothe her for a few minutes and then say 'Goodnight' and leave the room. When she's been really crying I've gone back in and resettled her, if she's just whimpering and I can tell she's calming I've left her. When she woke up in the night I found it easier to leave her because she was so tired she kept on falling asleep while crying, but friends of mine said that for them that was the worst bit. I think the main thing I stuck to was not to bring her into my bed and not to feed her in the night (although I did once the first night) as those where the things I wanted to eliminate. Those are also habits I feel she had come to rely on, and which I just couldn't keep up with. It is difficult, but I know many people who have used CC and it's really worked for them.

Overtired, what helpful advice! You did explain to them you enjoy never having a decent nights sleep and feeding throughout the night right?

Totally rubbish night here - wakings at 1,4 and then basically up from 5. Exhausted.Hate this, have no energy to interact with DD - she is getting basic care :-(

DS didn't get up til 4 last night, but I couldn't sleep, I knackered now...

hi everyone

similar to potato, we did some reading and applied cc, with strokes of reassurance every 10 min until she falls asleep. each night has taken between 30min to an hour or more, but all the literature said it would get better. tonight it is over 1 and half hours and she is still going and we are struggling with it. once she has gotten to sleep tho the last 5 nights she has slept for 9+ hours. what's going on? we are not happy for this process to continue as it is if it is going to take so long for her to get there by herself. any suggestions?

Hello. I remember some names on here. My LO is also 6m (secondcoming remember you from threads before Xmas. See it hasn't improved yet...)

I tried cc and had to give in after 2 hours of screaming and DS waking up DD as well with his wailing.

Mine naps really well in the day. However has a feed at 7 and then to bed, wakes then at 10, 12, 2, 4 and 6. Is having some solids but surely not so hungry as waking every 2 hours.

Sometimes manage to get him off to sleep at the 12 one with a bit of a pat but if he's not fed at 2 and 4 he gets hysterical.

My problem with CC is that it might work for the first wakening but you have to keep going with all of the rest that night and the noise and stress is terrible. I might have to try it again this weekend. Thing is....he could actually be hungry and there is no way of knowing!

Like many on here I am on my knees and due to go back to work soon - how I will even get through the commute on less that 4 hours sleep, I really don't know.

Piccinina - how did it go last night?