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6 MO waking every 3 hours

324 replies

TheresAHuppoInMyHouse · 28/04/2011 19:24

My DD is 6 months (4 months adjusted age as she was premature and arrived at 30 weeks). She gradually started sleeping for longer and longer periods and I was feeling very pleased with myself! Then a month ago the night wakings began again, for no apparent reason. She would only have been 3 months (adjusted) so too early for a growth spurt I reckon? Anyway it's still going on and I'm starting to think there must be something I can do to get back to my nice long stretches of sleep!

She is awake for 1.5hr-2hrs at a time during the day, so she normally has 3 naps of an hour each at regular intervals. And a little catnap in the sling sometimes. Perhaps this is too much daytime sleep?

She is exclusively bf and has started to be more distracted suring daytime feeds (those maddeningly endearing pulls-off and smiles! are a killer!) but I'm spending more time feeding, so am trying to keep up the daytime calories.

She is generally happy to settle herself to sleep when drowsy - although always after a bf. For a nap, this only takes a few minutes so perhaps I've started an unhelpful sleep association? Sometimes she's obviously knackered so falls deeply asleep a-boobing, and stays asleep when she's transferred to her cot.

Every time she wakes at night, I feed her and she goes straight back to sleep. I'm a bit nervous of trying to settle her without a feed, and tbh I wouldn't know how to do so. Any tips?

She goes to bed at 7ish and wakes for the day at sometime between 6 and 7. Reading this, I feel like I've got nothing to complain about, but WHY won't the little bugger darling sleep for longer than two or three hours at a time, when she used to do so, apparently effortlessly?!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
greeneone12 · 23/08/2011 22:01

Baileys great news! So happy for you!

Well I am a bit peeved as LO seems to be all over the place. Screaming the place down when we try and put her to bed....not giving in for hours....and yes she is tired! Luckily she hasn't been waking until 6.30am ish which is an improvement on the 5.30am appearances she was making.

She slept through for 3 nights and then we tried no piriton and she woke loads - only falling asleep in my arms and waking the second I put her down. She ended up next to me as it was the only way I could get her to sleep. Blinkin, fecking eczema!!!

Those 3 nights of sleeping through were amazing - just wish she would do it without being drugged up.

balletmoo · 23/08/2011 22:19

Hello all!

Can I join you?

My DS is 1 next week. He was sleeping in ever increasing lengths until April when suddenly he went from 7 hours in one hit one night to waking every couple of hours. It has never improved beyond three hours between wakings at best, and has sometimes been waking as often as every 45 minutes...

I'm knackered.

I suspect the culprit is a combination of teething and growth spurts. Teething is incredibly arduous with nothing really touching his discomfort. I've tried Calpol, infant ibuprofen, homeopathic teething stuff, teething necklace, liquid anbesol... He doesn't cry much, or indeed whinge, but the munching of hands, dribbling, nappies etc etc, all point to his teeth. He's just cut the 7th tooth, I don't think 8 is far off and it's just a constant nightmare.

Please someone tell me it's going to get better...!!!

Meggymoodle · 26/08/2011 08:08

Hello balletmoo -sorry you've had to join us. Everyone has seen some improvement I think, so obviously this thread has magic qualities!

DD has done brilliantly through the nights for the last month on and off, but sadly is waking at 5am or thereabouts every morning. I might go and start a new thread for early wakers!

greeneone12 · 26/08/2011 09:58

I don't know why but DD seems to be waking a little later now. How old is your DC Meggy? I have seen a few threads about early waking and I think it's much more common than I realised. We have had a few nights of hell and one night I ended up having to let DD sleep on my chest and roll her off between us in the bed as I just couldn't settle her in her cot. Last night she went through and settled to sleep no probs! I just don't get it!!!

Needless to say I won't be counting my blessings and she is just about to crawl and stand which will bring with it a whole new challenge for night-times!

Meggymoodle · 27/08/2011 09:41

Hi there, we had a shocker last night in that I woke her at 10 going into her room to check not too cold. Man alive, she is the lightest sleeper on the planet. Then had to feed her but she didn't settle until about 11. Then she cried at 3.30 settled OK but woke at 4am and wouldn't settle until 5.30. Then she slept until 6.45. Flip me.

Normally she wakes at 5.15 or 5.30 or sometimes if we're really lucky 5.40 EVERY day. greeneone she's 8.5 months.

Hope everyone has a good bank holiday weekend. I'm hoping to do a carboot sale tomorrow and sell all the baby stuff - never doing this again - Grin

TheresAHuppoInMyHouse · 28/08/2011 21:13

Lol Meggy how was the carboot sale? Did you manage not to put your potential customers off having children?! Wink

We have had some really crap nights recently, she's had a horrid cold and a big man's cough, and I noticed another new tooth today. So for the past two nights I have fed her to get her back to sleep as it doesn't seem fair to let her cry when she's all hot and snotty. She seems to be feeling better today, so I will try to be firmer tonight and not feed her when she wakes. It's hard to keep the willpower though, as I'm knackered again!

And I've been dealing with early wakings by giving her a bf and putting her back down, she then usually sleeps again till 6.30 or 7 - on a workday I need that extra sleep!

Balletmoo hello, I'm sure it will get better, and let's hope it's soon! Mine doesn't cry during the day with teething, either, despite all the other signs, but she makes up for it with night wakings!

Well I'm off to bed now in fact. Night night everyone :)

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doblet · 29/08/2011 08:15

There are 13 pages to this thread!!! I don't have time to read all but a quick skim has filled me with dread....has nobody had any luck? My 7mo wakes regularly and is a nightmare to settle. For example she was up at 11pm last night (after a 9.30pm feed so not hungry) and took till 1am to go back to sleep...then she was up again at 2am, at which point I gave up and took her to bed with me. She has always been a bad sleeper but seems to be getting worse. Don't think it is teething and she has learnt to crawl (most practice was done in the early hours but she has mastered it now)

Meggymoodle · 29/08/2011 10:05

doblet - take heart, believe it or not we are all doing MUCH better than we were at the beginning of the thread!!

That said, I've had a bad three nights with 3am wakings and no idea what's causing them. Huppo even if I feed her at 5.30 she doesn't go back to sleep. She's definitely up for the day. I think she's on the low end of sleep needs and only needs about 13 hours a day which, if she has 3 hours naps a day, means only 10 hours at night :(

Carboot was a bit of a waste of time as only made £20 - wrong clientele LOL. No I didn't put anyone off - I bit my tongue!

TheresAHuppoInMyHouse · 29/08/2011 13:51

doblet does it make it better if you change your settings so it only comes up as 7 pages? ...! No I guess not ;)

I managed not to feed her last night, as the cold is getting better, so I was able to feel OK about it. She still woke at midnight and 4am but not for long, and the dummy worked its magic. The 11-12ish and 4-5ish wakings are a feature of the last week and I could do without them, thanks!

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TheresAHuppoInMyHouse · 29/08/2011 19:35

doblet something else which might encourage you - lots of people have joined this thread and then dropped off (teehee) when their DCs started sleeping better. It's us hardcore nonsleepers who remain! And as Meggy says, we've seen great progress since we started.

greeneone I've just read some of your posts which I missed before - sounds like your DD has been putting you through your paces! Hope she's a bit more settled for you now. If she would only sleep when being cuddled, that sounds like she was feeling really under the weather. Poor little thing. Now get better, little one, and get back to sleep!

x

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baileyslover · 29/08/2011 23:45

We have been suffering from a cold here and upper incisors coming through as well so been an unsettled week. Fingers crossed DS seems happier past couple of days and slept 8 til 7.45 last night so hopefully back on trackGrin

Just in time too as trial morning with the childminder tomorrow ahead of back to work next Tues eek!

greeneone12 · 01/09/2011 20:13

Hey All

Well great news! We have a LO who is settling very well in the evenings - we have a new routine which seems to be the key. She also slept through for the first time from 7pm - 6am :) meggy mine was waking crazily early for ages which was doing me in but these last few weeks has been waking later so there is hope! She did it all on her own too with no intervention from me. What makes the sleeping through thing weird was that she ate hardly anything that day.....

baileys I too may be going back soon and am scared stiff as LO is still on 4 feeds a day and refuses bottles and cups with milk in. Other Mumsnetters have said she will be fine and adjust but I am not sure :( Making me really sad and anxious!

We definitly have more teeth coming here but not sure where yet. She is also getting so angry as she wants to crawl but isn't strong enough in her arms yet. Seems stronger in her legs so might just walk first.

Thank you all once again as I love reporting back and reading about all your going's on!

Meggymoodle · 06/09/2011 13:05

greeneone don't leave us hanging like that - what's the new routine??! Let's all embrace it.

I am so envious of you guys going back to work. I am so desperate to have some different input into my life. I'm totally fed up with child-related stuff all the time!

We had one night from heaven about 3 nights ago when she slept 7-6 and since then night wakings again followed by 5.20 starts. Joy of joys. Then constant grizzling because she's so tired. I also have a very stressy, annoying toddler so I am not enjoying motherhood at the moment. ARRRGGGGGGHHH> The terrifying thing is that everyone says these are the best days.....which means it only gets worse. :(

baileyslover · 06/09/2011 23:03

meggy it is funny what we get excited about now, I thought the exact same thing about greenone's new routine Smile

Today was first day back at work. I am v tired, especially my legs from standing all day, but DS had a good day with the childminder so feel pretty ok about it all.

Sleep wise I will keep quiet about (but only for happy reasons Grin) I know it will all change again soon but I am enjoying it while it lasts

Meggymoodle · 08/09/2011 11:46

Baileys enjoy it! I'm envious beyond all belief. We seem to have gone right backwards. No idea what's going on - did someone mention a 9-month sleep regression somewhere back along. I'm terrified we're still going to be lacking sleep when she's 2.

TheresAHuppoInMyHouse · 08/09/2011 19:54

Well done on your first day back, Baileys. And well done to your DS for getting on well with the childminder. I've found that the more familiar it gets, the more they enjoy it - after a month at nursery, DD loves it and we've come on in leaps and bounds since the day when I cried when I went to collect her because she let out a little sob as they wiped her face .... Blush

Meggy I believe in the sleep regression! DD had a horrid horrid couple of weeks of getting up all the time, she had a temperature and teeth, and was 9 months, and it was YUK. But last night she slept from 7.30 till 6.15 which was utterly divine. I had riotous dreams which I thoroughly enjoyed!! But I am wise to it all .... this sleeping through is a fragile, precious thing, which is easily broken for no reason.

And Meggy you must be doing a great job, I don't think these are the best days of motherhood, oh no! There is more to come which is more fulfilling, enjoyable and memorable. These babies will blossom and so will we, when they finally let us sleep! Grin

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loubel74 · 08/09/2011 20:48

oh dear im glad im not the only one..have 6mths nearly 7mth old lil boy...again seems to be waking every hour or so..i feel like a zombie..was much better until he hit the month mark.....DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY ADVICE PLEASE!!!!!!..lol

greeneone12 · 09/09/2011 11:15

Hi All :)

The routine is quite simple but does seem to work. We start getting her ready for bed about 6.15 (as any later and she was overtired to be pulled around etc) and then we bring her back downstairs to play quietly. When she starts yawning we take her upstairs, put her sleeping bag on and scratch mits and then read 2 books. After that we say bed time now, lay her down and she goes off! Saying that although she has been settling well after 5 nights of sleeping through she is now waking again. Deffo got new teeth coming through on the top. She almost drew blook on DP's finger yesterday (hee hee!!).

I have missed you ladies! It's been a busy week as DP is now off work after his redundancy. He has 3 interviews next week and I have one today so it's all go. We are so tired as well after getting used to a whole nights sleep.

meggy My cousin says evry stage gets better and better so don't despair as the best is yet to come!

FWIW I too definitly believe in the sleep regression as 4 months and 9 months were horrible!

Loubel I really am not sure what to say as just when you think you crack something it all goes crazy again! Honest.....you try things...sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. Trying to go with the flow definitly helps but I bet you feel like poking me in the eye for saying that when you feel like you need matchsticks to keep your eyes open.

Us women really are the better sex! I was thinking how I was going to deal with going back to work with nights waking etc. We just get on with is don't we!!?

Meggymoodle · 01/10/2011 22:14

Hi ladies - just checking in to see if everyone is really cured and I'm the only one still struggling or whether you're all too knackered to be online and typing?!

greeneone12 · 06/10/2011 21:14

Meggy! Hello! How are you? We had a great week of her going down well and sleeping through and once again it's all gone on it's head. She has teeth coming, wants to practice crawling every minute and is also having a growth spurt I think (she is 1 on the 26th Oct)!

I am also struggling with trying to give up BFing as I have done my time and want to end it.

Apart from that I am loving seeing all her little skills developing (not at night though!)

Meggymoodle · 13/10/2011 10:58

Hi greeneone - how's it going? We're doing OK actually thanks. We've had teeth, vomitting bug, colds and some hideous night waking and really early morning wakings.However, I took her to the cranial osteopath 2 days ago who did all the business and then suggested we let her listen to Radio 4 all night very quietly as she won't feel alone when she wakes. OK thought I, nothing to lose. OK, this may be a coincidence and it may never work again, but the first night she slept from 7pm - 6.20am - she has never done that in her whole 10 months, last night she slept from 6.45pm - 5am and my heart sank but she grizzled for 15 minutes and went back to sleep until 7am! She has very rarely managed to put herself back to sleep before at that time in the morning.

Anyway, I have no idea whether it'll work tonight but I'll be giving it a go. It has of course had an impact on day-time napping and I'm a bit stuffed with that and I've no idea whether it's the osteopathy that worked or the radio either so that's not much help is it? But I suspect the radio as it was such a dramatic change.

I'm thinking about when to give up BF too - I worked out I've been pregnant or BF and indeed both on occassion since April 2008 and I'm ready to have some decent underwear again.... No idea how to go about it though.....(giving up that is, I assume the decent underwear can be solved with a trip to M&S).

I'm assuming everyone else that was on this thread now has perfectly sleeping babies!

TheresAHuppoInMyHouse · 28/10/2011 20:39

Hello everyone, it's been a while! I love the idea of the radio 4 trick, Meggy, I must say that those soothing tones have lulled me to sleep many times! Gardeners' Question Time after sunday lunch .... zzzz.....

I haven't been on mumsnet at all recently, as I've been moving house, and we've only just got broadband and any time to use it. But the sleep is still an issue .... she wakes now every night at least once, and because I'm working I just give her milk after a few minutes, and hold her hand while she goes back to sleep. But she sleeps in at the weekends till 7.30, and during the week I usually have to wake HER at 6.45am. Sweet revenge! Wink

I've stopped bfing completely in the past week. It felt like the right thing to do, and now she's started drinking more in volume it seems.

Mine was 1 on 26th October as well, greeneone! I spent the whole day thinking about the day of her arrival, it felt like a very significant anniversary. Congratulations on a year of motherhood! Grin

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greeneone12 · 24/02/2012 12:42

Hello Everyone!

I doubt anyone even checks this thread anymore but just to say 'we got there'! DD now sleeps through and although we had problems with early waking we seem to be over that now too! Oh - and I stopped breastfeeding! She bit me really hard 3 mornings in a row which I took as a sign that she was done.

So there we have it! Hope 2012 is treating you well :)

Take care

xx

fififrog · 25/02/2012 10:33

Ha ha hopefully none of you lot still lurk on the sleep forum but although I never joined this thread (DD just one month when it started) I remember reading it last year so I'm thrilled to know it has all worked out finally! Hurrah! Am clinging onto hope of light at end of tunnel!

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