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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?!

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greeneone12 · 15/06/2011 08:24

I had the same hell when LO started solids. Up every 2 hours so I cut back and she slept much better. I try and do solids an hour after feeds to make sure that is the priority but I worry that she will never cut back on milk as she doesn't seem all that interested in solids really. Bit of a pain when I am desperate to stop BF-ing.

I feel a bit of a fraud being on this thread now as last night she did a 7pm-5am stretch which was amazing for me and DP - almost definitly due to the piriton though :(

Meggymoodle · 15/06/2011 10:00

Hi ladies, seems like everyone's nights are getting a little better which is great news. I have only fed once between 10pm and 7am in the last week so I really think we're turning a corner. I fed her at 3 am when we were staying at my parents on saturday and true to form, the next night she woke at 3am expecting the same thing. I left her to cry a little bit, but not for too long. DH went in and settled her and she went back to sleep.

The next night I slept for 5 hours solidly; I haven't done that in over 6 months!!! She woke around 4 but settled herself with no crying until 7.15 when I woke her! Last night she woke at 2.30 but settled within 10 mins (but I was awake for ages afterwards - how stupid) and then at 05.50 but settled again within 10 minutes and then she woke at 7am so I'm hoping against hope that we're getting there!

I'm still dream feeding at 10.30 which she does in her sleep and doesn't wake for. I'm dreading the idea of dropping that but one step at a time eh?

Hope you're all doing OK.

TheresAHuppoInMyHouse · 15/06/2011 19:44

Hi Meggymoodle it sounds like your plan is going really well - well done! Did you have to do any cc or did it happen without? Feeding only once a night is More Like It, imo!

My DD had a crap night last night - I couldn't get her to sleep without the dummy, so spent the whole night jumping up to pop it back in. Luckily she went back to sleep quickly each time, but I'm not sure there were any stretches of longer than about an hour and a half. She's got a cold (this is the third settling-in day at nursery and she's caught a cold Already!) so I don't expect tonight to be any better.

The good news is that she's self-settled for her naps like a little angel today, no need for the dummy, no crying, just drifting off like I wish she would every time!

I've taken anti-snot measures this evening - Olbas oil on the sheet, and propped the cot up at the head end. She's sleeping now without the dummy (let's see how long that lasts!) and I'm off for an early night, hoping for the best.

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TheresAHuppoInMyHouse · 15/06/2011 19:46

And baileyslover did you manage to sleep yourself in the end? I hope so! So maddening when they sleep and we have the bloody insomnia.

greeneone youare always welcome on this thread, any positive sleeping stories give me hope, (and tempt me to get a piriton prescription .. Wink ...

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Meggymoodle · 16/06/2011 08:50

Huppo, sorry for your crap night - hope last night was much better for you. We did more like controlled leaving than controlled crying, in that she was waking but just chatting for ages and ages and then finally crying for about 3 minutes and then falling asleep. Prior to last week I'd been going in to settle her as I was worried she'd a. get chronically overtired and b. wake DS as she was chatting quite loudly. Last week we just left her and her awake periods were getting less and less. We did have some periods of crying but nothing horrendous so all in all we were quite fortunate.

However, I am not anticipating it lasting....we will reserve judgement until she's gone for a bit longer doing nights like this!!

baileyslover · 16/06/2011 19:15

Still very mixed here. On Tues night after sleeping like a angel until 1.30, he was then awake until 4.30!! Last night it was pretty similar but he had a really unhappy day generally due to ? Teething or a stomach bug. His nappies are pretty horrendous - does anyone know how long 'teething' nappies last? Having to change him 5 times a day, esp overnight is not fun.

greeneone12 · 17/06/2011 11:44

5 times a day? baileys I really feel for you! My LO is more like once every 3 days :( We have a bit of a problem in that department.

Good news though - we have our first tooth and she napped for 1hr and 30 mins this morning in the COT. She never sleeps for longer that 40 mins at nap time. Woohoo!!! Actually didn't know what to do with myself.

TheresAHuppoInMyHouse · 17/06/2011 19:05

Ugh, dirty nappies, yes we are in the poo-zone too, baileys. I don't know how she can possiby put on weight, as everything she eats just seems to shoot straight out the other end!

Last night was fine, with a waking and settling at 10.30, then feeding at 1am, then up for the day at 6.15. I've stopped being able to coax her back to sleep if she wakes after 5.30, so 6.15 is actually not too bad. It means she's back on three naps a day, though, as the day is a couple of hours longer, iyswim!

Great news on the cot, greeneone! And on the tooth! I love it when DD treats me to an unexpected long nap, great excuse to waste time, put feet up and relax - all this is just as important as doing anything constructive, I think ..Wink

She's been asleep since 6.40pm so who knows what tonight will be like. Hope the early bedtime doesn't mean we'll be getting up at silly o'clock tomorrow morning. I have DP's DD1 staying with me this weekend, and DP is away until Sunday afternoon. Erk! Full on motherhood here we come :)

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greeneone12 · 19/06/2011 09:58

theresa my girl also thinks 5am is the time to start the day. Although her morning nap now seems to be getting longer which is good. How did the early bedtme go?

She has started taking me by surprise everyday....she won't be fed to sleep and yesterday she fell asleep in the pram in a really noisy restaurant. Maybe I should try the bottle as we are on a roll...that will be the day!!

Hope everyone is ok.

x

baileyslover · 21/06/2011 08:22

It is probably a fluke but worthwhile celebrating - DS slept, the whole night, from 10.45 until 8.15!! And no feeds for 13 hours. Grin

Meggymoodle · 21/06/2011 08:24

Oh well ladies, I knew I wouldn't be leaving you for long. Following a week - yes a whole week, of wonderful nights - in fact on Saturday and Sunday we did not hear a peep from 6.30pm to 6am - we had another nightmare night last night and I cannot for the life of me figure out why. She woke at 8.pm, 9pm, 1.30am (self settled), 2.30 am (settled with music) 4am and was awake for nigh on an hour finally settled with patting and music and then was left to her own devices and then she woke for the day at 6am.

Feel like our week of CC (which wasn't so much crying really...) was a total waste of time. Am v. despondant.

Hope you all had beter nights.

TheresAHuppoInMyHouse · 21/06/2011 10:48

Well done, baileyslover! I hope you managed to get some sleep? 8.15 is very respectable, a proper lie-in. V jealous and pleased for you!

Don't be too down, Meggymoodle, perhaps it was just a blip. If you got her to sleep well for a week, then you can do it again when you're ready to. But know how disappointing it is, just when you think something's sorted, then they fling something else at you to deal with.

We've had two particularly rubbish nights, with 5am getting-ups which have made me feel like it's not worth trying anything any more, just do what she wants and try to survive. Last night I decided not to feed her overnight and just see what happened. She slept from 6.30-11.30, then needed settling a couple of times before midnight, 1am-ish, 3am-ish, and then singing and chatting (loudly!) from 4.30-5am. So I fed her at 5 when she started crying, and she went back to sleep (thank God) from 5.30 to 7.30.

I suppose it's worth it to continue not feeding her overnight, and hope that I can stretch it gradually further beyond 5am to a civilised time. But isn't it SO depressing.

We went out for dinner last night for DP's work - the chap I was sitting next to commiserated. He said isn't it amazing how little sleep you can actually function on if you have to. Luckily I swerved the conversation away from sleepless babies before I launched into a massive rant. A narrow escape for everyone!

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greeneone12 · 21/06/2011 20:58

Hey All

Meggymoodle it's just gutting when you take one step forward and two back but think on the positive. You did make progress and that is a very good thing.

I too am very upset by the 5am starts but luckily she did go back to sleep this AM. Tonight is the first night in a week she has gone down with no piriton so we shall see how we go.

I am adament to keep up the no feeds for at least 10 hours as I know she can do it now and on hot days I just offer extra feeds/water.

Sleep seems to crop up in so many conversations now. People look and me and say 'oh you look tired'. Thanks a bunch!!!

TheresAHuppoInMyHouse · 22/06/2011 10:08

How was the piriton-free night? I hope that she's got into good habits when using it, and will keep them up for you.

I am feeling much more postitive today, after Night Two of no feeding overnight at all. She went to sleep easily at 7pm, then woke and needed settling (with the trusty dummy) at 10.50pm and 2.30am and then she woke up and chatted merrily to herself before I went in at 6am and fed her at 6.15. The fact that she's not waking in the morning howling for food is very reassuring, that she's not starving, so I can keep up the feed-free nights.

I thought I would try my luck and put her down after that feed, so I could hop back into bed. She had other ideas, but is now having a massive morning nap. Looks like it could be a 2-hourer Hmm

Tomorrow she has a full day at nursery, this is just a new thing to occupy the anxiety-space in my brain!

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greeneone12 · 22/06/2011 15:36

The piriton free night wasn't that great :( She woke at midnight screaming (and I gave in and fed her) and 5am. I am really angry for feeding her at 12 because for the last 7 nights she hasn't woke for a feed and so I feel I have ruined things now. Having a very bad day. She is grumpy and my doctors have been very annoying - both telling me to do completely different things with a rash on DD's back and front. I could cry right now!

I am glad you got a 2 hour break theresa. Let us know how she gets on a nursery.

greeneone12 · 22/06/2011 19:14

Give me strength :( DD has criede more or less solidly since 3pm :(

TheresAHuppoInMyHouse · 23/06/2011 08:00

Oh greeneone how horrid. Was anyone else able to take over for a while and give you a break? Did she wear herself out enought to get some sleep overnight? I take it she's back on the piriton, pronto!

I am currently feeling AMAZED as I put DD to bed at 7 last night, she went to sleep with the dummy and some hand-holding by about 7.20 - then next thing I hear from her is the morning chat at 5.25am!! Which is far and away the longest sleep she has EVER done. Smile Grin Shock Grin

I waited till 5.45, when she started sounding grumpy, then got her up and fed her. There was no sign of going back to sleep, so I got her up, gave her breakfast and have just put her down for a nap. This is excellent news as it means she'll be ready for her next nap at midday, which is when all the other children at nursery nap, and has been one of the things I've been trying not to worry about.

HOORAH

I'm having a 'keeping in touch' day at work today, in the form of attending an all-day team meeting. This may well be a rude reintroduction to real life, but it can hardly have got off to a better start!

Hope things improve for you today, greeneone.

x

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Meggymoodle · 23/06/2011 09:17

Huppo what a great night for you. So pleased. It does make you feel a bit more human again. What a good time for it to come too if you're heading to work!

greeneone- really hope things improve soon. Hope last night was a bit better. Don't worry about feeding at night, it is so much the easiest thing to do sometimes and when you're so knackered it's hard to be strict about it.

After my rant on Tuesday morning she's done well for the last two nights. No idea what the problem was. Anyway, we seem to be heading in the right direction with more good nights. I am still dream feeding at 1030(ish) and she's waking about 4 or 5 for a quick wiggle but doesn't seem to need attention as is not crying and then wakes about 6 or there abouts which is v early but not too bad as she is going down around 1845 in the evening so it's nigh on 11 hours. anyway, onwards and upwards - just need to get the daytime napping sorted out now....

ZimboMum · 23/06/2011 22:00

Hi all,

Sorry for being silent for so long. Have been lurking with interest, but have been finding it a struggle to post one-handed whilst feeding!

Glad things are going well Huppo and Meggy and hope things are on the mend Greenone.

I think we're slowly getting there with DS, he will usually have two goodish naps during the day and then down to sleep at 9ish until 7ish which is great. the only downside is he's being fed to sleep for all of those naps...Work has asked me to use some of my KIT days in August which I'm quite looking forward to - I'm just panicking about how he's going to nap whilst I'm at work. Have been trying to bypass bottles and move onto sippy cups but they're more for fun at the moment! Sigh This parenting malarkey!

DS is off into his own room from tomorrow night. Not really looking forward to it as I'm so used to him just being a foot away from our bed, but think it will be easier to get him used to it now than to leave it much longer. Wish us luck... :)

Sleep well tonight babies and tired parents :)

baileyslover · 24/06/2011 02:10

Morning all!

greenone hope you are having a better time now, there is nothing more draining than a baby that won't stop crying, I never imagined prebaby how bad it can make you feel.
theresa very pleased for you, it gives you one thing less to stress about while thinking about going to work.
meggy sounds like you are on track too, fingers crossed!
We unfortunately have not had a repeat of the Sleep Through, but his wakings have reduced to once, and never at the same time so not habitual. I know I should be strong and refuse food but my will power is zero in the night, and we are staying with relatives for a few days and I don't want to wake them up. Realistically I can't see it happening until my DP comes home in July, but really need to start thinking about being tough as I have just agreed a return to work date of 5th Sept Sad. Those 9 months have flown by!!

Meggymoodle · 24/06/2011 08:45

Bummer, another shockingly bad night last night. I was semi-anticipating it as she had a bad napping day yesterday (my fault entirely as I though I might like to leave the house and dared to put her in a buggy for one of her naps - not to be). She was screaming like she was in pain last night so we kept going into her and she screamed herself awake at 0540 this morning and I finally gave in and fed her. I'm so fed up with myself both for the napping yesterday and for the feeding early this morning.

Not sure what's going on with her really - she's a bit hot but nothing major. Could it just be over-tiredness from the day? Would that make a baby scream themselves awake? What on earth do I do today as presumably if she doesn't nap well today she'll just get more and more over-tired.

I have an active toddler who needs to leave the house at some point. We're supposed to be going to a group for him this morning but I so need her to sleep. Argh......fed up with this sleep nonsense now.

Baileys you sound like you're doing really well. Zimbo 9-7 sounds totally reasonable to me!!

Good luck for the weekend everyone!

TheresAHuppoInMyHouse · 24/06/2011 10:51

Well I spoke too soon as last night was a shocker! She woke and settled easily at 8 and 11.30pm, then the next waking was 3.30am and she still wouldn't settle by 4.45. Then she got really fed up and so did I and a battle commenced which resulted in me taking her for a walk in the sling, which she seemed to really enjoy (lots of things to see!) and calmed me down a bit, although it did nothing for my tiredness. She finally went for a nap at 8.45am and woke at 10, so I snuck in a little hour's snooze which feels like nowhere near enough!

GAH!

I also am totally fed up with this sleep nonsense, as you say, Meggymoodle!

The good news is that I had a lovely Keeping in Touch day at work yesterday and she had a great day at nursery. Thank God. When I went to collect her, she was asleep in a rocker while all the toddling littuns ate read books in a circle, saying 'ssssssh! Don't wake the baby!'. It was megacute.

However, her naps at nursery didn't last for anywhere near as long as they do at home, so perhaps that is what affected her sleep last night. She is going to have to get used to it!

Zimbo great to see you again, I know where you're coming from with the anxiety about feeding to sleep at nursery. I've just convinced myself that they're professionals, they can handle it, and it is much easier not to think about once she's in there and I am busy doing something else!

If she pulls another stunt like this morning's, though, I am just going to feed her and be done with it. It's just not realistic to go trudging up and down the South Bankfor two hours every morning, just to avoid feeding before 6am .... not to mention it's a bit mad ....

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greeneone12 · 24/06/2011 12:50

Hey All

Thanks for your kind comments. Sorry for all the crap nights!!

Yesterday here was rubbish! I told DP that I am not coping (!) to which he laughed off saying I was doing great. She seems a bit more settled today but night she woke up screaming and that was WITH piriton so goodness knows. She is so uncomfy in her skin :(

It just all seems so crazy. On the days when DD has napped badly sometimes she has slept, sometimes she hasn't. At the moment her sleep is all over the place whereas before we were in a nice little routine.

I am kicking myself for not following some sort of schedule from the beginning. Saying that teething comes along and it' all out the window anyway! I was DD to be a little flexible and not slave to a tight routine all the time.

Gosh I never imagined how hard it would be having a little lovely!!

Knowing I can come here and get it all out is so lovely. Thanks again theresa for the thread.

From what my friends have said about their older DC's when they go to nursery they are very different. She fed hers to sleep for all naps etc and at nursery he sleeps like a star so that's promising.

zimbomum let us know how you get on with DC in own room :)

Meggymoodle · 24/06/2011 14:01

Greeneone-I wouldn't worry about not having started with a routine - I've battled myself stupid trying to get DD into a routine and she has faught me every single step of the way. The bloody pain in the arse lovely little darling has just done another 40 minute nap and in the process of screaming has woken DS so now rather than 90 minutes down time I get 20 by the time they are both in bed. I am SO tired and fed up with the whole thing.

So, not only are we in for a crap night because she's going to be chronically over tired but we're in for a crap day as well because they are both going to be tired. Adoption anyone?

greeneone12 · 24/06/2011 19:22

They say a change is as good as a rest...maybe we could swap DC's for a while.....god help one of you!!! ;)