Help please- why is my ds waking up every hour?

[notwoo]

Ds is 8 months. Never a perfect sleeper but has never really recovered from 4 month growth spurt thing.

I usually expect him up at least twice in the night and can settle him with a quick feed (bf)

But the last few nights he's woken up screaming every hour. He can be comforted with a feed but he surely can't be hungry every time.

I've given him some calpol and neurofen in case it's his teeth ( he has 2 already and is showing some symptoms)

But this is a disaster-I'm shattered, I'm going back to work in 2 weeks!

I wouldn't be totally against a bit of controlled crying but he flings himself around the cot and bangs his head so I need to pick him up.

And because I'm feeding him at every waking (only for a few minutes) might he be taking less in the day and creating a vicious circle?

It is tiring but I'm sure it will get better.Both mine were like this at 7-8m,then all settled down,then sleeping all night from about 9m.As he takes more food in the day he will sleep better at night.If you are exclusively BF then stick to it but I had switched to formula at this stage as also went back to work around then.Other things that worked were putting the same lullaby CD on at bedtime,and again in the night if they woke up to re-enforce bedtime idea.But although you are tired,8m is still quite young and there is every chance it will work itself through.Don't think you will be encouraging bad habits by attending to him rather than leaving to cry it out at this stage.Good luck.

If you have a DP or DH, could they try to settle him without the feed? The idea then that there is less to bother waking up for.
Another idea a bit like the lullaby CD is to have a song which you always sing when it's bedtime. Choose a good one cos the first few nights you're going to be singing it a lot

Thank you for your replies. Good to know yours have been similar but it might end!

I have a 3 year old dd too who was a bad sleeper from the get go and still wakes in the night and comes in our bed now but ds seems a bt more 'normal' so the past few nights have worried me!

Dh is wonderful in many ways but baby soothing and /or night duties are not his forte I asked him in desperation last night and ds screamed even louder until I took over despite not being at all clingy with me during the day.

I did offer him some water last night and he took that so might try that instead of feeding every time.

Will try lullaby thing. He has a little puppy that plays 20mins of lullabies so that might do the trick.