Please help my poor upset friend

[BobbysBeardOfWonder]

My very good friend is distraught over her nearly 6mo DS's sleeping habits Can anyone offer some advice please? I've run out of ideas.

He goes to bed in his own room at about 7pm, friend or her DH try to put him down semi-awake. If he goes to sleep he often wakes up 5 minutes later and then takes a lot longer to settle.

He feeds normally twice a night (ff due to problems bf) but then stays awake after one or both feeds for an hour or so (this is the bit that is killing my friend - being awake each night for so long).

His naps during the day are also pretty difficult, and because he's so tired after a bad night's sleep he struggles to nap properly too.

I've suggested the 'do whatever it takes' approach but it doesn't seem to have any effect - shed tried rocking him, not rocking, patting, co-sleeping...She's getting upset at the thought that nothing she does is working.

She goes back to work next week too, so really needs to get some decent sleep.

Some of it may be standard 6month old stuff/developmental, but it's been getting steadily worse and worse. Her DS has suspected silent reflux plus various food intolerances, which may or may not be relevant.

Any suggestions?

Yep, been there, still trying to figure out a solution. My DD (8mo) does exactly the same thing and also had silent reflux, although it has improved now she is upright most of the day and has started solids. She only naps for 30min, 3 times a day.

Feeding twice a night and not settling seems to be pretty common at this stage unfortunately. If I don't catch DD and settle her before she's too awake, it can take upto an hour and half to get her to settle.

I've no answers, but using a dummy, white noise and a shed load of Calpol and Calprofen when she's teething has helped. Plus DH and I operate a shift pattern so we at least get one 3 hour stretch of sleep each. However to start with, I'd suggest your friend needs to get her baby's silent reflux medication reviewed if her baby is still suffering the symptoms as it will definitely cause her baby to wake more often.

Sorry, not very helpful. But perhaps your friend can join Mumsnet so she can access as much advice and support as she needs.

Thanks for the suggestions - my friend went cold turkey on her DS's dummy recently which made things worse, so she's gone back to using it again!

I suggested the white noise idea already, perhaps also music - would that help do you think? Or be more of a distraction?

Suspected food allergies you say..... What kind of formula is your frind's baby on? Cow's milk protein intolerance =hideous sleep IME.

obviously just my experience but DS was the world's worst sleeper until his allergies were all diagnosed at about 7 months. I couldn't understand what I was doing wrong! then, in a very short space of time his sleep became dramatically better.

Narmada - not sure which formula her DS is on. He was meant to be getting prescription formula due to allergies but not sure if that's happened...

He has cows milk intolerance plus others (sorry can't remember).

What meds helped your DS FeelingGreen? Maybe my friend could ask the doc for similar meds, if she hasn't already.

Ohhhh now it's making sense. Possibly. If he isn't on the prescription formula, I think that will be your problem. There may be an issue with palatability.... IME Aptamil Pepti is the best from this point of view but may not be hydrolysed enough if he has severe allergies.

ps Love your username :)

Meds are often nio longer needed once the milk is sorted. Don't be fobbed off with soy based formula - as well as being not good for little boys especially, babies who are allergic to milk are also often allergic to soy too.

My DS also has cows milk issues, problems with soy, cats, red peppers and is getting new ones all the time now we've started solids. He can also be a terrible sleeper.

I would get the reflux under control & use the prescription formula if it is a CMPI. DS's sleep improved massively when I eliminated soy completely from my diet (BFing). He on ranitadine for reflux.

Other allergies are more tricky but I can usually tell by his sleep or lack it if something's irritated him. We introduce one food at a time and hope for the best.

Thanks for the advice this morning, I'll send it all on to my friend