5 month old sleep problems

[emmak8383]

We used to have a great sleeper but the last couple of weeks our dd has become a nightmare at night. Going down well at 7 and at some point in the night will be wide awake for 2 hours and then what seems like every hour throughout the night. The start of the 2 hours differs each night. We've had it from 8.30, from 1.30 etc. Our dd is breastfed by the way. We have tried a feed, a cuddle, changing the bum, dummy, nothing works. Sometimes crying sometimes just awake and chatty. We don't talk to her, don't turn on the lights and don't leave her bedroom or ours with her. She used to sleep really well and only waking a few times for feeds. She has always been a bad napper in the day though and we are only just now getting her to nap at all which is always in her cot but she only naps for half an hour at a time which we know is not long enough! Has anyone been through this, have any explanations or advice? She did have a bad teething session a few weeks ago but this has never disrupted her sleep like this before! Help...... We all need more sleep!!

Hi Emma K,

I am in a similar situation so I'm watching this thread with interest. My DD was an OK sleeper until she turned 5 months, only waking a couple if times for feeds and going straight back to sleep.

Now for the past couple of weeks, she also wakes for two hours at night. Chatting, making noises with bits of crying and moaning in between. Then waking every hour or 90 mins. I'm so tired as I don't get the chance to go back to sleep between the wakings.

Feel free to PM me and maybe we can share advice.

Thank you for your message and I'm sorry you are going through the same thing. It is exhausting! I also have trouble getting back to sleep as you say.
I hope someone has some advice.

Us too, ds has been waking every few hours for last month. Hes 5.5m now, was great sleeper before. Im so tired and grumpy these days, poor dh is struggling to cope with my moods, but im totally ground down by it. Ds is ebf anr cosleeps next to me, so at least I generally get back to sleep, well mostly. Just started some solids. Hes very very active in day, is already crawling about so maybe developmental. I dunno, I just want 4 hours in a row again....

Last night awake every 40 mins or so til 1030, then avain at 2.30, 4.30 and up at 7. This was a good night. I cannot wait until the boy sleeps through again... I ferl so tired...grrr

Mines 6months and luckliy OK at night but daytime naps became erractic. Mines just started rolling and was really grumpy for the 2 weeks beforehand, but seems to be settling down a little now he has learnt that. I think combined with dropping to 2 naps a day at 6 months its a comon time for a sleep regression of some sort.

I know thats no help but at least hopefully it reassures you its a short term thing.

Going through something very similar with 5.5 month old DS. Previously a good napper and sleeper but the last two weeks has been like a different baby - grumpy even not long after a feed, clingy, difficult to settle, not content to play for anything more than 5 minutes on his own, wanting to be held but then wriggling if held. In brief, from a pretty happy baby to being a real whingebag. So I've gone from being a pretty happy mommy to being a real whingebag!

Theories:

• He's just started rolling on to his side.
• Has become quite vocal.
• Early 6 month growth spurt.
• Ready for solids.
• All of the above!

Advice needed too!!

My dd has been like this since 4 months on and off, she is 6 months now and has 4 teeth! Are you babies showing signs of teething?

Bex, gums are definitely hardened but no damn teeth yet. I keep thinking I'm seeing teeth but check practically every day - close but no cigar.

Was going to start a new topic but this is also my issue and it doesn't look like there is a miracle cure! My 6mo ds has always been a crap sleeper but is now having killer wide-awake periods like this morning from 4 till 6.45 am. The last couple of weeks he's become a lot more active though and is suddenly rolling about in his cot, ending up on his front etc., so can't help thinking it's connected. Because this morning he was initially upset at 4am as he had rolled onto his front and doesn't like it nor has he learnt how to go back to his back yet. I'm hoping once the sheer novelty of rolling has passed he may chill out a bit.

Oh and ours wanted a massive feed at 6am which is very uncharacteristic, perhaps all this activity is making him hungrier than normal therefore more unsettled?

Went to a breastmates class today and was given some good advice about what is going on. No magic answer I'm afraid and it is just a case of riding through this. This age is a developmental milestone, rolling, sitting up, a lot going on mentally. Teething could also be a reason for the fussiness at night. I'm told that babies are in more discomfort led down which is why they are so out of sorts during the night. Feeding helps soothe the discomfort which could explain the waking often to feed. Soothes the gums and it is a comfort thing. Babies becoming more aware of mum and where you are and who is coming and going so could also explain it.On another note.....Also got DD weighed today and she has dropped off her line a little bit. I'm told that at 6 months we can start to think about dropping the night feeds and that she could be preparing herself for weaning. Will be on 3 meals a day before we know it and I hope the sleeping will get better.
Hope some of this helps.

I did quite a bit of reading on past threads on this issue....and kind of concluded theres not much to be done other than wait it out, as it didnt seem to matter whether babies were breast or bottle fed, on solids or not, co sleeping or in another room. A lot of people said it tended to be worse when babies were learning new skills of teething. But maybe thats just what a lot of them are doing at this stage of life. Im gritting my teeth, moaning to friends and relatives and eating butter cream (cant quite say why but it helps). Sometimes I just look at ds and try to remember hes just a baby still. But today ive had a horrid headache and feel dizzy and sick...was starting to panic I might be pregnant, then remembered you have to have sex for that to happen...

Poor you. I had the same worrying thought the other day and has to take a test. Longest few minutes of my life!! Wait it out is pretty much the conclusion we have also come to.

Ha I had to take pg test too! Am feeling very hormonal I think because bf is coming to an end.

Well here we are. 2.30am and she's shouting and grunting! She used to just wake and feed and go back to sleep. Why does she have to be awake for ages in the night now! Ahhhhhh. I moved her to her own room last week but regretting if because I now have to camp out on the floor in there til she goes back to sleep.

I'm so tired I it's want to sleep .... Come on rolling, teeth, or what ever it is .... Please pass!

We actually had quite a good night last night. Well DH and OH did, I however took about 2 hours to get back to sleep after one of the feeds. Nothing more frustrating when your LO is fast asleep and you're wide awake! Grrrr!

Update: not really sure how or why but we seem to have turned a corner?! Napping getting better, baby much happier, mommy much happier in turn

Still waking a little early - more like 5 or 5.30am but can be resettled without a feed sometimes. Don't know what happened!

Good to hear people are getting some sleep! I wish I had the superpower to sleep at will, its the times when I could be aslep but feel too strung out to that really annoy me. Also, I just can't seem to cry at the moment, its like I'm too tired to, its also annoying as I know I'd feel better and get more sympathy if I could have a good sob. High and dry...

After two good nights, I had a terrible night last night. She was awake almost every 1.5 hours and also awake for 2 hours at one point.

How can I have two good nights (one wake up then back to sleep) followed by a terrible night. What can it be? My baby is 5.5 months. I have her calpol and that didn't help, made sure she was warm, that didn't make a difference. Teething powder and boob.

Still no difference.

Just copied and pasted from another thead...

The 4 month regression comes about when a baby does not know how to put themselves to sleep. Your baby has a sleep association of being fed to sleep and so he needs you to do this.

A good way for a baby to learn how to fall asleep on their own is the shh-pat method, it's perfect for 15 weeks old. It does take up to two weeks for them to get the idea of it but it is gentle and not a crying technique. See this link for how to do it www.mybabysleepguide.com/2009/01/shhpat.html

Another thing it so avoid overtiredness as at this age, sleep = more sleep. I like this link for awake time length by age. It is just a guide but it really helped me www.mybabysleepguide.com/2009/02/wake-time.html.

As your baby is likely to still need 1-2 night feeds at this age, try and set a time limit so if bedtime is 10pm there can be milk then and maybe 2am and 6am?

I hope this helps.