6 month old waking every 20 to 40 minutes.

[Beeper85]

Hi,

New dad here as don't know where else to go for any help at all! Suppose I am also posting on behalf of my wife. Our DD was sleeping well from 5 months. We put her in her own room and introduced a bottle before bed which I could give her. I could put her down with her mobile on around 7 and she would nod off. She would then wake around 11.30 for a BF and then sleep through till 7. Heaven. We introduced solids around the same time as she went in her room which she is really enjoying.

Last Wednesday something changed. She is fussing more with the bottle and doesn't finish it. She then cries when I put her down. If I picked her up she screams more and tries to get away (found this very tough!). She will only take comfort from nursing with her mum. She then needs to fall asleep nursing before there is any chance of being put down which, most times, results in her waking straight away and screeching - resulting in mum going through the same cycle. This then goes on every 20 - 45 minutes during the night. If she is brought into bed with mum she just windmills her arm and doesn't really sleep.

Last night I sat with her whilst she babbled for a bit and shushed her but she gradually got louder and louder and more hysterical resulting in mum coming in for comfort at 45 minutes. She just seemed stressed then for the rest of the night.

I don't think she is in pain (though she is chewing lots of things). She is dry and warm.

Things are getting really tough (and it is particularly deflating after seeing how good she could be!). She must be tired. Mum is on her last legs - though being incredibly strong - and I'm worried about her - no-one can get by on an hour or so sleep at night (which is I suppose is partly why I am writing here!).

Does anyone have any ideas at all why this has happened so suddenly and what we can do? It has got to the point that CIO is on the cards - but I can only see her getting more hysterical with this. Anyone had any similar episodes?

No preparation can get you ready for this level of sleep deprivation!

Thanks

B

It could be teething? Have you tried bonjela and/or baby panadol / nurofen as that seemed to help my LO? Does your DD have any teeth? My DD's sleep did seem to substantially improve after she cut her first tooth?

Also around the 6 month mark, we introduced a comforter (in our case, she uses a sleepytot bunny) which over time became a very powerful sleep cue, which she cuddled it, would help her resettle between sleep cycles and night wakings. Hope that helps and hope your and wife get some sleep soon.

Thanks for the reply. No teeth yet but we have tried the usual calpol/ambisol/bonjela combo. She is chewing an awful lot (and has been for months!).

Good idea re a comforter - we are trying to associate her little soft zebra with night times at the minute in the hope that that works.

Fingers crossed for a tooth soon eh!

Sounds very much like teething but also lots of developmental changes are now coming - like sitting up unaided, standing, talking etc which can all come out in broken sleep too.

Ds2 is 6.5 mo and has started waking up in the evenings and being a pain to put down - definitely due to teeth as he's chewing and drooling. I give him ibuprofen just before last bf and then give cal pol if he wakes (after 2 hours) You can "layer" the two for short periods when things are really bad as long as the ibuprofen is given
with food/a feed

As well as a comforter - we have a Ewan the Dream Sheep and Glo seahorse (from ds1) - music and soft light can now start to distract them enough for you to leave the room. We alternate currently but Ewan is winning (which is good as ds1 wants his seahorse back)

Sounds like it could be first teeth so fingers crossed it will improve once they cut through. As a pp said there are a lot of developmental changes too plus separation anxiety starts around 6 months.

DS2 is 7 months and we have had similar issues the past few weeks. In his case I suspect teething plus he is trying to crawl in his sleep a lot.

It is exhausting - you have my sympathies!