my 10 month old is still waking 2-10 times a night!

[BabyBongo]

This is my first post. I am desperate for some help. My 10 month old has never slept well. On a good night he wakes 2-3 times but on a bad night every single hour! He had a whole week where he didnt want a night feed but still woke 4ish times a night needing his dummy. But for the last 5 nights he has gone back to night feeding and waking up screaming. Me and my husband are getting 3-4 hours sleep and both work. Its really getting me down and I dont know what to do.
We follow the same routine every night (wash, change into bed clothes, teeth and bottle in his room). he goes in his cot awake and goes to sleep on his own with a dummy and cuddly. But an hour or 2 later he starts waking and that continues all night.
He has his naps in his cot as well.
I dont know what to do to sort his sleeping out. It makes me feel useless and very frustrated!

I know it's exhausting and very frustrating He is coming up to the age for separation anxiety - could that be it? I think they do go through such developmental leaps around 10-12 months, DS was particularly disturbed at this time, but it is getting better. Sorry I don't have any specific advice, but if there's no obvious cause it's probably just a phase that will pass, and it's best to carry on as you are.

Thanks for your message x. I would love to say it could be a stage but he has been like it since he was born. I just wish there was something i could do to improve things xx

Have a with me.

I have 2DC, first one slept well and is a deep sleeper. Second one woke up hourly for the first year of her life, is now 2.3 years old and still wakes up approx 5 times every night.

It's just a personality quirk, and she rarely napped during the day either, and totally gave up daytime sleep at 15 months of age.

Some kids just don't need much sleep, and as long as your DS is growing, thriving and happy, then there isn't a way u can force him to sleep or be sleepy.

My Ds is exactly the same. Has never slept well and at 10 months is up 5 times on a good night. on a bad one it's every hour! He is my 6th dc but the first bad sleeper so finding it hard to cope. Op you are not alone.

I was in your shoes - not every night was that bad but it was bad enough. I couldnt accept that was just how he was because in the end we all needed sleep for our well being and ability to function as a family. I used a sleep consultant and it has made a huge huge difference. If you can afford it I would really recommend you consider it as working on the amount of sleep you are getting is so difficult. I found that I was so exhausted I couldn't see a way out and the plans from the lady we worked with gave us a focus at 3 am that I could not have found alone and she thought of things I never would have. She was also amazingly positive and made me believe it would end eventually. My DS is still not perfect but even when he wakes at night he settles pretty easily unless ill.
Good luck

Can you co-sleep.

My nearly 2 year old has only just got to 2 wakes ups a night and then that's still only a couple of nights a week.

Co-sleeping is the only way we've survived. We actually love it now.

Again co- sleeping saved us. Ds became a nightmare from 6-19 months and co sleeping saved me from 6 months. Like yours he didn't wake for milk - he just needed to see me!
At 19 months we moved him into a big boys bed - and in 3 nights he slept through. He does occasionally wake and now I just get in his single bed.
It's tough especially when you are working.

Do you give him a bottle/feed when he wakes? He might be having a growth spurt and extra hungry

wow thanks everyone for your comments. Its nice to know we are not alone.
we have tried co-sleeping but he still wakes lots. (only benefit there is i dont have to get out of bed to see to him).
We do offer him milk on some occassions when he wakes. Normally if he is after milk he just screams until he gets it. Most the time he wakes giving his dummy works (until he wakes again that is).
Have thought about looking into sleep training. Not sure how to go about finding someone. And also depends how much it costs.
It is so so hard especially since going back to work 3 months ago. xx

Sounds like he has a sleep association. There are a few threads that will help, let me dig them up.

Meanwhile, adjust your bed routine a little. Do bottle, then teeth, then quiet stories, then bed. You want to open up a gap between feeding and sleeping. His teeth will thank you for it too.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/sleep/2204104-How-long-can-a-7-mo-cry-for-because-they-dont-want-to-go-to-sleep?pg=2#49981065

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2203154-Im-afraid-this-is-another-non-sleeping-baby-one-support-please?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/sleep/a1394888-What-worked-for-us-Hope-this-helps

sent PM OP.
good luck

Don't know if this was mentioned but could it be acid reflux? Does he have formula?

Maybe try and raise the cot on a few books and see if it helps. It's very common and can be quite painful so maybe why baby is waking a lot

He had silent reflux when he was small amd he had gaviston in his milk as he just couldnt feed without it. (sleep was still terrible then). But since we started weaning he is ok withoit his gaviston.

Sounds like he might still have it with the amount of wakings and being upset