i just don't know how to help him!

[nyldn]

DS - 23 weeks today has become such a terrible sleeper, I just don't know what to do.

We have a nice bedtime routine - bath, massage, bf, book, bounce (we have to bounce him to very drowsy/sleep on a yoga ball for any hope of a put down) and bed. Bedtime generally falls between 6-7 depending on his naps.

He used to only feed once in the night and sleep for 5-6 hours stretches and now it's feeding every 3 hours! He's up several times in the first few hours after going to bed and then up at least once an hour the rest of the night. Every single night there is a 1.5 hour stretch, usually 3-4:30ish where he just will not go back down.

He then barely naps during the day. 2-3 30 min naps. That's it.

I'm shattered and lucky if I can shower quickly during his morning nap. I'm never able to get any rest myself during the naps because I'd like to at least remain clean throughout this ordeal.

We're trying the 2-3-4 method, and it helps to guarantee that he'll be exhausted and go down at each nap and bedtime, but he's too tired and the poor little thing is a cranky mess during the day. He cries alot and I'm sure that he is constantly tired. I try to bring him in to bed when he wakes up at 6am every day to get an extra hour in for both of us, but he's not having it.

He has reflux and was colicky. Ranitidine didn't work and we've just gotten a prescription for omeprazole but have not begun using it yet. I'm a bit afraid to and am trying to cut dairy and soya first to see if that helps. We bring him to an osteopath, but I haven't seen any discernable differences yet.

He's not sitting up, and has just rolled from back to front properly for the first time yesterday. He's ebf and we have not begun weaning yet.

I'm not sure what I'm looking for. Maybe just a "it's not just you".

Does anyone use omeprazole? Has it helped the sleep? Has weaning helped sleep at all? He's a big boy 98th for length and 75th for weight and I'm wondering if all the night feeds lately are because he's really hungry and the bf just isn't enough anymore?

I know there's a happy and sweet baby in there.

Sorry so long!

Hello, my money's on the sleep association he's formed with the yoga ball. He's used to starting his sleep being bounced so when he wakes between sleep cycles he finds it hard to fall back to sleep. That might be why his naps are short too. I'd work on that. Good luck, it's brutal x

I agree with Mrs HY1 - you have a sleep association there.

What about feeding lying down so that he gets used to dropping to sleep whilst still and lying down?

Also, I'd forget 2-3-4 for now and just put him down when he's tired. At 5 months mine was still doing the 30-40 minute catnaps (this is normal!) and would need 3, sometimes 4 sleeps a day. If he had another nap then maybe you could push bedtime slightly later? A 6pm bedtime seems very early.
The 3 hourly feeds isn't unheard of for 5 months either - but I agree you need to cold turkey on the bouncing. Maybe try shush-pat?

I'm very sure it's not just you!
No experience with reflux so can't help with the meds but I would expect that if they help with the reflux it should help with sleep.
I agree that you perhaps need to find a new method to get him to go to sleep. You won't be able to bounce him forever! And I am a big believer in sleep associations too.
I would say that the lack of daytime sleep is probably impacting on his ability to sleep at night as well.
The extra feeds may be a growth spurt but some of it may be for comfort as well.
I would try the medication and see if that helps and then maybe see what can be done about better naps.
Hopefully the medication will have positive results.