Baby suddenly hates cot

[AbbeyRoadCrossing]

DS is 7 months old or 6 corrected age as he was premature. He used to sleep well, in fact he'd even started sleeping through occasionally and mainly only wake up once for a feed. Lately he's gone to screeching as soon as he gets near the cot, and won't sleep there. Sometimes I can get him to after hours of shushing and patting but often I'm too tired and just give up and put him in our bed. I don't sleep well with him in the bed as too worried.

I have no idea how this started as before it was definitely going in the right direction. I feel like I've got worse at this, help!

A lot happens at this age that affects previously good sleep patterns.

Weaning causes changes in digestion that can cause wind, constipation and reflux issues.

Reduction on milk feeds can cause night hunger to re-start. Lack of water can cause night thirst.

Separation anxiety, which is just a phase but hard when going through it.

Teething. This can have a huge, huge effect on sleep.

How about removing one side of the cot and butting it up to your bed? That better allows for shushing and patting while you doze beside him.

Thank you for your reply

I don't think it's weaning as we've been doing that for 2 months now (from 5 months, medically advised due to prematurity). It could well be teeth though. Or water, should I try giving him some water before bed? Is separation anxiety a 6 month old thing? I was also wondering about the hour change but could be cooincidence. So many variables!

I tried the cot by the bed. He has to actually be in my bed or arms for the shushing / patting to work (sorry should've been clearer)

I don't know why, I'd just assumed that things would get gradually better sleep wise, not worse!

Separation anxiety is a normal emotional stage of development that starts when babies begin to understand that things and people exist even when they're not present – something called "object permanence.". It can be as young as 6 or 7 months but is more usual in older children.

I can see it in my DD (6 1/2 months) with things like crying as I leave the room. Something she wasn't doing a few weeks ago.

With regards to thirst, it is more about making sure he has enough to drink throughout the course of the whole day, rather than just before bed. If kept well hydrated through the daytime, he shouldn't then be thirsty at night.

The hour change really doesn't affect a baby because they have no understanding of time - just sleep when tired and eat when hungry. As long as you are on-demand for sleep and feeds rather than clock watching, it should be fine.

With regards to a bedside cot (with the side off), it is easy to cuddle up as if co-sleeping this way. You can just lean into the cot from your bed. But it is an interim to get baby used to staying in own cot while being cuddled.

We are experiencing something very similar with our DD who is almost 8 months, I thought it was the 8 month sleep regression mixed with teething but then decided it was just teething.

The past week our DD has been in our bed as she wouldn't even settle in her cot let alone stay there.

Tonight however has been different. I lined the curtains which made it much much darker even though we already had black out blinds, and the room was also cooler than previous nights and she's gone down without a fight for the first time since the lighter evenings! We knew she liked it dark as we had one almighty battle one night and as soon as we turned the projector out she rolled over and went to sleep.

So, could it be that it's maybe too light in the room?

I also second what fate said re hunger. We've been weaning for about 2 months and we managed to night wean without any trouble really but the more solids she is getting, it seems she wants night feeds again. In fact, just now, after battling with her for 45 minutes (we thought she was trying her luck to get into our bed ) I gave her some water, she finished it, smiled at me, rolled over and went to sleep....as easy as that. So maybe try giving some water to see if that helps.

What does his daytime routine look like OP? In addition to the suggestions above it is wise to rule out something within that as the cause.

Am particularly interested to know if he still takes a short nap at teatime 4/5/6pm? Typically babies drop this nap around 6(ish) months & if they still take it, it can lead to difficulty settling at bedtime. We are already finding this with dd (5 months) - if she naps after 5pm she screams the house down if I try to put her to bed at 7.

In the day he naps at about 9, 12 and a very short one in the afternoon maybe about 3/4. He's never been much of a daytime napper but I thought that was ok because he slept well at night!

Thanks for the advice everyone.
So least night we tried:

• a bigger sleeping bag (I had a feeling he might've felt restricted as he was getting to the end of the 0-6)
• Giving him water in the day (I'm embarrassed to say I didn't know about the water thing, I'd been told not to give him any by the HV but it seems to help)
• Going to bed a bit later when it's darker.

He still woke up in the night, which is fine, but less mad screeching about the cot itself. He did end up in our bed at 5am, but that's better than all night - progress!