Teething or something else?

[almmummy]

Hi there, my 7-month-old has never slept through but was managing a few hour stretches at a time, sometimes one long one of 4-7 hours. However, he is now waking up nearly every two hours, often less, screaming and thrashing around. I can soothe him back to sleep most times but we've had some annoying 90 minute plus attempts to get him down.

He's not obviously teething in the day but he chews like mad, but that has been going on for weeks.

My husband wonders if he has outgrown his Sleepyhead and is frustrated at the lack of movement in his sleep. Just wondering if anybody had come across this? I don't want to take the Sleepyhead away and make things worse!

Or does it sound like typical teething?

Have you tried calpol before bed? I would try that, and if it helps presume it's teething. Although with ds, it's obvious during the day that's he's in discomfort.

I'd be tempted to try without the sleepwear too, you can always put it back if it's disastrous!

SLeepyhead...... Not sleepwear.

You have my sympathy BTW ds slept through last night for the first time at 15 months.

Thanks! I did not have high expectations as DD1 did not sleep through reliably until a year but I wasn't expecting this. Sadly this fractured sleep is with Calpol, it's another worry that I am medicating unnecessarily. You are right though, we could always start the night sans Sleepyhead and just pop him back in if it goes to hell

Does he roll over? Ds started sleeping on his front around then, I had a few nights of him waking up shouting because he was on his front in a lizard stance and didn't know what to do, but then he just started sleeping in his front, and for longer stretches. Maybe he's trying to turn over?

Could he be over tired? How are his naps during the day? I only ask because that is how my now 11mo DS does in when he is over tired.

He's never been a great napper, three 30 mins a day for a while now but he has got worse the last week or so, dropping one of them but maybe having a slightly longer lunchtime nap to make up for it. We'll try and work on that as it has crossed my mind, good thinking.

I do wonder if he is trying to move and getting stuck. He can move from his back to his side in the Sleepyhead and often does so maybe this suggests he wants some space.

I've heard people roll towels under a sheet to give a bit of something to nuzzle into but not sure how safe this is? I was sold on the Sleepyhead because it is air permeable

I did use my feeding pillow at the age to give him something to snuggle to. It's a soft v shape and I'd put one side of it along side him, from his chest down. As he was at the bottom of the cot he tended to move upwards anyway. Probably not recommended but it helped, and I feel he was old enough not to get tangled or face down in it.

Thanks Nottalotta, I agree common sense suggests they aren't going to come to harm, they have so much more control over their heads and surely if they faceplant on a rolled up towel they will just slip off.