Waking up 3 times a night at 7 months

[Sammyboy999]

Hi, keen to get some second opinions or a bit of advice on the challenges we're facing with our second son. We had real problems with getting him to sleep at all a couple of months ago. Tried some controlled crying which has had an impact on daytime naps, gone from 20 mins at best only whole being held to around an hour, sometimes two! He also goes to sleep well at 7pm after an established bath time routine at the same time as his big brother
It's not been as effective at night tho, sadly! He's still waking three times at night - around 11, 2 to 3 and again at 5ish. We know he needs one feed so have tried various different things, water for the first, milk for the second and water again, or milk for the first. Sadly there appears no rhyme or reason to it. Last night he guzzled a bottle at 11 but barely touched the next two so not sure that he can be hungry although he is a challenge to feed in the day. Problem is that giving him milk is the only way to get him back to sleep. Leaving him to self settle ends up with up to an hour of screaming and no guarantee that he'll give in which is not restful for me, my wife or our two year old who is on the next room!
He's eating solids better now so should be filling up but no change as yet. We've tried pick up, put down and 'ssh pat' but if I'm honest both just seem to wind him up more!
We're starting to think that we might just have to resign ourselves to not much sleep until he grows out of it but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Is he distressed or quick to settle when he wakes?
Not going to lie, my DD wasn't having any of it regarding sleep or training... she started sleeping through at 2.
People will come along with more helpful advice.

What does your wife think? I ask because sometimes dh and I were at odds with how best to deal with the night wakings I was usually right

At that age, mine were still waking for milk because they didn't eat well in the day and had reflux so caused problems. We did start to get better stretches of 5 hours from midnight, so I would feed for wakings until midnight or so then gradually reduce the amount of feeding when they woke later in the night.

I read this technique in a sleep training book - they had a few techniques including controlled crying. Controlled crying was a last resort - you would try the reducing the feeds first. So if breastfeeding, reduce the feed by a minute or so each evening. If bottle feeding, reduce by an ounce. Keep once night feed (usually around 11/12pm plus the 5am).

Looking at the waking you might work on reducing one feed first - the 2am one?

Also beyond leaving him to cry, have you tried cuddling him for night wakings if he hardly feeds?

Thx both,advice is much appreciated. Think we'll have a go at reducing the feeds, probably the middle one first, and a cuddle or two. We had a reasonable night yesterday with just two wakings so there's probably an element of not stressing about it too!
I am also happy to confirm that this post was vetted and approved by my wife! :-) Like me she had also run out of ideas!