2 weeks of 'OK' sleep and now back to awful!

[RaindropsOnRoses2]

DS is 11.5 months. From the beginning of December (8 months) he was waking at least once a night and waking for the day at 4.30am. Didn't matter what I did, I could not get him back down. Then at about 10.5 months it improved - for about 2 weeks. 4/7 nights he went through 7.30-5 and the other nights he would only wake once. Now we are at 11.5 months and its truly awful. I'm sat in tears while I type .
He is waking minimum 3 times and waking earlier than ever. Last night he refused to go back in his cot when he woke at 11pm so he coslept with us. However he woke at 4am and has been crying ever since. I have no idea what I am doing wrong but I am at my wits end. He wakes up with puffy red eyes and yawns constantly up until his first nap. Is this normal because I'm seriously considering that there may be something else going on. He's never been a great sleeper but what baby cries from 4am when he's already being cuddled?!

You poor thing. My two were the worst sleepers ever and it's like torture. All I can offer is sympathy and say that it will pass but hopefully someone will be along soon with better advice. In the meantime, big hug.

Thanks @OohOohMrPeevly it's so draining isn't it? I feel like i've always had pretty realistic expectations of baby sleep but 1 year in and still waking the amount he does PLUS getting up for the day at 4am is killing me. I've just gone back to work so I know that isn't helping - before going back I just accepted it but now I really need some sleep!

Hi OP, mine was a ‘bad’ sleeper (I don’t believe in that term but there we are). She barely went longer than an hour at a time from 4-12 months. She’s now 13 months and I cannot believe it but last night she woke for a quick feed at 11, then 3.30, then 8am! It’s like someone has swapped my baby over. It’s been like that for a few weeks now, and I’m not saying it’ll be forever and won’t be bad again, but it slowly gets better without you having to do anything. Hang in there x

@crazycat just wondering if your DD has at 13m finished learning all the stuff like walking etc? Does she have one nap a day?

My DS just seems to be following very similar to your experience so I was wondering what factors might have made yours settle a bit?

Raindrops - my DS who is almost 11m wakes all through the night and gets up pre 5am a lot. I am also working compressed hours - 4 days a week. The amount of sleep I get is negligible as my DH works lots of night shifts etc - I go to bed at 8pm most nights but just can't keep up.

My DS is also very moody in the day, has been ill quite a bit (just colds etc) since starting nursery and only has two teeth so must still be teething.

He is almost walking and eats really well.

I am looking forward to one nap a day as I don't feel like I can mess that up so much!

@Chosenbyyou I agree about the teething. I've become one of those parents who constantly says 'he's teething' but he always seems to be! He now has 11 teeth so he's averaged 1 or 2 a month since his first one at 4 months. I know it doesn't help the sleep situation at all but I envy those parents who have babies that don't bat an eyelid at teething... apparently my mum said I was one of them hides in corner

Thanks @crazycatlady5 I know it will be a phase and he will get better (and then probably worse again) but it's been such a long phase and I am TIRED . It's also so frustrating when things like cosleeping just aren't enough anymore. DS has started walking and has become a lot more confident in the last week or so so I wonder if it is linked to that. He's also a very bad eater so I do worry that he is waking through hunger.

I used to worry that my DS was waking up through hunger as he didn’t eat a lot, but now he is eating more and bfing less in the day I can honestly say it doesn’t seem to have made a great deal of difference! (Sadly he gets up at least every two hours)

Not going back to sleep at 4 sounds bloody awful though, I hope it doesn’t last much longer! 🤞

Also, why is it that mums tell you how great you were as a baby as if that’s supposed to help??? My mum keeps reminding me that I slept through from three months and it just makes me feel worse about my situation sigh anyway, no advice as such just very tired sympathy to you.