7 month old has been waking every 30 mins for 4 months

[MissABW]

Hi all, does anyone have any advice because we’re really struggling.

For the past 4 months our baby (almost 7 months old) just won’t sleep at night unless it’s on us. We have a good amount of daytime sleep, a nice bedtime routine and he goes down in his cot fairly easily after I’ve fed him to sleep. But this sleep will last 5 to 45 mins only, and the rest of the night he will occasionally go back down for only 30 mins max, or won’t go back down at all and sleeps in our arms. Every time I think it’s the worst it can get it gets worse. He is EBF.

I know babies are used to be close to their parents and some need to wake often but is this normal? I’m struggling so much now as I hoped it was the 4 month regression then I hoped things would change around 6 months etc and it just keeps getting worse and worse. It means I’m not able to enjoy the days as much as I have no energy and I am so daunted by the nights I mentioned it in passing to the gp and she was dismissive. I do have a fab partner who helps during the night but we are both on our knees and can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel :(

We have had this recently with our 11 week old (when it started), we have ended up co-sleeping, something I said we would never do, as it's the only way anyone gets any sleep. This way she sleeps well and I get some sleep, more and more as I get used to it. Although admittedly this has only been going on for about 3 weeks for us.
She doesn't sleep on me but has to be in complete contact with me either on her side (not ideal) curled into me or on her back with me curled round her.

Look up just chill mama sleep training course and carry it out, it's gentle it can all be in room settling so you don't leave them ever. My lo did this when 4 month sleep regression hit which sounds like what's happened with your lo. It took 3 nights from waking every sleep cycle to just suckle on my to get back to sleep to sleeping 8-8 she's done that give or take ever since she's 2 next month

Is that this one?

justchillbabysleep.co.uk/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwvqeUBhCBARIsAOdt45YBSQa52f7zbFMN-qcDzHSDyBhpcBudSXpzQmmczgKPFq5fkOPddrMaAg7rEALw_wcB

Hi,
This sounds horrendous, I don't know how you're doing it! My lo was an awful sleeper too, woke every 2hrs from 3.5 months and had 30min naps. He was fed to sleep and addicted to boobs.

I recently posted on another similar thread so will copy my reply below. In a nut shell you'll probably need to get away from feeding to sleep as it's become a sleep association.

I got my DS self settling when he was about 6mo. I did it in a few stages.

From about 4.5mo I started introducing a comforter all the time. Nappy changes, in the pram, when feeding etc.

At the same time I started habit stacking to stop the feed to sleep association. I would feed him to sleep whilst patting his bottom and shushing, then I'd gradually unlatch him just as his eyes were going, then slightly earlier so he would feed and I'd finish him off by shush patting. I was then eventually able to put him in the cot awake and shush pat him to sleep with him holding his comforter.
The last stage was to then leave him on his own. I did controlled crying in 2-3 min bursts. I think the first time I did it was first nap of the day. He actually went down without much trouble the first time, I was really surprised. I think I only went in and out twice. I fed him to calm him down then put him back with the comforter. (Feeding to comfort them was only reccommended up to 6mo in the little ones guide I used).
Over the next couple of days there were varying degrees of crying when I put him down but I don't remember it lasting half an hr or anything. Was no more than going in and out a few times.
He still woke up in the night for feeds which I still continued with but they were definitely less than before. If his dad put him to bed sometimes he would sleep till 3am!
Naps were far longer, I was actually able to get stuff done and wasn't sitting there for half an hr trying to get him to sleep 🥳

Good luck xx

I really feel for you! My sons sleep was never great but went really haywire from about 5 months and every time I think it can't get worse, it gets even worse.
He is also EBF, doesn't take a bottle or dummy and just relies on boob to get to sleep or occasionally will settle for rocking from dad. It's exhausting. He is 11 months old now.
All we are doing is just hoping and praying as I have read people saying it just takes time?
I haven't got the heart to do cry it out or anything really that involves crying. He's so strong willed I don't think he would react well.

Our back up plan is night weaning at around 18months+ when he might understand a little better and then hopefully he sleeps better without boob.

Just do whatever you can do to both get some sleep bless you x

Mine is exactly the same! I think we're going to try controlled crying because this isn't sustainable for any of us.

For the past 4 months our baby (almost 7 months old) just won’t sleep at night unless it’s on us. We have a good amount of daytime sleep,

Possibly too much daytime sleep? It says here they need max 3 hours sleep during the day plus 11 hours at night. If they're asleep more than that during the day then they could just be not tired.

www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/7-month-old-baby-schedule/

Our baby started waking every 45m during the 4m sleep regression and it never got better- we sleep trained her in the end and it’s changed our lives! She goes down awake now and will have a chat to her teddy and then goes to sleep no problem. She sleeps for 11 hours unless she’s teething or unwell and i still support her to sleep if she’s not 100%. I would have a look at sleep consultants as there’s so many out there for all budgets and you can definitely find one that works for you and your baby.

@unicornpower - can I ask what age you did controlled crying from please?

@thingymaboob we did it from 5 months, we did controlled crying but we never left her for more than 5 mins and when we went in we picked her up, cuddled her and then put her back down, the first night took a while but she was never crying as such, just more moaning with the occasional cry but the second night was much better and she went to sleep in about 15 minutes and then it’s just got better since then. Naps took longer and for a while I still fed her to sleep but in the last month she decided she didn’t want to anymore and cries to be put down if you try and cuddle her 😂 happy as Larry now just rolling about in her cot. (Shes 8 months!)

My baby was like this, but it improved of its own accord at 10 months. I remember the feeling of being on my knees with exhaustion though! There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but sometimes it felt like "worst case scenario he'll be off to uni at 18...."

I'm guessing you've checked the usual too hot/to cold/noise/etc?

When you say god daytime sleep, how much? How long between their last nap and bedtime? Whenever we had a false start it usually meant a terrible night was ahead.

Are you off on mat leave at the moment? If it's a separation anxiety thing, love bombing them with loads of connection during the day can help. It's so hard to do when you're exhausted though.

Hang in there!