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Original poster

Is this normal?

8 replies

lottie198 · 16/02/2023 21:23

I find it hard to know what's normal or what is considered a problem (as in there might be a problem like allergies etc ) with infant sleep.
My nearly 14 month old has never been a great sleeper but when he turned one he started sleeping pretty well , on average one wake up a night for a quick feed (well that lasted about 2 weeks)
He's breast fed and we co sleep and has been since 4 months old.
The past 8 weeks his sleep has been HORRENDOUS. I mean terrible, like worse than the newborn days.
He goes to sleep absolutely fine. Around 730/8ish. But then he wakes every half hour crying, he sleeps so so lightly, I just have to move an inch and he's awake. This goes on till around midnight/1am and then usually he has an ok stretch till about 3/4. Then he's awake constantly again until we get up at 7. A few times he's randomly decided to stay awake in the middle of the night for 2 hours as well.
I will add for part of this 8 weeks he was unwell so disturbed nights to be expected of course.
He's in between one and two naps but mainly has one now.
I don't feed him straight away if he wakes, I settle him by shhing and patting his back. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't.
I'm very sleep deprived and sometimes don't know how I function.
I'm panicking a little bit because I'm also not well and have surgery to remove my gallbladder on Saturday and can't get my head round the fact I've got to recover from an Op and look after a baby that doesn't sleep well at all. My partner is amazing with him and extremely supportive but he will only settle for me in the night.
Is this all normal ? He does wake up coughing sometimes like reflux and also is cutting molars which are seeming to take forever to come through.
Please don't suggest sleep training because i know with my sons temperament it would be extremely difficult and I don't believe in doing it anyway.
Thanks

OP posts:
KangarooKenny · 16/02/2023 21:29

If you want more sleep I’d look at moving him into his own cot, then room, and stop the breast feeding.
If you don’t want to stop the BFing would you consider throwing in the occasional bottle to see if he’d sleep a bit longer after it.

RedRobyn2021 · 16/02/2023 21:31

My daughter has gone through periods like this, waking for 2 hours randomly in the night is pretty common, it's called split nights.

Can I ask why you try not to feed him when he wakes? Just thinking surely this is the quickest way for you both to get back to sleep

RedRobyn2021 · 16/02/2023 21:32

KangarooKenny · 16/02/2023 21:29

If you want more sleep I’d look at moving him into his own cot, then room, and stop the breast feeding.
If you don’t want to stop the BFing would you consider throwing in the occasional bottle to see if he’d sleep a bit longer after it.

Why would you give a 14 month old a bottle?

mel787 · 16/02/2023 21:35

My little boy is 16 months and he is exactly the same. He has 2-3 hour naps of a day. Very light sleeper and will wake at the lowest of noises. Goes to bed easily at 7pm but once 11pm comes, he wakes up crying every hour until we get up at 6. As soon as I go in to either put him dummy in, sometimes he has this in but still cries. Or shush him he goes back to sleep. Drives me insane

Original poster
lottie198 · 16/02/2023 21:35

KangarooKenny · 16/02/2023 21:29

If you want more sleep I’d look at moving him into his own cot, then room, and stop the breast feeding.
If you don’t want to stop the BFing would you consider throwing in the occasional bottle to see if he’d sleep a bit longer after it.

I don't think he's waking up hungry ... so not sure a bottle would solve anything. We have also tried every bottle on the market but he's never taken to one.
He eats 3 meals and snacks and has 3-4 milk feeds a day.

OP posts:
Original poster
lottie198 · 16/02/2023 21:37

mel787 · 16/02/2023 21:35

My little boy is 16 months and he is exactly the same. He has 2-3 hour naps of a day. Very light sleeper and will wake at the lowest of noises. Goes to bed easily at 7pm but once 11pm comes, he wakes up crying every hour until we get up at 6. As soon as I go in to either put him dummy in, sometimes he has this in but still cries. Or shush him he goes back to sleep. Drives me insane

Glad I'm not the only one 😩
It's so frustrating. I wish he could tell me what's up. Although sometimes I feel like it's just a habit to keep waking and feeding. I just don't know... it's probably normal but does feel excessive

OP posts:
Original poster
lottie198 · 16/02/2023 21:43

RedRobyn2021 · 16/02/2023 21:31

My daughter has gone through periods like this, waking for 2 hours randomly in the night is pretty common, it's called split nights.

Can I ask why you try not to feed him when he wakes? Just thinking surely this is the quickest way for you both to get back to sleep

Well because sometimes he wakes every 30 minutes and that's a lot of feeding. Mostly I do end up feeding him if he gets upset, like you say, it's the easier way to get him back to sleep.
But also I'm about to have surgery and won't be able to feed as often and he will need to sleep with his dad at least the first night. I've been trying to kind of get him used to being settled without feeding. It does sometimes work just talking and patting his back. Mainly he wants the boob though.

OP posts:
LGBirmingham · 17/02/2023 08:40

The reason is molars and nap transition. Yes it's to ge expected. Yes it will pass x

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