Please help! 6 month old still waking 3-5 times a night

[rachel876]

My baby boy still wakes multiple times a night. It's killing me. I am so so tired and husband only gets one night off a week to help. He has been like this since he was newborn.
It doesn't matter what time we put him down (have tried various between 6-9pm and still wakes). Aim for 2-3 naps a day but he's not easy to get down. Bedtime routine is good and he has bath & milk.
Most of the time he wakes for milk. I've tried settling him without but is genuinely hungry most of the time. Started weaning and seems keen and is doing well but not actually eating much yet. I have a 2 nearly 3 year old daughter who doesn't nap so there is no sleeping in the day.
Any experience of this? Is it the association with milk before he sleeps?

Thanks everyone 🥰

We had an amazing sleeper until 4 months and then between 4 and 7 months was hell. Its still fairly rubbish to be honest but I did find at 6 months our little one was waking for more feeds as he was genuinely hungry and wasn't taking much from solids yet. So I fed to sleep every time and the wakes just got less. He still has 2 feeds a night now at 9m but some nights I'm fairly certain he would be fine with 1 and the other wakes are just habit now. I'd be aiming for 3 naps at that age with the last one probably being a short on the go catnap (we could only get this in the carrier car or pram). 2 naps for my little boy would have meant bedtime meltdowns and bad sleep, but they are all different. I think around then we were working off wake windows and tired cues rather than a set bedtime which I do think helped. Its exhausting and feels never ending but it does get better.

We’ve got a 9 month old who (up until last week), was waking 4-5 times a night and feeding enthusiastically each time. In the day he ate some solids (not loads!) and had milk. I assumed he was genuinely hungry, but researched it and by 8m they really don’t need that much milk.

So, after a particularly bad night, we decided to night wean, and cut all but one feed, cold turkey. I was TERRIFIED and fully expected it not to work, but I cannot recommend it enough!!

We did it on a weekend because I didn’t want it to affect DHs work. Each time the babe woke, my husband went in and comforted him back to sleep, picking up if needed. The first night he woke and cried a lot but by night 3, he only woke twice - once to cry for 10 mins, and once for his 4am feed. Massive improvement. hope this helps!

Normal.

Sleep train. Now is a good time. I don't mean just leave him to cry continuously but look up other gentler techniques and pick one. Ours was waking up every 45-60 mins, after two days she was pretty much sleeping through.

We did sleep training at 6 months (Ferber - highly recommend the book). Literally life changing. And no, it’s not leaving the baby to cry alone for hours.

We still did feed at night with the sleep training - had 2 feeds, and gradually increased the time between feeds until we were down to 1 feed at 7 months and no feeds at 8 months.

If you are going to sleep train, now is the best time - it will get harder for everyone if you wait till he’s older.

I’m so sorry, I’ve had three and can confirm that there’s barely anything you can do at this stage, it will pass.

@rachel876 do you feed to sleep with his last feed before bed? I'd aim to put him down 'dozey' but not fast asleep. You mention he's hungry, have you tried a big bowl of porridge say half an hour before bath time, then do bath and milk after. Hope that helps xx

Thanks everyone for all your kind advice.

We have tried not feeding him to sleep and putting him down drowsy but this hasn't made a difference so far. Tried feeding him up with porridge before bed but no difference also.

I do think I will have to look at sleep training. He cannot self soothe at the moment. I am struggling really bad with the lack of sleep. I have a nearly 3 year old who wakes up at 6ish so by the time I've settled him from his 3rd or 4th wake up I'm then up with her and it's killing me. I don't have chance to nap in the day.

I will look at ferber. Thank you!!

Hello, how are you getting on now? I am now in exactly the same scenario (apart from 3 wakes) with 7 mo and a daughter turning 3 next week who often wakes if she hears her brother crying out at night. Thank you!