Hi all, FTM here. Baby boy is nearly 7 months. He slept 8 hours a night from about 12 weeks - 5.5 months old, it was bliss. About 7 weeks ago he started waking up in the night, at first once or twice normally from 4am onwards. Now he is up 10 times a night. He seems to be able to do a good 3 hour stint from 7:30-10:30pm, and then he’s up every 45 minutes or so. He has 2-3 naps in the day - first two are usually 45 minutes or so, last one usually is 60-90 minutes and finishes 3 hours before bedtime.
This started before weaning so I don’t think it’s the introduction of solids. He was exclusively breastfed so wondered if he was waking up hungry. We introduced a bottle of formula before bed which he happily takes so don’t think he’s hungry overnight. We thought it might be teething as two little teethies poked through - tried teething gel/granules, calpol, anbesol ointment. None of it made a difference! We thought it might be because he was in his next to me crib and was too big for it/was getting disturbed in his sleep by us, so we moved him into his own room - no difference.
We monitor the temperature and he has a little night light in his room.
He has a bedtime routine which sends him straight off to sleep at 7:30 without issue. He goes down drowsy but awake and settles himself off to sleep for the first stint of the night. It’s the staying asleep which is the issue. He wakes up very upset and sometimes settles with my husband, but only to wake up a short while later. If I go to settle he just thrashes for boob - he doesn’t actively feed during the night, just falls asleep as soon as boob is in his mouth so I feel it’s for comfort rather than hunger. As soon as we transition him back into his cot he screams.
My husband and I are at our absolute wits end. Everything we’ve read to try isn’t helping and the problem is continuing/getting worse.
I refuse to sleep train as all advice just seems to be cry it out but repackaged as ‘gentle’. I won’t just let him scream in his crib without comfort. I also refuse to cosleep, my MIL lost her first baby this way and it’s just not something I’m comfortable with.
I really am after some advice or anyone who relates? If it’s just a phase and it’s a case of riding it out then fine, I just feel like there’s no end in site as there’s no small improvements happening. It’s just so out of character for our baby who happily slept through for months. Even as a newborn he was only up once or twice a night. He is clearly impacted by the lack of sleep as he’s way more grizzly in the day!
Advice and comments are very welcome