5 month old suddenly hysterical at night

[ExhaustedBeyondBelief22]

I'm at my wits end - my DD2 is now 5 months and 3 weeks old. The last week or so she has become increasingly unsettled at night. We've been in a really good routine with her since she was about 4 weeks old and nothing has changed in that sense. I used to feed her after her bath and then transfer her to her bed where she'd sleep for a good 3/4 hours before her first wake. This last week it's been a nightmare - she is hysterical as soon as I lay her down. She could be asleep on me for two hours or more but the minute I lie her in her bed she'll wake up screaming! She'll only settle when I hold her or feed her back to sleep! I wondered if it was teething as she's sometimes tugging on her ear but we've given her Calpol and it still makes no difference. It's horrendous, and is making our evenings horrific (add to the mix her older sister, 3 years 8 months, who also has a meltdown every bedtime - whole other thread!!). I don't remember this with my first (although I'm sure it probably happened at some point!9. Any advice? Do we think this is a regression? Separation anxiety? I'm at a loss!!

Just to add, her daytime naps are hard work - either fed to sleep (she is EBF) and has to remain on me or in the pram (but have to really work to get her to sleep in the pram). They never last longer than 30mins and she averages about 4 naps a day

Anybody? She's just been hysterical for the last two hours unless held or on my boob. Dreading another night of no sleep

Could she be ready to drop a nap? I forget what age it went 4-3 for us. If teething I really rated calprofen over calpol when it came to them first teeth.

& I think it could be a regression also

Thank you for replying - I debated whether she needed to drop a nap too but I don't think she's getting enough day sleep as it is. Her naps are crap! At most 30mins but usually 25mins. She's just regressed almost back to newborn sleep behaviour! She has to be held or fed to sleep and screams bloody murder if we put her down, no matter how out of it she is. It's awful, the screaming is unbelievable (apparently I only produce children who have an impressive set of lungs!!). She's now currently back on me after screaming for 45mins. I haven't heard of calpofren - is it ibuprofen? I don't know what's going on with her at the moment but between her and a nightmare toddler, DH and I don't get a minute to ourselves!

Yeah ibuprofen, I get it from savers or boots, not many shops actually sell calprofen but I found he was better with that than nurofen for some odd reason 😄

Is she learning anything new? Like rolling, crawling?
or could she be in pain due to the screaming? You say about her touching her ear does that upset her, I’m just wondering could a poorly ear be a possibility?! It’s such a guessing game isn’t it when they can’t tell you.

I’d honestly try if it’s nothing else wrong; dropping a nap, it’ll take some adjusting but I think you’ll find her day sleep starts to lengthen and hopefully help with night too.

I'm honestly at a loss with that's going on! I don't think she's ill, she is such a happy little girl in the day - smiling and chatting away! She is going through a bit of separation anxiety, she gets very upset when I put her down or move away from her! Proper velcro baby! But no signs of illness which I usually look out for. She has CMPA but I've been dairy free for months now and her reflux has improved hugely - I don't feel like this is that. It does seem like she's in pain just because of the sheer volume she's reaching with the screaming. But at the same time she stops almost as soon as on the boob or just held by me, so that makes me think it's not pain?! I just don't know!! She has been rolling sort of side to side? And blowing raspberries 🙈 new skill?! Maybe I'll try and push her morning nap later and see what happens - gaaah why does sleep have to be so difficult?!

I'd ask a GP or nurse to take a look at that ear to rule it out. You said she's EBF, but at nearly 6 months us she showing interest in solids? I'm wondering if introducing some food might help but I'm out of date as to what age that's now recommended.

It could be new skills, could also be a bit of teething, and just wanting mummy. Sorry I can’t be much help.

My DS is only 14 months but you honestly forget those phases that at that moment you think you never will 😄 but I do sort of recall there being a tough few weeks at 5/6 months

She's definitely interested in food, we've been giving her big sticks of carrot, cucumber, peppers and celery to gum at as we thought it'd be helpful for teething whilst introducing some new tastes but maybe we will try her with and cooked foods and see how we go

I'm the same, we've a nearly 4 year old and I've forgotten so much of this baby bit!!

Hi, how are things? X

Thanks for checking in! It seems to have settled down again 🙏🏼🤞🏼 who knows for how long but I'll take it for now! Still not sure what was going on, but she's back to her usual self and night time routine now!

I’m so glad to read all has settled again, I imagine it was probably a regression/leap which luckily my DS would only go through for about a week or 2 then settled again. Enjoy your rest before the next 1, there always seemed to be 1 in that first year 🤣x

May have spoke too soon - sleep is now at an all time low, and has been for the last two weeks. She now won't go down without boob, is waking every 45mins/1 hour. We are shattered, she screams unless held or being fed and immediately wakes up when we put her down. I don't think it's reflux, she's showing no symptoms. I'd hoped weaning would help as she'd been so interested in our food, but she hasn't taken well to weaning so far and gets annoyed at most food I offer her or refuses to eat any of it!! I really am losing it now as we are so knackered. We're away with friends this week and it took us three hours to get her to sleep tonight and she's woken every hour since. We haven't been able to spend any time with our friends, and both their children have gone to bed easily and haven't woken!! Trying not to compare but it's making me even more upset 😭

How old is baby now? Can you just pause weaning until 6 months? No need to be causing extra work for yourself if she isn't interested.
Would you sleep train? Nothing drastic like CIO but sounds like baby has strong feed to sleep association
You have my best wishes - I have a similar age gap, first dc slightly older and second dc almost a year and I forgot everything

She's 6 months now, this change feels as though it's just come on so suddenly 😫. Absolutely exhausted, sending solidarity!

@Alwaystired2023 sorry didn't answer your question, I would try and sleep train but I don't know if I have high hopes as it never worked on my eldest 🙈 but I'm desperate and would do anything!!

Sorry to read that things went bad again. How are things currently? X

Thanks for checking in, nights are now the worst they've been, last night she was up every 30mins/45mins unless on the breast. If my husband tried to settle her she just screams and screams. I don't think it's teeth as we gave Calpol and nurofen - neither made a difference. I don't think it's reflux and she isn't arching her back or showing any signs. She just seems to have massively regressed recently, it's awful. I know I'm probably creating awful habits feeding her to sleep but it is genuinely the only way any of us get any sleep at all!

Honestly don’t worry about creating bad habits currently, she’s too young for them to honestly be a problem, they can soon be changed around once all is ok.
I still bottle feed to sleep now and he’s 15 months. If that’s how they want to settle just go with it.

You do what you can to keep your sanity at these tough times. I hope things change soon for you though.

Thank you, I really appreciate the solidarity - my husband and I ended up bickering in the early hours (definitely driven by exhaustion!) as he disagrees and thinks I shouldn't be feeding her back to sleep every time. But if I hadn't, none of us would have had any sleep at all! Plus the screaming is waking our eldest who came in upset wanting to check on her big sister 🙈. Here's hoping this passes soon!!

Is it the minute bedtime begins baby gets upset or does she settle but then wake up and won’t settle otherwise. I’m just wondering could she have a bit of an iffy belly if it’s in the middle of the night. My son used to wake up around a similar time each night in the early days (I forget how many months) and it was like a build of wind etc and since I started him on probiotic drops, they honestly helped and I’m just wondering if it could be that which is causing a bit of bother. It’s honestly all just a guessing game & trying different things. Are you due a visit with the HV at all soon?

Could she be hot? It’s been a warm week.

She's fine during the bedtime routine, it's just waking up. She used to do a three and a half, sometimes four, hour stretch. I'd give her a feed and then she'd do another long stretch until 5ish. Now she'll do an hour/hour and a half stretch at most before waking up hysterical. She won't settle again unless I feed her, sometimes husband can settle her by holding her with white noise. Then she wakes constantly for the rest of the night - every hour, or in the case of last night every 45mins 😫. And she is very very upset when she wakes, wanting the breast every time and screaming bloody murder if we try and settle her any other way. She'll fall asleep almost immediately when she goes on, but it's very difficult to get her back in to her cot as she wakes up straight away. She's 6 and a half months now and barely fits in her next to me anymore but we've delayed moving her as of now as I can't face a constant up and down across the landing to settle her all night long!! I wondered if I was tummy ache as she's started solids and has been windier than usual - and I remember my eldest daughter's tummy being similar at this age when we moved to solids. But I really don't know - she's been babbling more recently and sitting a lot more independently so I'm wondering if it's a development thing. Aaah such a minefield with babies!! I've been discharged by the HV team but may ring for advice if it continues much longer as we're all on our knees with exhaustion

I don't think so as it's been going on for 3 weeks now - she's dressed appropriately for the weather and to be honest our room doesn't get that hot. It's one of the coolest in the house luckily! Such a guessing game what's going on, I mentioned in a comment above but I'm wondering if it's linked to a developmental leap - she's been babbling recently and sitting more independently. Also we've recently started solids which has given her more to digest so wondering if it's some discomfort there too. Honestly who knows though!! I wish she could just tell me what's wrong 🙈