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5 month old suddenly hysterical at night

36 replies

ExhaustedBeyondBelief22 · 23/04/2025 22:18

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!!

OP posts:
Sunnysideup32 · 19/05/2025 22:42

Some people aren't keen on using them, but I gave my DC's dummies at night to help them settle, and I weaned them off them at an early age easily enough too.

ProudMummyxo · 19/05/2025 22:58

Does she start the night in her cot or next to me? I’m just wondering if she’s somehow uncomfortable if it’s in her next to me which is causing a wake up. I know when my son was starting to want to roll around at night he wanted out of the next to me cos it was more roomy.
i understand if she’s falling asleep in her cot then this is occurring why you keep her in the next to me afterwards cos I wouldn’t want to be up and down either

ExhaustedBeyondBelief22 · 19/05/2025 23:06

Sunnysideup32 · 19/05/2025 22:42

Some people aren't keen on using them, but I gave my DC's dummies at night to help them settle, and I weaned them off them at an early age easily enough too.

Have tried her with dummies since she was a few weeks old but she would never take them, her big sister was the same!

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ExhaustedBeyondBelief22 · 19/05/2025 23:08

ProudMummyxo · 19/05/2025 22:58

Does she start the night in her cot or next to me? I’m just wondering if she’s somehow uncomfortable if it’s in her next to me which is causing a wake up. I know when my son was starting to want to roll around at night he wanted out of the next to me cos it was more roomy.
i understand if she’s falling asleep in her cot then this is occurring why you keep her in the next to me afterwards cos I wouldn’t want to be up and down either

She starts in her next to me, we haven't attempted the cot in her own room yet but think we may need to soon. She's just fallen asleep on her side so you may be right about her wanting more room to roll around in

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ProudMummyxo · 20/05/2025 03:48

Maybe try the cot. Not long after my son went in his, probably same age he was sleeping better cos he was able to have enough room to roll on his front.

currently having a few night wakes here which I’m going to put down to molars cutting through 🙈

ExhaustedBeyondBelief22 · 20/05/2025 03:55

ProudMummyxo · 20/05/2025 03:48

Maybe try the cot. Not long after my son went in his, probably same age he was sleeping better cos he was able to have enough room to roll on his front.

currently having a few night wakes here which I’m going to put down to molars cutting through 🙈

The worst of the teeth!! My big girl really struggled when hers came through! Hope he isn't suffering too much and you get some sleep soon!

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NoBots · 20/05/2025 04:21

About teething age.

ProudMummyxo · 26/05/2025 14:44

How are things getting on? X

ExhaustedBeyondBelief22 · 26/05/2025 21:26

ProudMummyxo · 26/05/2025 14:44

How are things getting on? X

It's so kind of you to keep checking in - we're a little better. She's been babbling LOTS recently so I'm now wondering if she was going through a regression with the new skill? I also realised that I'd had some dairy (accidentally!) and she has CMPA so I think she was getting that out of her system. She still isn't back to where she was, she's waking every 2 hours (sometimes less after 3am 😬) but it's very quick to get her down. I'm just whacking her on a boob at the moment - probably will come to regret that at some point but for now it's whatever gets her back to sleep!! Only issue now is that she is hysterical if my husband tries to settle her!! She absolutely screams the house down until I take her off him, I feel awful as he wants to help but she point blank refuses to settle for him! I think she's so attached to me at the moment nobody else gets a look in. I thought second babies were less clingy! Mine's more of a velcro baby than my eldest was!

Phew, long reply sorry! How are you getting on? Have your DS's molars come through? 🙏🏼

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ProudMummyxo · 27/05/2025 00:25

I hope it’s not annoying me checking in, I just don’t like to think of anyone struggling and feeling alone 🙂
I’m glad things have eased a little, every 2 hours is better than it was isn’t it so it’s getting somewhere again and atleast a bit of sleep for you but if you are anything like me when my son went through that phase it took me atleast 90 mins to get back to sleep 😂

Bless you not getting much of a break though due to her only wanting you.

He's doing ok, sleeping through again, but still no sign of his molars 🙈 I remember his first 2 teeth being like this, he was teething for a good 3 months before they cut then the next lot came faster so hoping these 4 first molars do the same for him x

ExhaustedBeyondBelief22 · 28/05/2025 00:25

@ProudMummyxo no it's not annoying at all! It's really lovely of you 😊. Really glad your DS is sleeping through! Yes DD2 is definitely a clingy one, her poor Dad can't win!! Our eldest is also going through a phase of coming in to our bed in the early hours 🙈 although most nights that doesn't wake us anymore as we're so out of it!! Again, hoping it's a phase - she starts school in September so hopefully that'll knacker her out! It never ends 🙈

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