Six month old suddenly waking hourly and only settling with cuddles

[Megan331100]

Advice please. I’m a first time mom to a 6, nearly 7 month old. He has always been so good for sleeping independently and sleeping through the night. However for the past 2 weeks that’s changed. He has started to wake up every hour crying. If I pick him up, he stops crying. It’s almost as if he wants to be cuddled. I’m worried about him associating cuddling me with sleeping but if I don’t pick him he will scream and scream, or he going through a sleep regression? I’ve tried white noises, night lights, he’s deffo not hungry. It’s difficult because he wakes hourly crying for the whole night so I’m obviously exhausted, I’m just lost on what to do because he has never been a bad sleeper until now. I just feel lost on what to do because if I hold him or let him sleep with me then I’m making it an association but if not I get no sleep at all. I’m not someone who can let him cry it out either so that’s not an option for me. Thankyou everyone🌟

Very normal and it will pass. It’s ok to co sleep (if you do it safely) and it won’t make any lasting associations or mean he won’t ever sleep alone again (he’s too young to form any real habits) If he wants comfort and cuddles, leaning into it will mean everyone gets more sleep.

When you think about it, as adults we like to sleep next to our partner but we make our infants sleep alone …

Thankyou for your reply. I have been struggling I was torn as I didn’t want it to become a habit but he’s always been a good sleeper. Xx

Babies change constantly. As they grow and develop they change.

You could start the night and all naps in their bed, and if they wake bring them in with you. Then when the phase passes they won’t wake you to come in.

My youngest loved a good co sleep. It was on and off until she was around 6. We got her a double bed at one point so one of us could sleep with her in her room. We had long periods where she didn’t need us, and chunks of time when she did.

As a newborn she slept 10pm to 5am most nights lol…