9 weeker suddenly doesnt want to sleep! Advice appreciated....

[weecarol]

Hi all,

Looking for mumsnet wisdom with this one.

My 9 week old boy was a fabulous sleeper until last week. Would settle down around 11pm, wake for nappy change at 3am, sleep til feed at 6am. No option of not changing his nappy at 3 because its usually sodden wet.

He feeds usually really well though does need gaviscon for reflux. Feeding times are usually 6am 10am 2pm 6pm 10pm, taking around 150-180mls per feed.

Recently he has not really been napping through day, on average 20-30 mins after a feed then waking, not showing signs of being tired and generally happy to sit in vibrating chair or swing.

The past week it is taking nearly 2 1/2 hours to get him to sleep after his 3am nappy change, we usually get him changed before he is too awake and as soon as he starts to fuss over his wet nappy. However when he goes back into cot he just wakens right up, tried mobiles, dream shows, stroking his head/tummy, rocking him, etc. Can get him to drift off and go into a sleep but as soon as he is back in cot thats it, wide awake again!
He is not showing signs of being hungry but is staying awake until almost feeding time which is exhausting because he is not happily awake if you see what i mean, he is fussing and generally unsettled.
Do I feed him early and hope he sleeps, this seems like taking steps backwards in his sleeping/feeding routine? Honestly lost for ideas, causing fights between me and DP. Want to do whats best but dont want to unsettle any routine and he is too young for controlled crying (dont think that would work anyway, he gets too unsettled and worked up.

Please please offer any advice you can, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

XXXX

Is he napping too much/too little during the day? If he's still taking the same naps as when he was younger he may simply not be tired at 3am and want you to entertain him - is he happy at 3am if you occupy him?

I personally would offer him a feed early (I assume he's bottle fed from your amount descriptions?) as I figure being awake for 2.5 hours at 3am is a worse habit than a bottle and back to bed (if it works). If it does work you can always start cutting back on it again.

What nappies is he wearing? Have you tried one of those monster night time ones? or boosting, if you use reusables? does he wake with the wet nappy, or would he sleep with it?

I wouldn't worry about upsetting routine - I am a complete routine queen, and have had to accept the odd step backwards. it's inevitable as they develop.

Is he upping his intake during the day? could it be a growth spurt, and he's not 'clocking' the need for extra calories until night? I had this with (BF) DS and found if I offered a couple of extra feeds in the day it improved things.

Napping during the day not a problem, in total around 2 hours over the day. seems settled and not over tired. generally uinsettles at 3, not a happy boy at all. Settles with cuddles but only until he is back in his cot then he wakens again.

Using the huggies super dry nappies, he is onto size 3 and these seem to be quite absorbent. He wakes with the nappy, will not tolerate a wet nappy even through the day. Will fuss and cry until its changed when he then starts to smile and laugh so is obviously relieved its changed.

His intake hasnt upped for a few weeks, have to make up 240 mls of feed to accomodate his gaviscon but the max he will take is 180mls, he is formula fed now. he doesnt cry for feeds during day either, he used to but now knows feeding time and only gets unsettled if his bottle is more than 20 mins late. His wind is less now im using dr browns bottles. still possets a bit at times but it doesnt distress him. Tried infacol, Colocynthis for wind, seesm to get rid of his wind better now and doesnt have excess wind when going to bed.
He will not tolerate swaddling and has to have his arms out of sheets all the time, been like this since day he was born. He can get quite aggitated, flailing his arms around which i am sure aids with his wakening. Even if i put his arms under sheets when he is sleeping, within 5 mins they are back out again.

His bath isnt until an hour before his bedtime bottle.

Thanks for your reply, will try the early feed as i know he will last til his 10am feed. Looks like it will be 2 steps back to take 1 forward. Maybe i was just unrealistic with my expectations and have to accept that his routine will be upset at times.

XXXX

2 hours isn't a massive amount during the day (my DS was having around 4 hours at that age, and slept badly in the evening if he had less), but if he's otherwise happy I don't especially see why that would be the problem.

I feel for you - DS will happily sleep absolutely soaked through - often he wakes in the morning and has soaked through nappy, vest , sleepsuit and sawaddling and is happy as larry.
A friend of mine swears by a reusable with a fleece wrap, so the liquid evaporates a bit - I've never used them, but you could post on the nappy thread if you were interested - you'd only need one for the night, so not too expensive (someone might be able to loan you one to try it out).

How about setting a (quiet) alarm for just before 3am, so you can get to him at the first murmur and change his nappy before he really wakes?

I would do whatever it takes to get him sleeping in the night (with a bit of luck the bottle will conk him out) and then worry about moving forward from there.

Does he take a dummy?

Yup takes a dummy but spits it out after a few minutes and that seems to annoy him too.

Will try the reusable nappy idea, honestly I will give anything a go!

Thanks for your advice, you are a complete star

XXXX

Just sorry I couldn't be more help!

If it's any consolation, we went through a brief but terrible phase of DS being awake for 90 minutes after his 10:30 and middle of the night feed. There was no apparent reason for it, he was sometimes grumbly and tired, sometimes raring to do. It gradually got shorter over about a week, and for the past 3 weeks or so he has been asleep within minutes of both feeds.
It drove me to absolute breaking point, and was when I introduced a bottle of formula, so I could at least get one full chunk of sleep, so I know where you're coming from!