Waking and inconsolable.

[Winnie]

Hi everyone, I wonder if anyone can help? our ds (8 months) has over the last week woken around 10 -10.30 p.m. and screamed inconsolably for each time. It has taken some effort to resettle him but although tempted I have not resorted to giving him a feed. Frankly, I would be amazed if he was hungry. He goes to bed around 7 p.m when he goes straight to sleep and after the ten oclock screaming, once he has finally settled he sleeps through undisturbed until the morning. Frankly, I know we are lucky but I am simply curious to know if others have any similar experiences... He doesn't appear to be teething.

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I have a problem with my son crying nearly every night. I have found to my cost that going in to him makes it worse, and often he is asleep even if his eyes are partly open. I just check he's not uncomfortable (head up against the end of the bed) and that none of his toys have fallen, and then leave him to it, even though it's horrible to just listen to him cry.

Numbat, are you around? You gave some really useful information about reflux on another board a while ago.
I believe babies with reflux can feel uncomfortable when they are laid flat in their cots, even if they are not actually vomiting, hence one reason for crying at night. Can anyone add more? My knowledge is very sketchy.

Yes Tigermoth, I'm here! My son had reflux for quite a while, and yes, lying flat didn't help! Did you ever get heartburn when you were pregnant? I imagine this must be much the same. Which made all the advice we were getting on how to make him sleep (e.g. lie him down and keep patting him etc) a bit inappropriate. We probably would have had a much nicer time if we'd known what his problem was and just kept him as vertical as possible! In all his babyhood, he never once woke up happy. But it's not something that just appears at ten months or whatever, after a baby has been sleeping perfectly well.

Do they have Amby Baby Hammocks over here? They're an Adelaide invention (my home town back in Oz), a hammock swung on a large springon a frame. They cocoon the baby, in a not-quite-horizontal position, and automatically bounce gently whenever the baby moves. We had one for our second and third babies and they were just great. Made the whole getting to sleep/keeping asleep thing much, much easier.

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Hi everyone, thanks for the suggestions. Bizarrely he has settled again and hasn't (touch wood)woken in this manner for a few nights. We have not come to any conclusions but are (obviously) relieved! The hammock sounds great and I think my ds would like that anyway!

Bloss, in answer to your question, everything went swimmingly until ds cut his first teeth! We are in the middle of moving him to his own room so intend to reimplement the controlled crying once he is in his own room. Thanks for asking.