can weaning be associated with sleep problems?

[scoobyd00]

My DS is 6 months old and I have just started to wean (2 weeks). Ever since he has started on solids his night time sleep has become disrupted. Previously he has slept through the night with a dream feed at 1030pm. I'm still breast feeding and haven't dropped any feeds but have just added a small breakfast and lunch. He seems to enjoy both purees and some hand held food and is still feeding well from me. When he wakes he is grissly rather than hungry. He has also stopped sucking his thumb which was his way of self soothing if he woke. Consequently, he doesn't settle very well during the day anymore and needs to suck on my finger or occasionaly he'll take a dummy. Why would he stop sucking his thumb?

Does anyone have any experience of weaning causing sleep disruption, or could it be that he might be teething and it's all happening at the same time? He does have a few symptoms of teething but I can't feel any coming through.

Any advice would be greatfully apreciated.

I feel your pain. Yes, some babies stop sleeping well when they start on solids, imagine all that extra work their stomachs are doing! Could also be teething, growth spurt, learning something new... the list is endless! Sorry, not being much help am I. I honestly think that at this age it's almost impossible to extrapolate what causes what, unless it's an identifiable illness. Chances are it will stop as soon as it started.

Both mine, fully BF, sucked their thumbs from 3-6mths and then stopped. No idea why. I put it down to teeth, but who knows. And teething can hurt or cause disruption way before anything actually shows up. TBH I think the only 'advice' I'd ever give about this kind of thing is just to do whatever gets you both through the day (and night) with the minimum fuss and upset. And I do mean you too . Good luck!

teeth ?? wait a week it may be the cause of your woes

Thanks for the thoughts. I'm hoping it's teething - if not I've got 1 grumpy weaning baby!

My DS's sleep was worse shortly after we started weaning - I think it was him getting used to the new things in his stomach. Then it improved. Then he started getting bad wind from what he was eating, and that kept waking. Often if he wakes with wind he's grizzly. Now he still wakes, but it's not usually food-related.

Lucky you with such a good sleeper - hope he returns to that soon. :)