How to settle a young baby in the middle of the night?

**claireh** · 27-10-2011, 09:49pm

My daughter woke every night from 6 months until past a year. It started with her having a little feed and then eventually she was up for an hour and more every night. I was on my knees.

My little boy is five months and this week has started waking up roughly twice a night. Not that unusual for a five month old but he has been going from 8pm until 7am for quite some time.

He still feeds really well during the day. His feeds and naps are as follows;

BF - 7am
Nap - 9am - 9.40ish
BF - 11.30
Nap 1pm to 3.30 ish
BF - 4pm
Bottle of formula - 7pm
BF top up - 8pm

At every feed he feeds for at least half an hour on the first side and around 15 mintues on the other side. When he has the bottle at 7pm he drinks almost all of it.

I have tried patting him back to sleep.

I have tried shushing him back to sleep.

I have tried keeping him up as late as possible but he can only manage to stay up until 9pm before just falling over alseep.

When I eventually feed himduring the night he feeds for roughly 10 - 30 minutes and then falls asleep again.

I read this link that Berte posted on Topstars thread.
http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/4mo-sleep.html

I am pretty sure he is eating enough during the day. Although I guess he is getting bigger so my supply may need to catch up with his growing tummy.... I would obviously much rather he got his extra food during the day.

Oh and during the day he self settles so so well. He just pops himself off to sleep.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I really can't face things going the way they did with Millie.

Oliver has been such a chilled out little lad. I want him to stay that way dammit

If ANYONE has any suggestions I would be so so so grateful.

**WeeBird** · 27-10-2011, 09:52pm

I'm sure you are considering it but is he showing any signs of wanting to wean?

You have my sympathy, there is very little worse than sleep deprivation imo

**Mrs B** · 27-10-2011, 09:58pm

Can you fit an extra feed in during the afternoon, tank him up for the night? Or a dreamfeed before you go to bed, that worked a treat with C, she never even woke for it. Also sympathise, think it's worse when you anticipate the night wakings so you never really get to sleep properly. xx

**Bluebabe75** · 27-10-2011, 09:58pm

It 'might' just be a phase

Matthew woke up in the night a lot at that age (after sleeping 10.30pm-7am from about 12 weeks) and was back to sleeping through by six months.

Have you tried doing a dreamfeed? I did that with both of mine - M had formula and E had ebm at about 10pm before we went to bed, or DH did it so that I could get a bit of extra sleep. Em was still waking for another feed most nights at that age though... she didn't sleep through regularly until six months but has been fine since then

I weaned M at 21 weeks because he was taking such huge amounts of milk and it did make a difference - Em wasn't interested until she started finger food at six months though.

**claireh** · 27-10-2011, 10:07pm

We did do a dream feed until I think 12 ish weeks but he was sleeping until 8.30 so we chanced it and dropped it. He slept until 7 so we didn't bother doing it again.

Last night I fed him at 11 when I went upstairs. He woke at 2am ish and then again at 5am ish. I thought today 'what was the point in that!' but perhaps I should stick with it for a wee while?

I'm not sure where I could fit in another feed.

Up until now I would have said he is a baby that tanks himself up. It is so hard trying to fit feeds round toddler activities. Damn monkey music / play group etc

Perhaps I could try a top up at 10am and another when he wakes form his afternoon nap?

WB I did think about weaning but he really can't sit up on his own. I can prop him up but I think his head is too heavy to hold up

Don't know why I am laughing actually as this night waking is SO not funny.

BB it is reassuring that it passed for your lo. My babies seem to be major creatures of habit though and I am just dreading this developing into his new feeding routine.

**Blonde Girl** · 27-10-2011, 10:10pm

I just went with it and did a bf (or two) in the night for both T and A, it was easier and more pleasant for everyone to spend 10 mins once or twice a night feeding them back to sleep, than it was to try and get them back to sleep any other way.

Tbh I wish I'd just done that for D as well as he was a dismally bad sleeper

**Bluebabe75** · 27-10-2011, 10:11pm

Originally Posted by claireh

BB it is reassuring that it passed for your lo. My babies seem to be major creatures of habit though and I am just dreading this developing into his new feeding routine.

I know what you mean. M was up wanting milk at 5am most nights from about 14 months - coincided with the arrival of his canines / first molars - and it became a habit up to 18 months when I had to resort to controlled crying. The first time Emma woke in the night at that age I panicked at the thought of going through it all again.

Good luck - hope it passes quickly

**RealGoneKid** · 27-10-2011, 10:15pm

I just fed mine when they woke at that age. Like BG, I just couldn't face a fight and would rather they went back to sleep quickly.

**WeeBird** · 27-10-2011, 10:34pm

Originally Posted by claireh

WB I did think about weaning but he really can't sit up on his own. I can prop him up but I think his head is too heavy to hold up

Don't know why I am laughing actually as this night waking is SO not funny.

I knew it would already have crossed your mind

but you never know when sleep deprivation takes its toll

I think you have to laugh or you would cry

I have always resorted to boob to get mine to sleep if/when they have been night waking, a cop-out but one that works for me

**claireh** · 27-10-2011, 10:43pm

Path of least resistence it is!

I think I will try to get a bit more food in to him during the day and I will just feed him if he wakes.

Failing that I will try weaning in a couple of weeks.

At least after having Millie I know the broken sleep part does eventually stop.