how can I break a Bad sleeping pattern that seems to be emerging...

[brette]

I'm desperate for advice. My 5-month baby has started to wake up every night at 2-ish whatever the time he woke up before. Example, last night: went to bed at 7ish, woke up at 9.30, had a whole bottle of milk, went to sleep quite easily, woke up at 1, I nursed him, then woke up at 2.30. Because I knew he wasn't hungry, I didn't want to feed him so I tried to cuddle him back to sleep. NOthing. For two hours. But then after 1 1/2 hour of crying, I nursed him, which I think might have confused him after refusing to feed him for more than an hour. He finally fell asleep at 4.30 only to wake up at 6. By then, exhausted, I took him in our bed where we all slept happily until 9. This has been the pattern for the last week. I am exhausted and don't really know what to do.
The trouble is that we have always given him our little finger to suck onto when he goes to sleep. So now we are stuck with it. A really bad idea...
But am I right in assuming that he's not hungry at this time of the night if he had a whole bottle plus some breast milk in the 3 previous hours. Could I give him a bit of water so as to make him understand in a nice way that nothing interesting is going to drop into his mouth, just plain boring water?
I know I should propably do CC but certainly not in the middle of the night... Or should I?
I am really confused.

[littlerach]

bump

[HappyMumof2]

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[littlerach]

Could try the water, does he get enough milk etc during the day?

I'm probably not the best to advise, as we are having problems with DD2 but didn't want you to think no-one had read your post.

[experience]

have two boys, one a great sleeper (5 years old) and one who hardly sleeps (18 months). Youngest has never been a great sleeper, from day one midwives put him in with me in hospital bed. Tried everything - milk feeds, early start on solids, lavender oil, night light, teething powder & gel, medised, calpol, extra blankets, less blankets, soft music,a dummy (always rejected it) & bringing him into our bed - nothing we haven't tried. Thins improved when he discovered his thumb. I don't really like thumb sucking but anything for a nights sleep.
My advice - go with it. It's tough but not all babies are great sleepers, try one of the above - might work for you ! No reason not to try offering water - stuck with this to wean youngest off night time feed at around 6 months. Feels better if you stop waiting for a full nights sleep and accept that it might not happen - you are not alone !!

[HappyMumof2]

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[HappyMumof2]

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[bundle]

i think that cc is a little early at 5 months and tbh there's less of nutritional value in things like fruit purees and babyrice than there is in breastmilk so it probably won't help with the sleeping...v difficult. i'm sure mine did this and have only in the last few months my youngest started sleeping through properly (21 mths)

[franch]

You have my sympathy brette. We had no end of sleep problems with DD till about 11 months. Definitely don't try CC till after 6 months, and read the Ferber book if you're going to try it then. I think it's unlikely he's hungry if he had a whole bottle plus some breast milk in the 3 previous hours, and is getting regular feeds during the day. You could try water, or if he protests then maybe the trick of gradually diluting the formula over a number of nights until it's basically just water with a drop of milk in it?

Is it possible that he's teething?

[HappyMumof2]

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[bundle]

hmmmm, possibly HMo2, but didn't work for us (or a lot of the mums on here)

[pinksofa]

does he sleep in a sleeping bag/grobag? is he waking up because he kicks covers off?

[brette]

Thanks a lot for your advice. I tried the dummy. He accepted it for two nights then refused it (politely handing it over to my partner, no kidding ;) funny random gesture...) and would have only the breast at 2 then quickly falling back asleep then again at 6 or 7 which was a great improvement. But we were still knackered. And yesterday, my mother-in-law who was visiting from France did a bit of crano-therapy (skull massage) and he slept from 10 to 8 this morning!!!!!!!! Happy happy parents. Coincidence or efficient therapy? Only tonight will tell us.

[dejags]

brette, I'll be watching this thread with interest. My five month old doesn't feed in the night but is a TERRIBLE sleeper - he wakes at least 3 times a night and on bad nights it can be every 45 minutes e.g. last night DH got up to him 6 times and I got up to him 5 times between 11 and 7am.

I am at my wits end too, not to mentioned absolutely knackered

[experience]

That's the way that some babies are. They find their own routine eventually. No help really but it is better if you can accept that maybe baby just doesn't need/want that much sleep.