Sleep problems?

[cristeen]

My little guy was a pretty darned good sleeper from the beginning. But now he's 6 mos, and it's getting worse every night (over the last week). Night before last he woke 5 times in 6 hours, then last night he was up 4 times in a 2 1/2 hour stretch - probably about 8 times all together, between midnight and 6.

He wakes up enough to start crying - eyes still closed, but he starts shoving his fists in his mouth (which is usually a hunger sign). I pop a bottle in his mouth (I'm too shagged to nurse 10x/night), he'll stop crying, he'll suck for maybe a minute and he's out again. He's started doing this during naps, too... so I can't even go get something done during a nap, because if I don't catch it, his crying will wake him up completely and then he'll be cranky. During naps at least I know he can't actually be hungry, since he nurses to sleep, and nurses right after waking.

We do cosleep, I've tried swaddling, but I'm not comfortable leaving him swaddled, since he likes to sleep on his tummy and he can roll himself even swaddled. So right now I have him in a wool sleep sack - and I finally found a diaper solution that holds him all night (with a stay-dry liner so he doesn't feel wet), so it's not the diaper, it's not feeling cold, it's not hunger...

And he's fighting sleep like mad - both at naps and at night. Last night I was so frustrated that I finally had to make DH do bedtime because he wouldn't go to sleep for me.

So what on earth is going on, and what can I do to change it? I'm seriously at my wits end and completely exhausted.

[Thalia]

Sounds like it might be the start of teething: the hands going in the mouth but not seeming hungry or wanting to suck is a clue. Just a guess.

[Beauchamp]

Welcome to The Six Months and Up Club.

This happened to us, too, almost at 6 months to the day. Teething, most likely, or milestones. From 6-10 months we've cut 7 teeth. Yikes! Good sleep is a distant memory for me. I think the only thing to do is wait it out. That's horrible! But true. For some, anyway. I had to completely get rid of my expectation that her sleep would be like her infant sleep from 0-6 months. That phase is over!

I hope you find something that works for you! Try Hyland's, maybe they will help your LO's teething pain calm down enough for him to settle.

Not to freak you out, but we're almost 10 months here with no real improvement. It's best to come up with your battle plan NOW, so you take care of yourself and catch sleep when you can, since this *may* be more than just a short phase. I dug in my heels for a few months (noooooo!!!) when I should've just accepted that my LO was no longer going to get a 6+ hour stretch at night. Now, I pray for two hours.

[texaspeach]

ds started doing this recently and come to find out he has an ear infection (no fever or cold like symptoms). I think this might be why he's crying so much during diaper changes too. laying down hurts his ear I thought his night waking was teething related until he started refusing to nurse on his left side

if this is a recent thing it might be his ears