Will only sleep for a short time

[Snowy Love]

Sorry its so long.

OK, I’m not at the end of my tether, but I can see that I may approach it soonish.

At about 6.5mths DS started only sleeping for 45mins at a time during the day, then a couple of weeks later it started at night too – 1 ½ hrs if I was lucky. At night I just give him bf and he’s back to sleep, but at one point I’d be putting him on the boob seven or eight times between 7pm and 5am.

He’s a bit better at night now – Soilds at 6pm, then a bath, dress him in his sleepsuit & sleeping bag, put on Fisher Price World Baby Lullabies, DH reads his bedtime book & I feed him to sleep at about 7pm. Resettle with a quick feed at 7:45 and 8:30 and then he might wake at midnight and 3am when I take him into our bed and he is off and on the boob as he wants till we get up.

Now day sleeps he doesn’t even go 45mins. I have the CD on for day sleeps as well and feed to sleep (he can go to sleep with rocking and singing, but he’s 10kg so feeding is much easier on me) He’ll only re-settle if I take him onto our bed and feed him laying down (and I had a nap on Thursday). I just picked him up and he half woke and rocked him to sleep and put him in the cot and he got maybe another 25min.

When I put him in the cot I have to keep my arm on him for a while before I leave the room – very uncomfortable as I have to stand on tiptoes leaning over the cot side.

I should also mention he’s going through major separation anxiety at the moment – very Mummy focused. (I had 2 days work at the start of the month when I left him with Mum and he was fine and I went to the movies last week and had my step-Mum here with him & apparently he cried almost the whole time and swimming yesterday he didn’t want to go to the teacher.) Could this be related?

I’m going to re-read ‘Sleeping like a baby” and maybe try weaning him off feeding to sleep, but does anyone have any other suggestions.

[aussienic]

I don't have any other solutions but to try and wean him off nursing to go to sleep. I went through a simila thing with my son around the same age. We had just been on a 5 week holiday and he was terrible when we got home. I ended up feeding him and regardless of whether he was asleep or awake my DH put him to bed.

In the end also I had to let him cry. I hated doing it but I had to. I wasn't coping with the sleepless nights. Maybe you might have to do that as well.. I was surprised how quickly it worked. I didn't do control crying I just left him to cry. Now I know that sounds horrible and believe me I felt so mean. I did check on him and make sure he was ok but I refused to pick him up or feed him. It took about 3 nights and the night waking virtually stopped

[mummymc]

Your not the only one having sleepless nights My 9.5mth daughter keeps waking every hour or sometimes less. When I go to settle her, she cries again as soon as I put her down. We have resorted to bringing her in bed with us, sleeps longer, but still wakes for a feed (because booby is right next to her). I did let her cry the other night off to sleep, it was the worst feeling, but she selpt for 4 hrs , but failed the last 2 nights to keep her there, as I couldn't bear to hear her cry, so we put her too bed. But I should probaly try consistantly over a few nights to see if she gets the hint, her bed is for sleeping not mum & dads! Then hopefully won't be so bad

[mumof2beauties]

This sound just like my DS was. He would wake every 30 mins to 1 hr all night, up until 7 1/2 months when we ended up going to 'sleep school'. Hardest thing I have ever done, BUT the best thing I have done. He now goes to bed at 7 and will wake for a feed at about 2 and then 5, then usually sleep till 7am. Still not ideal, but such an improvement.

The main thing they told me to do, was stop feeding to sleep. It was an emotional and heart wrenching time....but I don't think my DS now would remember a thing!!!!