5 month old who cannot stay asleep, help!!!!

Hi ladies,
Just curious to see if anyone can offer any suggestions, maybe something I am missing.
DS is 5 months old. He wants to be a great sleeper. He will happily go off to sleep without a drama and doesn't need comforting to sleep yet he wakes multiple times. I'm not talking 3-4 times a night, I'm talking 3-4 times in an hr or so. He is a big boy at over 9kg and feeds well, BF. He is warm enough, he sleeps in a zip up swaddle because he can't sleep unwrapped, he has a dummy, he has a musical sea horse as a sleep que. Even though he puts himself to sleep without a peep he wakes hysterical and can't put himself back to sleep, I pat his bum and he is asleep again but this happens over and over and over. He has four naps a day, half hr - 45 mins each because he won't resettle during the day, sometimes he will and he might sleep double that. I spend all evening resettling, he co sleeps because there is no way I am getting up out of bed every 1/2 hr at night. What do you think it could be?

My first suggestion would be the dreaded four month sleep regression if he has started doing it in the last month or so.
other suggestions: are you sure he is not using some other sleep cue or something to help him to settle that you are unaware of? A little strange I know but something like the way you tuck him in if you use a blanket over his swaddle?
Could his dummy be slipping just enough to annoy him?

Hmmm I wasn't aware of the four month sleep regression. Yes he does lose his dummy at times, maybe when it falls out it wakes him?? Other sleep cues I'm not sure, ill have a think. Thanks :)

No suggestions but just letting you know you're not alone.

My previously awesome sleeper has been doing the same thing for a few weeks now (she's almost 6 months corrected). Hoping its a phase and we all get some decent sleep soon.

Me too Schonell

Have you actually watched him while waking? Is it a startle or does he wake, look around and start crying? My 4 month old has sleep apnoea, which wakes him, but more like every hour, when he hits REM. There are a number of sleep conditions that you can eliminate- try and see HOW he wakes from sleep.

Perhaps you need to work out approx. time that your little one wakes and go in just prior and make sure the dummy is in a d perhaps put the music on do when he does wake, he knows it is time to go back to sleep?? I can't think of anything else, sorry

How long has he been waking in this pattern Babyluv? I wonder if his neck hurts or he's a bit out of whack and could possibly do with seeing an osteopath for some gentle massage.

Eta: has you diet changed and does it correlate with a change in sleep for your DS? I've hear of sleep issues that are actually a sign of allergies or tummy pain.

It's quite likely just a phase but have you ruled out ear infection or something else that causes discomfort.

Does he have reflux/wind pain? Most of mine haven't slept well due to reflux pain waking them.

I second the tummy pain option. DS woke frequently and needed a burp to settle, long after the CHNs said he shouldn't need burping any more. And when we started to see him making pained faces with burps, we asked for losec, and it helped his pain, his chucking, and his frequent wake-ups, especially the 7pm to midnight ones.

Lots of things to think about. Thanks. I stayed with him last night to see exactly what he does and he woke hysterical at one point. From being sound asleep to crying husterically. I think you might be right with the pain/discomfort.
He was diagnosed with reflux and put on Zantac when he was 2 months and Pead said to slowly take him off his medication which I did and he seemed fine for 2 weeks so I didn't really connect this sleep issue to reflux. I've put him back on his medicine to see if that makes a difference.
He also sees an Osteo for Plagiocephaly so he's pretty good in that regard.
He doesn't seem to stir awake or get restless. He's asleep and then he's crying.

Yeah, that sounds like our DS - from peacefully asleep to screaming within seconds - and then dozing on my shoulder moments later.

Let us know if going back on zantac helps - it'll be interesting to see if that's the problem.

Yes ill keep you posted. I've also elevated hi cot for day naps again to seeing that helps.

Have you ever tried osteopathy?

He sees an Osteo Hotl :)

Sounds like reflux to me. I am a mum to two reflux bubs. I dont know why your gp wanted you to wean him when he is still so little. Reflux peaks between 3-4 months. Alot of the time it can take a few weeks to see the effects from a wean and then it can take weeks to see improvement again as the damage has to heal. Reflux meds are very much weight dependent so they quite often need dosage adjustments.