Night Waking

kristyn86

My almost 9 month has developed a horrible sleep routine.  He was able to fall asleep on his own until about 6 months when he started developing separation anxiety.  That along with teething pain (his first tooth at 5 months) he started waking one or twice at night.  By the time he was 8 months old he started waking up every 1 to 2 hrs -- sometimes every 30 minutes!  At times when he wakes he's not fully awake but crying as if he's in pain or waking from a night terror.  It's hard to tell exactly what is wrong.  He's not sick or hungry or cutting any teeth at the moment and most of the time I give him chamomille tea or water in a bottle to fall back asleep.  I've tried to let him cry it out but he ends up so hysterical he starts choking from the crying.  I've also tried the Ferber method but again he gets so hysterical and even more upset.  I honestly don't mind to rock him or nurse him to sleep every night if only he would sleep through the night.  Any advice or mommies with similar babies?  I don't remember the last time I had a good nights sleep!

UMichGirl

I have no advice but we went through the EXACT same thing starting when DS was about 5 and a Half months old. Literally every 30 to 60 minutes he was crying or screaming but like you said wouldn't always even be awake! We talked to the pedi multiple times, and really he didn't have advice. Basically if he wasn't hungry, didn't need to be changed, etc that it could just be a phase. We still occasionally get nights like that but knock on wood for the most part out nights have gotten way better. He still wakes us up usually at least 1 or 2 times a night crying, but he mostly will put himself back to sleep. He's 8 and a half months now.

Good luck...lack of sleep SUCKS! When we were going through that I kept saying he wasn't that bad when he was a newborn!

kristyn86

I hope it's a phase - which means it will get better right?  Our pedi also said that during this age its very common.  At least I am a SAHM, so I its manageable and I learned to live with 3 hrs of sleep!!  He also was pretty good as a newborn.  I guess now its payback!

khill86

From about 5.5 months until about a week ago, DS's sleep got progressively worse. At the very worst, he was up every 90 minutes or sooner!!! It was so bad. I was on the verge of sleep training and I said I never would. I just kept telling myself it was just a phase.

DS would wake up, start his "real" cry immediately and stand up right away.

Somehow, about a week ago and I don't know how or why, DS wakes up quietly, only sits up, and cries less frantically only every 3 hours now. I'm sure he's hungry and he eats well. I can put him back down as soon as he's done and still a little awake and he just goes back down. We're up 20 minutes maximum, 3 times a night. This feels like heaven compared to what he had for 3 months!

So it's not STTN, but I also didn't do anything other than go to DS when he woke. I truly think it was just a phase that he had to get through. Good luck mama!

kristyn86

khill86:

From about 5.5 months until about a week ago, DS's sleep got progressively worse. At the very worst, he was up every 90 minutes or sooner!!! It was so bad. I was on the verge of sleep training and I said I never would. I just kept telling myself it was just a phase. DS would wake up, start his "real" cry immediately and stand up right away. Somehow, about a week ago and I don't know how or why, DS wakes up quietly, only sits up, and cries less frantically only every 3 hours now. I'm sure he's hungry and he eats well. I can put him back down as soon as he's done and still a little awake and he just goes back down. We're up 20 minutes maximum, 3 times a night. This feels like heaven compared to what he had for 3 months! So it's not STTN, but I also didn't do anything other than go to DS when he woke. I truly think it was just a phase that he had to get through. Good luck mama!

Thank you for the encouragement - glad to know I'm not the only one out there!!