Still sleeping bad ~ is there something wrong?

katigox

For mobile users: "Still sleeping bad ~ is there something wrong?"

Hi ladies, I won't bore you with talk of sleep training (because I'm pretty sure that's not the problem), but my six month old - about to be seven month old (technically, he's 29 weeks) - is still not STTN.  Honestly, I'm just downright used to it by now . . . and I consider it a good night when I only have to get up five times a night.

Yup.  It is what it is :P

But here's my question for either STM, or ones with older babies.  Most of my BMB group has babies STTN, or maybe only waking up once.  While mine, just a week ago, literally woke up nine times a night (over a twelve hour period) <-- I log his sleep patterns in my iPhone.  Now, half the time, he manages to self soothe, half the time, he can't.  So um, is there possibly something else (as in, medically going on), that I should ask his pedi about??

The fact that he can self soothe, makes me wonder why he doesn't all the time, but now that he's been out of our bedroom for two weeks, I'm at least sleeping better, because I'm not waking up every time he is - and only have to get up a few times a night, versus constantly.  Don't get me wrong, I'm still sleep deprived, but my in between getting up sleep, seems deeper, so I'm actually getting things done around the house.

Any insight is appreciated!  I just figured a pair of fresh eyes on the matter couldn't hurt  TIA

orangegoggles

I'm not sure but I'm glad you asked this. I have wondered the same thing about my DS who is 5 months. Before anyone freaks out, I'm not worried that he isn't STTN. I know many babies don't and still need o eat throughout the night. I'm more concerned with the frequency of the wakeups almost after each sleep cycle plus the fact that he usually only wants to eat once in the night. It's very similar as to what you describe and can be as many as 8 or 9 times. He doesn't have any self soothing skills though yet so I think its a good sign that yours is starting to use them half the time.

I sometimes wonder if it's gas or reflux but he doesn't exhibit those symptoms. I did have his ears checked for an infection so maybe you can rule that out.

It's exhausting. Hang in there hun!

katigox

Hopefully yours is just around the corner to self soothing, too - because my mine only started about a month ago.  I tried CIO like three times, but honestly, I just don't feel comfortable about it afterwards, so it's a last-ditch-resort effort (as in, only when even *my* presence won't calm him down, and he's just crying because he's that exhausted).

He's been like this for almost four months (before then, he STTN for exactly two weeks, starting at two months, for eight hours straight), and I've had them check his ears plenty (both DH, and two brothers went through a lot of ear problems, so it'd make sense), but no dice.  He seems to be perfectly healthy (in fact, he's 99%, so I know he's not starving, lol).

Like I said, I'm just used to it by now - but at the same time, if it's something medically that might possibly need to be addressed, I'd want to know (because I'd be devastated if I wrote off a bad medical possibility, as a "troubled sleeper")

orangegoggles

katigox:

Hopefully yours is just around the corner to self soothing, too - because my mine only started about a month ago.  I tried CIO like three times, but honestly, I just don't feel comfortable about it afterwards, so it's a last-ditch-resort effort (as in, only when even *my* presence won't calm him down, and he's just crying because he's that exhausted).

He's been like this for almost four months (before then, he STTN for exactly two weeks, starting at two months, for eight hours straight), and I've had them check his ears plenty (both DH, and two brothers went through a lot of ear problems, so it'd make sense), but no dice.  He seems to be perfectly healthy (in fact, he's 99%, so I know he's not starving, lol).

Like I said, I'm just used to it by now - but at the same time, if it's something medically that might possibly need to be addressed, I'd want to know (because I'd be devastated if I wrote off a bad medical possibility, as a "troubled sleeper")

Wow, sounds just like my DS. He is also in the 90th percentile for height and weight. We are on 3 months of this crap sleep and he started sleeping badly at the same point as your guy did. Hopefully we have some improvement soon! 

erinlovesdavid

If his ears have checked out okay, my guess would be teething. That, or silent reflux. Both of these caused some major sleep disruptions for my little dude. Unfortunately, there's no "cure" for teething, other than some ibuprofen. We did have DS on a Zantac prescription for his first year or so, and that really helped.

katigox

Sorry I got busy the last two days!  But thanks for the silent reflux suggestion!  It's definitely something I might have the pedi look at.  The symptoms sound eerily familiar (though I will say that they seem to be improving over the months ~ so hopefully further improvement is just around the corner!).  

And I don't think it's teething (though he is drooling everywhere lol).  He's cut two teeth already, so I feel like I can tell when he's just gnawing on things from oral fixation, to when to bust out the Tylenol (but I'm sure constantly having little teeth just ready to cut through flesh can't be too beneficial for the sleeping department) :P