7 mth night waking - HELP

[Jasper]

I need any advise I can get !
My 7mth old DD has been waking at 1.30/2am about 3-4 times a week. I used to be able to feed her ( breast) and she would go back to sleep in 15mins but now she feeds for 10mins and than screams. She stays awake for 2-3 hours and the only way we can get her back to sleep is to take her for a drive in the car. We have tried other methods of settling ( patting, rocking,singing and controlled crying). We normally rock/pat her to sleep at about 7.30pm.....we used to do comfort/controlled crying but it only seemed to work for a while ( 4 weeks)...and I have to say that it's not a method I like to use. Any advice will be helpful...we are slowly going in sane from lack of sleep ! ( she has not got any teeth yet...so maybe teething?):banghead:

[jonesso]

hey jasper

sorry nobody has replied to you... i think that if you scan through the threads in settling there are lots of us with 7 month olds who are not sleeping very well anymore!!! The teething thing... I reckon it is a rubbish excuse that people use, as everyone has been telling me for the past 6 months that "it's teething" whenever anything changes in Nathan's habits, and he STILL doesn't have any teeth!! :mad:

you poor thing having to go for drives at 1am to settle DD... that must suck... some suggestions (although I"m sure you've tried them already, sound like you've tried almost everything!!)...

* put her in her stroller and walk her around the house a bit - my DS lurrrrves his stroller.
* front carrypack (e.g. baby bjorn) - that may calm her down a bit
* put on a soothing CD (lullabies, classical etc), or a mobile for her to focus on, then lights out and walk away. go back in to pat or turn mobile on again, but keep going away for a couple of mins at a time. don't know if this suits you or not, but may be worth a shot.
* wrapping a 7 month old is mission impossible! But if DS is sleepy but unsettled i find it can help

sorry i don't have any ground-breaking suggestions for you.

good luck, and let me know how you go.

sonia

p.s. do you have any ideas for my 4am wake-ups????? ;)

[Mumma]

Hi

I am in a bit of a hurry so can't read what is out there (may be repeating)...but totally relate to your stress as we have been there....up until this past week. We have been putting our boy in a sleeping bag for the night sleep AND putting him to sleep at seven (i bought the mag..think its practical parenting...about sleep seven to seven) and IT IS WORKING!!!

Good luck and I will check in again soon. Hang in there!

[jonesso]

hey jasper how is it going? what have you been trying? is it getting any better?

[Jasper]

Hi All,

Well it all came to a head Thursday morn ( at 3am !) and I ended up having a mini melt down. My DH took my DD and I to the health nurse and DD is 100% healthy ( which is good) but she has referred me to Karitane.....which has a 6-8 week waiting list....so I need to hang in there.

My wonderful mother came over Friday night and had DD for the night while DH and I went away to a hotel and SLEPT ! It was a saviour......of course she slept thru for my mum ( from 8pm -4am).

I have been putting DD to sleep at 7.30pm and getting her up for a BF at 10/10.30pm.....this worked for a couple of nights and she slept thru but she was up at 12 midnight last night ( although only for 20min feed) and than again 4am ( wasn't hungry....just really unsettled....she finally went back to sleep at 5am and up at 6.30am). I am pretty tired today but am more hopeful and postive that things will get better soon :)

Thanks for all your advice and support :o

[Kim2008]

Hi, I am a mothercraft nures who specialised with sleep solutions for babies and find that often by seven months babies are sleeping from seven pm to seven am but it is not uncommon for a baby not to be sleeping through till nine months.

I am also advertised with Bub Hub and have a website www.babycareforcryingbabies.com which you are welcome to have a look at.

I am at present with a client so this is not my email address.

All the best.

Sally