Baby sleep problems

[JasmayTara]

So my 5 month old has never been a great sleeper, but he's now waking every 30-60 minutes once we put him to bed for the first 5 hours of his sleep, and he wakes screaming his head off around half 1 and the only way to settle him is a feed (previously was only eating once around 4am, with a couple of small wakings early on) and then he wakes around half 4 for another feed and no matter what we try, he will not go back down to sleep, he's either playing, eating his hands, or screaming.

I'm at the end of my tether, I'm so tired and feel like such a 1 woman team because his dad just sleeps through it all.

I've tried more daytime sleep, less daytime sleep, cuddling him to sleep after his half 4 feed. I just don't know what else to try and I'm in desperate need of any advice or reassurance 😭🤦

[copperkettle8]

That sounds exhausting! My little one is 17 months and we've been through all kinds of ridiculous and exhausting sleep patterns, and similarly with her dad just sleeping his way through in another room! My main advice is it will pass, guaranteed, though maybe not as soon as you'd like (yesterday I imagine 😂). Perhaps you need to put your partner in charge of either a bit of the early night or a bit of the morning stint in order to give you a few hours unbroken sleep to help you get through? Or have a few hours unbroken nap whilst your partner takes baby at another time if possible?

The feeding pattern changing in the night will be down to a few things but in part, their growth happens in spurts so sometimes they'll want more night feeding and other times they'll need less.

Also, I think there is a sleep regression at this age, it might feel reassuring to read about it.

I found various other factors can influence my baby's sleep like making sure the heating doesn't come on too early as she'll wake up of the temperature even increases slightly.

I hope something helps, it's so so tough feeling that tired! It sounds like you're doing a lovely job being there for your baby x

[JasmayTara in reply to copperkettle8]

Thank you for the reassurance! It was definitely much needed, I've started waking his dad every couple of times and making him do the work 😅 his annoying wake period after a feed seems to be gradually moving closer and closer to his wake up time so I'm just holding out hope that in a couple of weeks time, it will just go away 😂

[Hidden]

Is it the 4 month sleep regression, just a little late? Babies sleep patterns change around then and they find it harder to go back to sleep when coming out of the deep sleep cycle. If it is that, it tends to last 2 to 6 weeks then settle down again into a new and nicer pattern. You could try swaddling to hopefully stop him jerking his arms about and waking himself.Alternatively, is it a growth spurt making him more hungry? I which case you could try using a 'hungry baby'milk before bed if you are bottle feeding?

It could be teething if he is eating his hands or screaming - are there any signs of it during the day? In which case you could try a gum gel, or Ashton and Parsons powder before bed, or an amber bracelet round his ankle.

As with all things, it would be so much easier if they could just tell you...!

I dont know your situation re you and your partners work commitments, sharing of childcare during the day etc but I would certainly consider waking him up to help out a bit. Men just dont have the same in built physical response to the baby crying. It amazes me how they can sleep through but its just biology unfortunately. If he can do the earlier night or nearly morning shift then you can both get a chance at a decent chunk of sleep and be able to better cope. Sleep deprivation is just so hard to deal with

[JasmayTara in reply to Hidden]

Hiya,

Thanks for all the advice! He's had a sleep regression, but I guess we can't rule out that he's having another!

We can't swaddle as he's a keen roller, but he never enjoyed it anyway, he used to wake himself up straining to get free haha

He's definitely teething, which we think could be contributing to the issues, but doesn't seem more hungry, as he doesn't really take the extra milk, it just sloothes him. It's all very confusing but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it is a regression, and will hopefully pass soon, we're currently in (I think) week 3 😂

[Hidden in reply to JasmayTara]

My first used to take great comfort from sucking on mine or daddy's little finger 😂 Didnt want to actually feed, but wanted the comfort of sucking. Refused a dummy so we used to lie upside down in bed with our arms through the bars of the cot and our finger in her mouth. I remember being exhausted from trying to stay awake enough to not just smother her with my hand, then tagging my partner to take over when I couldn't feel my arm!