6 month old suddenly getting up every 2 hours- HELP

[SueM in MN]

DS always has night wakings when he goes through a growth spurt...even now at 3 years old. No idea why. Just like adults they sometimes have trouble sleeping for whatever reason, as others mentioned discomfort being a top cause. Teething hurts, if that's the cause it should only last a short time.

I am against CIO, personally, but I would think it wouldn't be recommended when the baby is ill or in pain even by advocates

In another job, I was a Public Health Nurse and did a lot of work with visiting families with young kids. A lot of what I did was helping people sort out breastfeeding.
My best guess is that he is in a growth spurt, maybe coupled with the teething (although I agree with NotUrsula).
Your body makes milk based on the demand; if the baby is drinking 26 ounces a day (just throwing that number out, not a true guess of amount), your body will make about 26 ounces. If the baby is growing and all of a sudden needs 33 ounces to support his growth and meet his appetite, you don't have that much. The way to 'make' you make more is to nurse more. Once your supply is up to the 33 ounce point, there is enough. That's why after a few nights of waking up and nursing to the point of being full, the babies usually stop waking up as mysteriously as they started doing it.

Another thing that sometimes happened after people started cereal was that the baby was nursing less at that feeding, so didn't get a whole 'portion' of milk for that feeding. If you are not using breast milk to mix with the cereal, that might help.
You could also search the web for LaLeche League to see if there are any discussion boards similar to this where people have discussed the same situation.

 

[emmababy]

First of all, thanks for all the tips and advice. This is why I love this forum!! I thought it might be a growth spurt too (he did this a couple of weeks ago). I talked with my dr. and she said that I should only allow him to nurse once at night and try and soothe him to sleep the rest of the time.


Anywho, I got the tablets last night and he seemed to sleep better. He got up a couple of times but with the tablets, he was able to go back to sleep. He woke up around 3:00 and seemed hungry, so I fed him and he slept until 6:30. So that is improvement!!

 

[HGD24]

First of all, thanks for all the tips and advice. This is why I love this forum!! I thought it might be a growth spurt too (he did this a couple of weeks ago). I talked with my dr. and she said that I should only allow him to nurse once at night and try and soothe him to sleep the rest of the time.


Anywho, I got the tablets last night and he seemed to sleep better. He got up a couple of times but with the tablets, he was able to go back to sleep. He woke up around 3:00 and seemed hungry, so I fed him and he slept until 6:30. So that is improvement!!

Glad the tablets gave your little guy (and you) some relief. I hope your LO continues to sleep better. Growth spurts and teething can be a trying time for us parents.

 

[emmababy]

So, it has been a little over a week. The teething tablets aren't really helping. He is getting up around 2:00, 5:00, 7:00. We tried to let him CIO, but after an hour, he just seemed to be getting more and more upset. So, I nursed him and he went back to sleep.

I am unsure of when to stop nursing him at night. I know the dr. says he doesn't need it anymore, but he just doesn't calm down any other way. Crying it out doesn't seem to help.

Tips, please!!

 

[HGD24]

I'm so sorry your little one is still waking at night. Have you had him checked for an ear infection? Our DD was waking up a few nights this past week. We took her to the dr on Tuesday and sure enough, she has an ear infection. She's had a few now and each time, she does wake in the night and want to be held upright which takes pressure off of her ear. If the tablets don't work for her, we usually get her in to have her ears checked.

 

[emmababy]

I'm so sorry your little one is still waking at night. Have you had him checked for an ear infection? Our DD was waking up a few nights this past week. We took her to the dr on Tuesday and sure enough, she has an ear infection. She's had a few now and each time, she does wake in the night and want to be held upright which takes pressure off of her ear. If the tablets don't work for her, we usually get her in to have her ears checked.

No infection, just hasn't figured out how to get all the way thru the night yet. I am not sure how to help him.

 

[pooh4evr]

I agree that motrin has always worked better for my kids than tylenol- especially for nighttime stuff, but it sounds like he is hungry? - or he is just getting "older" ad relaizing he is without you and unsure/learning how to cope with just himself? it can be a hard age - heck my 2 yr old still wakes a few nights a week just because! calls fo me I go in rub her back or whatever and she is ok-- AHHHH the joys of parenting!

 

[Krissy Marissy]

So, it has been a little over a week. The teething tablets aren't really helping. He is getting up around 2:00, 5:00, 7:00. We tried to let him CIO, but after an hour, he just seemed to be getting more and more upset. So, I nursed him and he went back to sleep.

I am unsure of when to stop nursing him at night. I know the dr. says he doesn't need it anymore, but he just doesn't calm down any other way. Crying it out doesn't seem to help.

Tips, please!!

Dont listen to the the dr. My ped told me the same thing...at six months they only need to nurse once a night if at all. I know some kids have issues with stopping this behavior but both of mine stopped at eight months with no problem. I nursed them to sleep and did so again if they woke up. Of course I did try to soothe them back to sleep with some singing and rocking first. I am sorry your son is up so much but it just might be something you have to deal with. I am amazed at just how differently my little ones sleep. If he is crying without opening his eyes then he is probably in pain but trying to sleep through it. I dont have much luck with the teething tablets unless I give them at the first signs of pain. Once it gets to the point of screaming it doesn't work for my kids. I only give them tylenol and motrin if they are not able to calm down, and orajel is a last result. Did you know you can rotate tylenol and motrin? Sometimes when they are about to cut teeth it is the only thing that can keep them from being in terrible pain, at least for my little ones.

As for CIO, which I have done with both of my kids...I wouldn't do it just yet. If it is indeed teething it wont take properly and it will be a waste. Just torture for your little one. CIO done properly should take no more than 5-7 days. I really hope you figure it out. My youngest is 9 months and going through her growth spurt...I got 2 hours of sleep the last 2 nights. But I just deal. Oh the joys of being a mommy

 

[emmababy]

Thanks for all your help! Last night he got up at 1:00, but was able to go back to sleep without nursing. He woke up again at 4:00, so I nursed him and he got up again at 7:00.

I am starting to think it is a developmental milestone thing. When we went into his room, both times he was on his stomach and on all fours. So, I think he is close to crawling and trying that out!

Compound that with being close to cutting teeth!

 

[Liz80]

If he's cutting teeth and it is actually pain that is keeping him up, teething tablets should help(got mine at seacoastvitamins.com). They worked really well for my dd (although every kid is different). I gave 2-3 tablets immediately before bed, and then additional doses in the night if she woke due to pain (follow directions for additional doses, but they are very safe and very difficult to overdose on). I stopped night nursing around 3 months once dd slept through the night 5-7 days consecutively and I knew she didn't "need" the milk nutritionally. Also, dd was a preemie, so if she could thrive nutritionally, I believe most babies could. We started CIO when she was a little older...maybe around 5 months. It took a little while, and I never let her cry longer than 30 min (not at this young age). We didn't go cold turkey either...first we started rocking/bouncing shorter periods, then we started patting her back while she lay in the crib, etc. So we eased into it. But I would definitely think about it soon, as it gets more difficult as they get older and their memories are longer.

 

[emmababy]

If he's cutting teeth and it is actually pain that is keeping him up, teething tablets should help(got mine at seacoastvitamins.com). They worked really well for my dd (although every kid is different). I gave 2-3 tablets immediately before bed, and then additional doses in the night if she woke due to pain (follow directions for additional doses, but they are very safe and very difficult to overdose on). I stopped night nursing around 3 months once dd slept through the night 5-7 days consecutively and I knew she didn't "need" the milk nutritionally. Also, dd was a preemie, so if she could thrive nutritionally, I believe most babies could. We started CIO when she was a little older...maybe around 5 months. It took a little while, and I never let her cry longer than 30 min (not at this young age). We didn't go cold turkey either...first we started rocking/bouncing shorter periods, then we started patting her back while she lay in the crib, etc. So we eased into it. But I would definitely think about it soon, as it gets more difficult as they get older and their memories are longer.

When you did CIO, how long would he cry before going back to sleep? I have attempted it a couple of times, but after an hour he is still awake. I would go and check on him every 10 minutes.

 

[Tricia's mom]

Great advice everyone. My DD did that for a bit as well sometimes just growing pains too. Ora-jel never worked for me. maybe a little Motrin would help with all above symptons..ear infection, teething [oh maybe not hunger]
growing pains. Try not to let him form this as routine. Luck to you.

 

[justhat]

My daughter did this about the same age, 5 months actually, but didn't get teeth till 10 months so that wasn't the issue. She also wasn't eating solids really (but it actually got worse once she started, as she was consuming less milk and therefore hungrier).

Anyway, my point is that, and I hate to tell you this, it was just her. She didn't really sleep through the night till over 2yo, and she was weaned (and particularly night weaned) long before then. We did everything you could think of. Read every book, went to a sleep clinic at Children's National Medical Center, listened to anyone's advice, etc. Nothing worked. It was ridiculous.

Then right before my son was born (and I had a huge fear of being up all night with one kid then the other) she miraculously started sleeping all night. Coincidentally, she had been potty trained day and night and when she started sleeping all night she started wetting the bed. We noticed her 'level' of sleep changed to a much, much deeper sleep (hence not waking up to use the potty anymore, like she had previously been doing fr 5 months).


And fwiw, my son was a perfect sleeper from birth. He was sleeping from 6:30-6:30 with just one feeding at 1:30am by 6 weeks old. All on his own doing, I didn't do anything differently than I did with my daughter. And my son was preterm as well, born at just 36 weeks, so basically equivalent to a 2 week old newborn sleeping that long. And by 3 months he was 6:30-6:30 without interruption.

So I can't really give any advice as nothing worked for my daughter. Oh, and CIO never worked. We tried and she'd cry so long and hard she'd vomit. My son, though he normally slept very well, if we were on vacation or something that disrupted his routine, we'd do CIO for 2 nights when we got home and it was 7 minutes each night and he was asleep.

 

[MoniqueU]

Just for another thought when my kids started crawling and walking they woke up at all hours for no apparent reason. I think their little minds just wanted to practice their new skils. I also used teething tablets but that was never really the problem with my kids, they were just getting more active.

 

[MarriedToAPrince]

I have to agree that it is most likely teething and an ear infection. My DD cut her first tooth at 6.5 months and the second one a week after that.

 

[emmababy]

Thanks for all the great stories and advice. It isn't an ear infection. This has been going on for over a month now. He did sleep thru maybe 2 nights out of the last month. Now he is waking up once a night sometimes twice. I tried to CIO, but after an hour of still crying I caved. I try at first to sooth him and if it isn't working I nurse him.

We are leaving for vacay soon and I was so hoping he would be done with this by now!

 

[Krissy Marissy]

I am sorry to hear that. With both of my kids we did run into this issue around 5-6 months and it took until around 8-9 months until they were sleeping through the night without waking again. My ds, up until that point, slept through the night at 3 weeks old. After that period of not sleeping he went back to sleeping 12 hours a night and still does to this day. He is 2. My dd is 9 months and teething hard but she is sleeping through the night again finally. I was losing my sanity lol. Just hang tough. I know it sucks but it can't last forever.

 

[deva]

I know CIO isn't everyone's thing, but at 6 months a baby is able to sleep through the night. Given how long it's been going on, it has now become a "habit" which is being reinforced every time you feed him and/or rock him. CIO won't work if you are inconsistent. That means IF you are comfortable with CIO and choose to go this route, you need to follow the rules all the way through until he falls asleep. If you give up after an hour, every time, he'll cry an hour every time. Two or three nights of being consistent and letting him cry until he's back to sleep on his own should put you back on the right track.

Also, is he a good napper? Nighttime sleep is greatly influenced by sleep/wake patterns througout the day. Good nappers = good night sleepers. Also consistency with sleep/wake/nap times helps a lot. One of my favorite books is Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.

If CIO just isn't your thing, Secrets of the Baby Whisperer recommends a "softer" technique where you basically do less soothing each night (first night, pick up, put down, second night just pat back and shush etc).

I hate to say it, but if you don't do something to help him correct the night-waking now, you're in for a long haul.

Good Luck!

 

[emmababy]

I know CIO isn't everyone's thing, but at 6 months a baby is able to sleep through the night. Given how long it's been going on, it has now become a "habit" which is being reinforced every time you feed him and/or rock him. CIO won't work if you are inconsistent. That means IF you are comfortable with CIO and choose to go this route, you need to follow the rules all the way through until he falls asleep. If you give up after an hour, every time, he'll cry an hour every time. Two or three nights of being consistent and letting him cry until he's back to sleep on his own should put you back on the right track.

Also, is he a good napper? Nighttime sleep is greatly influenced by sleep/wake patterns througout the day. Good nappers = good night sleepers. Also consistency with sleep/wake/nap times helps a lot. One of my favorite books is Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.

If CIO just isn't your thing, Secrets of the Baby Whisperer recommends a "softer" technique where you basically do less soothing each night (first night, pick up, put down, second night just pat back and shush etc).

I hate to say it, but if you don't do something to help him correct the night-waking now, you're in for a long haul.

Good Luck!

thanks! He is a great napper and a great sleeper for the most part. Actually last night he slept straight thru!! When you say rules of CIO, what do you mean?

I have been consistent with it. I would wait every 10 minutes, go in rub his belly, put his nuk in and leave. But after over an hour of crying, I am exhausted and he is crying so hard I feel bad. Other than this, he is the happiest baby I know.

 

[justhat]

I know CIO isn't everyone's thing, but at 6 months a baby is able to sleep through the night. Given how long it's been going on, it has now become a "habit" which is being reinforced every time you feed him and/or rock him. CIO won't work if you are inconsistent. That means IF you are comfortable with CIO and choose to go this route, you need to follow the rules all the way through until he falls asleep. If you give up after an hour, every time, he'll cry an hour every time. Two or three nights of being consistent and letting him cry until he's back to sleep on his own should put you back on the right track.

Also, is he a good napper? Nighttime sleep is greatly influenced by sleep/wake patterns througout the day. Good nappers = good night sleepers. Also consistency with sleep/wake/nap times helps a lot. One of my favorite books is Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.

If CIO just isn't your thing, Secrets of the Baby Whisperer recommends a "softer" technique where you basically do less soothing each night (first night, pick up, put down, second night just pat back and shush etc).

I hate to say it, but if you don't do something to help him correct the night-waking now, you're in for a long haul.

Good Luck!

I have to disagree. We did CIO with my daughter, like I previously mentioned, and she would just cry for hours so hard that she'd vomit. This was at 8 months old. We stopped trying when the behavior continued. Some kids just aren't ready at 6 months to sleep all night, even if there were previously. We tried periodically to get her to sleep all night, at intervals suggested by the ped and the sleep clinic, and no luck. We did CIO, modified CIO where we'd reduce the amount of soothing. Nothing worked. Weeks at a time we tried, with extreme consistence, even at 4am when she hadn't slept more than 5 minutes at a time. Nothing. at 18 months we gave up, threw her in our bed so when she woke up we could get her back to sleep faster and we all slept better. Then at 2 years, 4 months, we put her in her own bed and that was that. No issues again.