5 month old waking like newborn

[RJ]

My 5 month old used to wake once a night but for the last 3 weeks has been waking anything up to 6 times a night. I'm totally dysfunctional after 3 weeks of it, does anyone have any similar experience or tips on how I might nip this in the bud...

[Fuschia]

It's a well known phenomenon in 4m odd babies I'm afraid... don't be foiled by how much newborns sleep, it's only a phase!

I think he is working on a big leap forward in brain development, there is one at approx 19w...

http://moxie.blogs.com/askmoxie/2006/02/qa_what_are_sle.html

[Fuschia]

http://blogginaboutbabies.wordpress.com/2009/04/08/wonder-week-19/

[Polly D]

I'll probably be bashed around the head for this but my son did exactly the same thing at 5 months and I suspect it was due to hunger. While I'm sure Fuschia's explanation has more credence than my suggestion, given the science, I still look back and wish I'd started weaning my son at 5 months rather than waiting until 6 months as the HV advised. However, I must point out that I'm not in the health profession, just a mum who was in the same boat as you one year ago.

Good luck

[dullified]

I also started weaning at 5 months and my son's sleep never regressed. His sleep patterns just improved steadily from newborn to sleeping through at 11 months no wonder weeks around here. I also found dropping breast feeding at 7 months dramatically improved his sleep patterns too.

Edited to say - my son may have had wonder weeks I just never noticed or knew about them then if I have another I will watch out for them!

[Cora]

I'm on my fifth week of it....it's a killer and I just keep saying to myself 'it's just a phase'.....I really hope so!!

[Sanne Panne]

Could he be teething? This may sound very wrong but could you give him some baby Nurofen when he first wakes and see if he does a longer stretch after that?

[sophiechristophy]

i was thinking maybe teething too, as my baby was like a new born when her teeth were coming through after having slept really well. x

[Saffron]

My baby is a great eater, and we started weaning around 5 mo when she started grabbing food off me... no improvement with sleep though! Now at 8 mo, I can count on one hand the number of times she has slept more than 3 hrs. Also, she's been teething since 3 mo, but still no sign of teeth. I'm convinced that when a little pearly tooth does finally 'foink' through, her sleep will improve dramatically (at least that's what I tell myself). Sorry I can't offer any advice, but I have LOADS and LOADS of sympathy!!!! We've been suggested to try cranial osteopathy by Fabiano da Sliva on Barry Road, but with everything else on at the moment haven't had a chance. If you give it a try and it helps, lemme know :-)

x Saff x

[Fi from West Dulwich]

yes, could very well be, we had same with our son, now 18m - he suffered terribly and in the end, if he woke early and in pain (he wasn't a crier so if inconsolable was clear sign was due to physical discomfort) we would dose him up with teething powder and bonjela, and if really bad, nurofen. am not keen on medicine for me, let alone him, but it did help him sleep considerably better which has its own benefits of course, and limited his stress, so i think this justifies going in with the hard stuff!

[The Nappy Lady]

As a doctor said to me - if you had severe toothache & I gave you Paracetamol you'd be fairly unimpressed!

When I know it's teeth I have no issue with dozing the poor things up. Tricky when you're not sure though.

[RJ]

Thanks everyone for the advice, good to know it's not just me even if there's no easy answer! I don't think she's hungry as she's being really difficult about feeding at the minute too which does tie in with the wonder week thing...has been 3 weeks already though so not sure if week is a loose term! Roll on sleeping through...

[Fuschia]

It might be worth getting her ears and throat checked at the dr just in case x