6-month-old sleeping advice?

[veschke]

JJ had always been a great sleeper. Around five months he started waking up at night again. We figured he was hungry, started him on cereal, and it helped for a couple of days, but since then things seem to have gone downhill. He's waking two or three times a night, crying. He's not always hungry when he does so, though nursing does help him go back to sleep. Hubby thinks we should let him cry it out; I am not a fan of that, and I also think the downstairs neighbors would kill us. :o

It doesn't seem to be standard night waking (a la Dr Spock) in that he obviously really *wants* to go back to sleep but can't seem to do it; it's not that he's enjoying the fuss, it's that if you lay him back down he isn't comfortable. He's in his car seat right now, since he seems able to sleep better there. Could it be sinus congestion (for a whole month)? Would teething do this? He takes a couple of naps in the daytime, an hour or two each, could he be overtired?

I don't remember our first going through this, but she never slept through the night at all until she was a little older than this. It's a bit frustrating that we seem to have regressed to a newborn schedule somehow.

Thanks for any advice, or for space to vent a bit if nothing else....

[magdon]

could he be getting ready for some developmental leap? that often messed my boys up and it would take a few nights of crying to get them back to sleeping on there own (we'd usually go in once to make sure they were ok and not wet or whatever). they didn't usually cry for very long though.

[veschke]

I've heard of that. It's been a couple of weeks now. :( We're taking him to the pediatrician today to see if she can give us any advice, 'cause the lack of sleep isn't doing any of us any good.

[KristinK]

It could be teething.

DD had been sleeping through the night for two months when she suddenly started waking up two or three times a night just before she turned five months. About two weeks after it started, she cut her first tooth. Less than two weeks later, she cut her second. That was about a month ago, and though she's still not back to STTN, she's making it to 4-5am before she wakes up hungry. (She'll be seven months on Sunday.)

Another thought, since you said he's uncomfortable when you put him back to bed, is that he's too warm or too cold.

Whatever it is, I feel your pain. It's hard to go back to sleepless nights after you and DC had been sleeping so well!

[maryellenmd]

I wondered if it might be teething too.

Here's to hoping that you all get some good sleep soon! It's definitely no fun. And that the doc has some advice too.

[veschke]

Verdict is: teeth. He just cut the first one, and there are at least three more right behind it. We gave him some Motrin last night, it helped some. Could be a couple more long weeks though... thanks, all!

[potato_moose]

Baby Orajel can also help, in conjunction with the Motrin or Tylenol. (I was up at 1a.m. too last night with my teething 17-month-old)

[veschke]

ARGH. He was up every two hours last night, despite the Motrin. It does seem to help in that he goes back to sleep more easily, but he's still waking up a lot. I hope we're not engendering a whole slew of other sleep problems while we get through this....

[KristinK]

Tylenol and baby Orajel didn't really do much for DD, either. The thing she liked best was chewing on cold, wet washcloths, though obviously that doesn't work while she's sleeping. ;)

I don't think you need to worry about future sleep problems; like I said before, DD is pretty much back to STTN now that the pain is gone. (Last night she made it 8:30-6:30. Yay!)