We all know that a newborn baby may wake up often to feed. But what if a 7-month-old wakes up every hour? Can this be considered normal? What can it be, and what can be done about it?

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Mom’s Question:

My baby has never slept well, but now it is even worse. Right now, my 7-month-old wakes up every hour at night.

I don’t think he is hungry.

He already has four teeth, and I suspect another is coming through. I gave him Motrin and rubbed Orajel on his gums, but he STILL gets up every hour. I don’t think he’s hungry, cold, hot, etc.

What am I doing wrong?


Tips When 7-Month-Old Wakes Up Every Hour

Find ways to get sleep for YOU

I don’t think you are doing anything wrong! Some babies get unsettled very easily and wake up often. It is exhausting for you.

I know it is not much help, but he will grow out of it! Many babies have periods when their sleep is suddenly a lot worse, and often, we will never be able to figure out why.

Try to get a night where someone else is the person on baby duty, so you get a decent night’s sleep. And make sure you nap in the day when he does if you can. You can also find other tips on how to maximize mom’s sleep here.

When Mom gets exhausted, we tend to get cranky, and of course, the baby picks up on that, gets worried, and cries more!

In addition to just waiting for the phase-out, it is a good idea to exclude some possible reasons for your baby’s poor sleep.

A Cold or Other Illness

You haven’t mentioned how long this has been going on. If it is just a few days, it may be that your son is about to get ill, and you’ll soon notice. A cold with a sore throat, ear pain, and/or a stopped-up nose will certainly affect his sleep.

Teething Pain

If he is teething, then clearly, you are doing all you can to help ease him through it, and lots of Mommy cuddles are really all they want. (But do check for more teething remedies here.)

Tummy Pain from Food Intolerance or Allergy

Just a possibility, though, some children are intolerant to dairy products or have a cow’s milk allergy, and the formula they  can make them uncomfortable and contribute to sleep problems. Learn more about the signs of lactose intolerance here.

Have you introduced any new foods recently? In addition to cow’s milk, many babies get tummy pain or constipation when we start feeding them solids. This can certainly affect their sleep. If this may be the case, slow down the food introduction and remove some of the food types, you recently introduced.

Headaches

One thing you might not be aware of; babies can also have headaches! And when they lie down, it hurts more. If this may be the case, you can try a couple of cranial osteopathy sessions. I don’t know if you have someone in your area who is specialized in working with babies, but it can make a difference for babies who don’t sleep well.

Too Warm or Cold

A baby that is too warm or cold obviously will not sleep well. If you have recently changed your baby’s sleep environment or pajamas, double-check that your baby is not sweaty or cold.

Separation Anxiety

Finally, being 7 months old, he may also wake up due to separation anxiety. (Read about 7-month baby milestones here.) If he sleeps far from you, consider moving his crib next to your bed. A teddy or small cloth that smells like mom may also help.

Hang in there, and try to be as calm as possible with him; if you are worried and stressed, he will be too!

More Babies That Wake Up At Night

 

Research references

Find comments below.

Comments for “7-Month Old Wakes Every Hour”

Dec 18, 2018 Thanks
by: Natalie
Thank you for the comment and suggestions.
I work during the day, so napping when he naps is not an option. Are there any other signs/symptoms to tell if he has a dairy intolerance? I am stressed but also feel very guilty if I ask my husband for help. I wanted the baby more than he did, so I feel as though it is my responsibility. Don’t get me wrong- he loves our son, but I just don’t feel like I am able to ask him to take him for a night.

Dec 30, 2018 I know what you’re going through
by: new mommy
My baby is almost 7 months old. She still has no teeth yet, and lately, she has been waking up every hour. When she was younger, I could just put her in her bed, and she would put herself to sleep. Then that stopped working, so I’d give her a pacifier, and she’d fall asleep immediately. Sometimes she’d wake up, and I’d just put the pacifier in again. She’d fall asleep. for the last week or two, she’s fussy at bedtime, so I’d just cuddle her till she’s really sleepy and put her to bed.. but sometimes, when she wakes up (which is a lot these days) the pacifier doesn’t always work right away.. she could start crying 5 minutes later… anyway, it is really tiring.. and I know what u mean by feeling guilty about letting your husband get up at night… I can’t ask him either.. but if anyone has any good tips about how I can get her to sleep better, please help

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This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Darya Primakova

    I’m with you ladies. My 7-month-old is awake every 30-60 minutes throughout the night and it’s been this way for months already. I don’t even know how I’m surviving this still. He has a dairy intolerance, so we’ve switched him to a hypoallergenic formula, we incorporate probiotic drops into his formula, we give him prune juice to help with constipation, we give him reflux medication to help with reflux, we now apply sleepy essential oils to his feet before bed, we apply a natural ingredient orajel for his teething, we have him seeing a dietician, feeding therapist, and are now awaiting a referral to GI. It’s been the most exhausting season we’ve ever dealt with. I literally don’t know what else to do. Answers would help tremendously. Living on a prayer at this point.

    1. Paula @ EasyBabyLife

      Hi Darya,
      I’m so sorry to hear about your struggles – it must be soo exhausting! It sounds like you are doing all you can already and hopefully, the GI can help you. 2 things that come to mind – have you tried to raise the head end of his bed? That could help for reflux. Also, are you sure he has dairy intolerance and not milk protein allergy? And in both these cases, have you tried different hypoallergenic formulas? For example, some are partially hydrolyzed, something that won’t work for babies with milk protein allergy.

      I truly hope you get help soon,
      Paula