Sttn some nights... Not others

PhillyGal34

DS is 7 months old / 5 months adjusted. For at least the last three months maybe longer but I can't remember he's been sttn for 11 to 12 hours. Other nights he wakes up once or twice and will cry if we put him down without nursing. How do I know if he's really hungry or it's a comfort thing? Dh is great and always goes in first to try to comfort him back to sleep. We realized that if I was there he would want to eat no matter what. But sometimes it doesn't work. Problem is that this is happening more and more frequently and even happening 2 times some nights at 1 am and 5 am. I'm missing my full nights of sleep but more worried that he's not getting his uninterrupted sleep either. What do you think?

Ps ill admit I'm not a CIO fan and hate to hear my son cry. If he's just whining that's one thing but real crying we do not let go on for long. He can put himself to sleep and will when he stirs at night... Some of the time.