11 week old sleep regression

[LilahRose]

My dd nearly 11 weeks old is queen of the 45 minute power nap during day at home (although she sleeps for longer if we are out in the car or in the pushchair). Was originally worried she wouldn't sleep longer but am now rolling with it.
However...up until a few days ago, she was sleeping from around 9-5ish and then after feed until 7.30. However, now she will only sleep until 3 after which time she power naps at 45 min intervals and becomes hysterical if we leave her to try and resettle herself to sleep.
Has anyone got any suggestions or advice? Is this just a phase? Has anyone had the same experience? Had forgotten rather quickly what sleep deprivation was like!!

[Flamesparrow]

Is she hungry during that period? I seem to recall at 11/12 weeks a growth spurt from hell...

[newmum36]

My ds is 11 weeks tomorrow - we'd been doing 10 - 5/6ish and then had 3am and 4am wakings when he'd take a full 5 oz...I got very miserable about it but then hoped it was just a "phase" like everything else. Last two nights 6am again so I'm fingers crossed - A couple of friends with babies a few weeks on say that there is a period of regression before it settles down again and then of course you start with the teething !
Problem for me is that my own body clock is now set to wake at 3am every morning after weeks of it so I don't seem to be benefitting from the later sleeps. Maybe if dh popped a dummy in my mouth at that time I might drift off again !!! !
Give it a little bit more time maybe and see how it goes.

[LilahRose]

Flamesparrow - she doesn't seem any nmore hungry during the day which is why I had kind of ruled out a growth spurt (think she had one at 9 weeks) but it could be.

newmum36 - reassuring to know someone is in the same boat. Though I found the 3-3.30am waking depressing, at least until 2 nights ago she would then go back through until 7. And like you said, she was taking a full feed at the 3am one so def hungry at that point. How long did the 3-4am feedings go on for for you?

[newmum36]

Um, we had 3 and 4ams on Sat Sun and Mon, We've had 6ams the last two nights and I've also managed to get him back to bed until 7am which (I'm a rubbish sleeper so no point in going back for an hour I'd never sleep) means that I can potter around and get a few things done and have breakfast with dh before he leaves - in peace ! When I met with my ante natal group this week, we were all in the same boat - only one - the person with the oldest baby at 16 weeks, is getting the consistency. Everyone else - and they're all a similar age - is getting a sleep through sometimes but not every night....
Hang on in there !

[LMGmum]

Likewise to all with inconsistent patterns. DD is now 15 weeks and we had quite a good pattern with one wake up at 3 - 4 and then sleeping through until 7.30 but it's all changed! Now sleeps from 10.30 dreamfeed until 5.30/6 but is then ready for the day. I guess I can be thankful for the long stretch at night but like many others my ability to 'sleep through' has disappeared so feel totally exhasted when she wakes at 5.45am. I don't think there is any really consistancy for most babies at this each they are just all phases which hopefully will settle down in a couple of months.

[newmum36]

I hope so - we had a 4.30am this morning, out of swaddle and full of wind !! Didn't want to go back to sleep. I'm exhausted today - we were just getting back to 6ams for the last 4 nights and then going back til 7 - 7.30.....Aaaaargh ! We'll see what happens tonight.

[LilahRose]

Well the last few nights we've been having from 4am then 10 min feed then through until 7.30 which is really good. newmum36 - can you leave her in her cot when she wakes up early, sometimes my dd seems ready for day at a 5am feed but will resettle herself until 7ish after a bit of a shout.

[newmum36]

I tend to find that the wakings at the moment are for a reason ie wind. He will then go back until about 7 - 7.30 - even if he wakes at 6am I put him back - he shouts for a few minutes but then realises that it's a good idea. I find this helpful as he gets really tired during the day and it pushes all the naps a bit later getting him to a later bed time - he won't last much longer than 6ish !!

[newmum36]

Ooops, see what you mean - no, not really. Tried the dummy but it seems its food he wants....ah well - don't really mind 6/6.30 if he goes back again for a while - it's the "what to do with them now" thing I don't like - It seems such a long day to entertain a 3 month old doesn't it otherwise !

[LilahRose]

Interesting about the 6pm bedtime. I tend to force her to stay up until 8pm meaning that she is v grouchy between 6 and 7 and v sleepy between 7 and 8. Might try it a bit earlier tonight especially as she is still asleep now! (woke up at 6am for feed then went straight back down). Would be nice to have a full evening with dh for once!!
According to my friends, the next step is that they will sleep through from 7pm to 5-6am but they won't want to go back to sleep. perhaps that is what you are already experiencing occasionally. That will be a long day especially as my dh doesn't get back until 7pm. 3 months is adorable to watch and appreciate her as a little miracle but it will be nice when we can properly play together, or even for her to play by herself so she doesn't get bored easily (she's not grasping anything yet).

[LilahRose]

Interesting about the 6pm bedtime. I tend to force her to stay up until 8pm meaning that she is v grouchy between 6 and 7 and v sleepy between 7 and 8. Might try it a bit earlier tonight especially as she is still asleep now! (woke up at 6am for feed then went straight back down). Would be nice to have a full evening with dh for once!!
According to my friends, the next step is that they will sleep through from 7pm to 5-6am but they won't want to go back to sleep. perhaps that is what you are already experiencing occasionally. That will be a long day especially as my dh doesn't get back until 7pm. 3 months is adorable to watch and appreciate her as a little miracle but it will be nice when we can properly play together, or even for her to play by herself so she doesn't get bored easily (she's not grasping anything yet).

[billyog]

My ds is eleven weeks and his sleeping pattern has regressed over the past few nights. Am glad to see that he's not the only one! he was managing to go from 11 dream feed to about 5/6, have a bit of a feed and then go till 7.30. last night he woke at 2.30 and feed at 3. my big problem is re settling him! I'm up and down to the cot putting dummy in, last night, knackered, i brought him into bed with me where we fall asleep straight away. worry that i'ii start bad habits! dh not happy to share either.

[LilahRose]

billyog - I went cold turkey on the dummy after 2 months as she'd started to use it as a prop to get back to sleep. The first night she rooted for it like mad for 30 mins, had a shout and then dropped off. Since then though it has been much much easier to settle her - she usually settles herself (for bedtime and through the night, less successful with naps). Getting rid of the dummy was the best thing I ever did - she forgot it ever existed after 2 days.

[newmum36]

Billyog, have you thought about taking the dummy away now ?? We tried about 2 weeks ago to take it away for evening sleeps. He is swaddled which helps, but instead of the dummy, I got a lullaby light show thing. I sit cuddling him in the dark (and singing - he seems to like it even though I feel a bit of an idiot and have to make up most of the words (or hum !) ) until I can see he's calm, and then while still awake pop him in his cot, well tucked in under a sheet and then stroke his head for a couple of minutes. He moans a little bit (and has cried for 10 mins or so before going off) but after an initial week where it was quite difficult, it has got easier. We had the dummy thing for 6 weeks and it was driving me so mad that I decided that I'd rather hear the crying. In fact, the crying has tailed off. I also find that in the night if he goes back in, he might moan a bit for 5 mins or so but he eventually goes to sleep.

Just a thought anyway - you might not mind it but it was driving me insane. I'm still using it to get him off to sleep at lunchtime, but end up popping it in and out umpteen times. Soon I'll have to be strong about that one too !

[billyog]

thanks lilahrose and newmum36, will give it a go but must admit..... am nervous at thought of life without dummy!

[newmum36]

so was I but which is worse, a bit of uncomfortable (for you ! ) crying to get them off it which shouldn't take long as they're still so little - or months of getting up to put the dummy in and out ?? I couldn't face the latter I must admit. Bedtimes take a bit longer as I do help him to wind down for a longer period of time which I would have previously left to the dummy but I actually quite like the fact that now he responds to a bit of singing etc and cuddles up to calm down - you get a nice long pre-bedtime cuddle with them (mmmm lovely) and you feel like you've achieved something if you can get them down and off !! (but it's also frustrating when they won't go admittedly)

[LilahRose]

Just to add - my dd found her thumb yesterday (at 11.5 weeks). It's a dream - she starts sucking when she gets tired and I put her in her cot, put her mobile on and she goes to sleep. Most of the little ones start to find their thumb around 12 weeks if they are sucky babies and love the dummy they might like this instead. So you could wait a bit before giving it up though like newmum36, i preferred 5 mins of crying to popping the dummy in and out every few mins which nearly drove me insane.