16 week old constantly up but used to sleep through - what to do!

[MYA2016]

I'm at the end of my tether. I was so lucky having a baby that slept through from very young age (6 weeks). He'd sleep from 8pm - 6am and then go back to sleep till 9am.

When he hit 12 weeks he started waking at 3am. I wasn't too concerned as expected it was a growth spurt.

However we are now 4 weeks down the line and every night gets worse. For the last 2 weeks he's been waking every 2 hrs, the last few nights it's 1.5 hrs.

He's exclusively breastfed and not taking in more in the day although I am trying to encourage him to feed more in the early evening, not that it's working.

He sleeps next to me in the snuzpod.

I'm desperate for advice. How can a baby that used to sleep so well have changed so much?

I told my husband that I just do not believe he can be hungry that often throughout the night so the last 2 nights we've tried to settle him without feeding. He goes absolutely ballistic. Last night my husband spent 25 mins rocking, cuddling and sshhing him and he just wouldn't stop screaming till I fed him.

Once on my boob he'll feed for 5 min and fall asleep, then be easily put back down but the continuous broken sleep is killing me.

Anyone able to offer some advice? Thanks

[Timetogrowup2016]

Google four month sleep regression sounds like that
Unfortunately I think you just have to ride it out

[Salene]

He is going through a major growth spurt, if he wants fed , feed him. He is still a very tiny baby. At that age my baby was feeding almost every hour during the night for weeks.

[nousernames]

We had exactly the same thing- ds slept through from 8 weeks (we didn't sleep train or anything it's just the way he was) but then at 16 weeks was waking every hour- it was a killer and I was so unprepared for it!

I rode it out for a few weeks then decided to try him in his own room. That first night in his own room, he slept right through again. I'm not sure if it's a complete coincidence or if while he was in our room we were just disturbing him. Good luck!!!

[Noof]

We hit exactly the same thing at 15 weeks, and had almost 6 weeks of waking (and feeding) every 90 minutes. Unfortunately I think you do just have to ride it out and do whatever you have to do to get more sleep. I found he would go 2 hours if he was sleeping on my chest so that helped me! At 22 weeks he suddenly dropped to 3 feeds a night and I am now getting 2.5 hrs sleep at a time instead of 1.5 - sounds small but it makes a huge difference!

You have my sympathy, it's horrible. Luckily my boy never slept through before so I didn't have the shock of going from a full night sleep. It does get better, although it does feel like everyone else has children who always sleep through with no trouble!!

[acquiescence]

We had the same thing and it just got worse and worse. We started weaning him at 5 months and it is steadily improving as he eats more. I was like you, couldn't believe he was so hungry but that is all it was! Obviously your dd is too young to consider it now but might be worth bearing in mind in a month or so. My da is also bf.

[nousernames]

Oh yeah and reading acquiescence post above has reminded me that we also started giving him some porridge before bed around this time too.

[piesoclock]

4 month sleep regression. Its normal but horrible.

[MYA2016]

Can the 4 month sleep regression start at 12 weeks?
Also I have been considering porridge at night time but wasn't sure if 16 weeks is too young... I don't like the thought of him being hungry!
Also considering moving him into his nursery.... Two of the wakes ups are always when we go to bed and when DH gets up for work even though we are really quiet (he even wakes up when the heating comes on as our radiator clicks twice ). Any experience? Could this settle him more or am I more likely to just end up even more knackered as I'll be in and out of his room all night rather than sliding him over from his snuzpod...
Appreciate the advice so far!

[Spudlet]

You aren't alone. Keep on with the milk! He's too young for solids of any kind.

DS is now 18 weeks and we're beginning to see a slight improvement. He wakes to feed once, generally, then if he wakes again DH can often soothe him back to sleep (I can't as he sees me and demands boob).

He is in his own room now, it was earlier than we'd planned to move him but he was too big for his crib and his cotbed won't fit in our room. I thought I would feel worse but in fact, although I have to get up I fall asleep more easily after the feed. He seems to be able to do the same. I think we were waking each other up, perhaps?

[Spudlet]

Also , we have Ewan the Dream Sheep, which really helps as he's part of the sleep routine. I love him more than any woman should love a shifty-eyed purple sheep.

[Twinklestar2]

Four month sleep regression! It's hell but it does end, just hang on in there! Too young for food so keep up with the milk. I remember when my son was going through this he once woke 8 times in one night .

Have you tried white noise? I swear by the sound sleeper app, still use it now and my son is nearly 2! He was waking up from the sounds in the house and the white noise app blocked it all out. Worth a try?

[Salene]

If he is hungry he needs milk, breast milk is full of calories and way more substantial than baby porraige, which is just junk. There is no needy I wean before 26 weeks you more than provide all he needs

Breast feeding is on demand , that demand can be every 45 minutes during growth spurts , you just need to feed him. It is exhausting but you do literally just need to suck it up as they say. The first 6 months I found are tough going especially if you breast feed.

My wee boy use to wake up to 14 times a night and feed 21 times a day, God know why I recorded it but I did 🙈. He was a hungry baby and big too 98 centile and for first 6 months pretty much are constant , he eats heaps now as a toddler too.

He never slept well not doing his first 4 hour stint till 10.5 months even now he still wakes 2/3 times a night 😳

[minijoeyjojo]

He's definitely too young for solids, not only that but they are by no means a guaranteed way of helping a baby sleep. Some babies sleep much worse when they start solids (mine currently is at 6 1/2 months!)

Keep feeding him on demand, it's tough but sadly that's just babies for you. There is always something that will wake them, be it teething, colds, growth spurts etc. As long as he's putting on weight then you don't need to worry about him being hungry. I can only say just keep going, you're doing a fab job. Yes it's exhausting, but babies don't stay doing something for long. He'll change again soon and you'll think you've cracked it, only for him to change again!!

On the plus side - you had 6 whole weeks of blissful uninterrupted sleep. Most people with babies can only dream of that I can't remember what that feels like

[ALongTimeComing]

Can only echo what other people have said. I know you feel desperate but baby is far too young for solids, especially the crap in baby porridge. Keep going. Eventually you'll get more sleep. Try and catch up on the weekend. Feed baby in bed, hand straight to DH, sleep. Baby brought back for feed, sleep again.

We were up A LOT

[Fraggled]

Both my babies slept through as newborns then hit 12 weeks and were up every 2 hrs. I won't go into when they started sleeping through again because you'd be horrified. Good luck though, hopefully it's the 4 month regression and you'll be fine after a few weeks. It's hard work OP, sleep whenever you get the chance and be kind to yourself

[murphyslaws]

Growth spurt. I would stick with milk that's what he needs. Food won't give him the nourishment for growing. It lasts around 4 to 6 weeks.