12 week old - sleep getting worse and worse, not sure how to fix

[ml01omm]

Hi

FTM to a 12 week old, and I am tearing my hair out as his sleep has gotten worse over the last 5 weeks, and I don't know what to do.

He is "waking" 5 times between midnight and 6.30am, some times hourly, sometimes every 20 - 30 mins. There is no pattern.

I say "waking" because aside from his middle of the night feed, the other times, he doesn't actually need anything (and its not wind). other than his dummy replacing, a pat on the stomach and possibly a re-swaddle if he has broken free, and then he is traight back to sleep. We don't generally need to pick him up.

The problem is - he is really loud when he wakes ( i.e its more than shuffling and grunting) it wake us up too, so our sleep is getting fractured as we wake up enough to sort him.

The wakings are getting more and more frequent, and I worry that instead of learning to self settle, he is actually going backwards, and we can't keep doing this when he eventually moves to his own room.

Other things to mention:
He has a bed time routine and goes to sleep easily at 7.30pm and is generally fine until midnight.

He sleeps in a bedside sleeper - i don't want to change this or co-sleep.

DH does 9pm - 1am shift, then I take over.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I have no idea whats causing it, but worried it will become a habbit, and also very worried about 4-month sleep regression, as its already quiet disruptive.

[Harrysmummy246]

Right, baby sleep is up and down. It's not something to fix other than do what you're doing. It isn't a habit. This is a biologically normal sleep pattern

[Cornettoninja]

I know it doesn’t feel like it right now but I think it sounds like your ds is doing pretty well!

I wonder if the temperature drop at night is starting to disturb him? Maybe worth looking at what he’s wearing for bed.

Please don’t worry about when you move him into his own room. In baby time that is a really long way off and a lot could change between the and now.

[SaveWaterDrinkGin]

It will do your head in trying to figure out why, just go with it. Babies sleep changes regularly and yours sounds pretty normal. Stop worrying about habits- your baby is way too tiny for this.

[timothytoeseatenbyaghoul]

Sounds normal to me and I've had 5. Get used to it you've got a long road ahead

[Amrythings]

Seconding the check temperature - our room was getting really cold between 1-4am last year and it was waking DS up. We ended up getting him the sleepsuits with padded sleeves to go with his grobags (he considered swaddling to be a crime against babies).

[lambo88]

Have u tried him in a sleeping bag Hun?? I don't think we used one thou until our little boy was 6 months...have u tried white noise?? I think the my hummy bears are ment to be good and turn on when baby stirs etc...there's lots of nannys and sleep people on Instagram that we found really good for advice like the light ninja...care it out sleep consultant...magic sleep fairy...Jackie cox sleep consultant...my baby mummy...nanny louenna...lots of them have good routine to follow to make sure little one is getting enough sleep during the day so night time sleep isn't affected...they explain naps and wake windows xxx

[laudemio]

This is normal, you can't fix it, cuddles and milk and time are the answers. It will change again soon enough

[laudemio]

Could also be a growth spurt, try an extra feed or two, worked with mine. Plus as pp said check the temp, mine need far lighter tog sleep sack that gro bag suggested

[ml01omm]

@laudemio @Cornettoninja @Amrythings @lambo88 thank you for your replies, I hadn't thought about room temp, had stupidly assumed it was fine, as we were okay. Will try it a bit cooler as it does sometimes get very warm in the earlier hours.