16 weeks and sleep fallen apart - is this normal?

[walkingwomb]

Hello! I came on here to post about my 16 week olds sleep and see there are lots of other posts for around the same age, so it might be just something that happens - but i need to know!

DD has always been a fairly decent sleeper. before we went on holiday she start sleeping through - i didn't get over excited as she has tried this a few times and then gone back to wakin gat about 3ish. When we were away her sleep deterioted from waking up at 2 or 3 again to waking up at 9.30, 12, 2, 4, 5 etc. We have been back a few days and it has got worst - last night she would scream unless she was on the boob . It has never been that bad. she is not a great daytime napper - maybe having 2 or 3 half hour/45 min naps, but it was never a problem before.

Is this a growth spurt thing? Has it happened to anyone else and then got better?

Reassurance please!

WW

[preggersagain2]

hi, had to post when I saw your message as have just been through similar thing with my dd. Can't say it started at 16wo exactly, but definately around 4m mark. We had a whole run of things go 'wrong'. I'm convinced there was a growth spurt in there, she suddenly started getting o/t on same no. of daytime naps, then an excema flare up... just as we fixed one thing something else came along At one point she was up every hour or two all through the night. When it first started I looked everywhere for an answer - did find some stuff on internet about sleep regressions (sorry can't remember link)at 16wo but, when the same sights started listing regressions at practically every month, I lost interest! I really think you've just got to try to 'fix' anything you can think of that might be contributing but just accept that sometimes babies have 'blips' and just have faith you will get through it. I got my 2nd decent night sleep in over month last night and you will again soon I'm sure! Only thing would say is to try not to set up any 'bad' habits during night that might extend the problem - I ended up nursing dd to sleep every couple of hours and then had to wean her back of the night feeds. Easier said than done not to fall into these things at 3am when you desperate for sleep.. Hope all works out for you.

[walkingwomb]

thanks preggersagain! she basically hangs off my boob all night at the mo so i think the horse has bolted on teh bad habits thing. am going to work on getting her to sleep better during the day.

It seems especially hard because she has slept through!

[preggersagain2]

Yeah, easier said than done I know. Working on the daytime naps sounds like a good idea, if you can get her to go for longer than 45mins (that's one sleep 'cycle') that should definately help at night. I think the transition between 'cycles' often causes some to wake up - I could literally see it happening with my DD, she would suddenly jolt awake bang on 40mins. Lots of info on sleep cycles on various internet sites - we've been following a lot of the babywhisperer techniques link hereand found that helped, but there's plenty to choose from out there! Best of luck.

[forevared]

The link to sleep regressions is moxie.blogs.com/askmoxie/2006/02/qa_what_are_sle.html
Please, I'd strongly advise you to break the sleep association of feeding her every time she wakes up. She's obviously not genuinely hungry that often so it's a comfort thing. Obviously feed her at the normal time during the night as usual but all other times stop.

I'm saying this because I completely empathise. My ds2 is waking repeatedly every night and has been from 18 weeks, he'll turn 6 months in a few days! It's all because we've rocked him to sleep every time and he's subsequently learnt the wrong sleep associations. I'd strongly encourage you to get her out of these associations now before you end up with it going on for weeks or months. I've just posted my own thread and I'm near the end of my tether. I'd hate to think of someone else hoping it will get better of it's own accord.

[forevared]

Meant to add that we're reading Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber. It's been recommended to us by a number of friends and covers a variety of problems. Haven't read all of it yet but looks very promising!

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

[preggersagain2]

If you do want to try to cut down some of the night feeds, I've been using a '4hr' rule at night - DD feeds every 4hours during day, so, if she's had a night feed more recently than that (and I give her half hour or so leeway), I assume its not hunger and give her some water. So far this has worked - she's taken some water, then gone back in her crib, given a couple of cries and then gone back to sleep! Of course it could mean u up again more quickly, but as forevared says is about breaking that association. Obviously if she really is showing hunger signs then she'll need a feed regardless...