3 month old waking frequently

[humandummy]

Hi everyone - my 3 month old is waking every hour or two in the early hours and I'm exhausted! He usually goes to sleep around 7-7.30pm and sleeps until 10-11pm when I feed him. He then sleeps another 2-3 hours, I feed him and then it all goes horribly wrong... I'm so tired that I never really remember what has happened the next morning, but I usually see 3, 4, 5am on the clock... He is exclusively breastfed (no bottles or dummy) and sleeps in a cradle next to our bed.

I know similar questions have already been asked, but I don't think it's any of the things that have been suggested, eg. we can rule out:

• cold (our room is 20-22 degrees and he sleeps with vest, sleepsuit, sheet and two blankets)
• growth spurt (this has been happening pretty much from day one)

The only thing I can think of is that I'm not feeding him properly when he wakes, so he's waking up from hunger. If he falls asleep on the first boob (he usually feeds from both) I put him down to sleep rather than waking him and giving him the second (since the object is to get him to sleep after all!), or, more often than not,I fall asleep while he's feeding and then can't remember whether he's had one or both and just put him back in his cot.

I've been trying to get him to nap better in the daytime and I bought a dummy out of desperation the other day, but haven't been able to get him to take it (maybe it's too late by now?)

Any suggestions? Or is this just normal?

[IMoveTheStarsForNoOne]

Really sorry to say this, but it sounds perfectly normal. It WILL get easier, and the sleep will get better.

Some babies just don't take to dummy's, might be a good thing in the long run

Try and go to bed when he does (or shortly after) and sleep when he sleeps. It's so hard, believe me, I remember - but it does get so much easier.

Unless..is this a new thing? In which case it's not too early for teeth.

Maybe someone more helpful will be along in a minute.

[mananny]

My 16 week old charge was almost sleeping through then all of a sudden was waking several times a night and squawking loudly! It turned out she has started teething (oh joy) and has now settled back down now 2 teeth are through... am waiting with baited breath for it all to go tits up again when the next lot of teeth come in! Very early teether but thank God she likes her sleep and is (touch wood) back to 730-almost 7 with a feed at 11. Good luck, it will get better

[IMoveTheStarsForNoOne]

IME, Neurofen was much better for teething with DS than calpol, with friends it's the other way round. If one doesn't work, try the other, and don't underestimate the power of teething powders

(if that is the problem)

[humandummy]

Thanks for your replies. I don't think it can be teething as he has pretty much always had this sleep pattern. Plus he is fine during the day.

We are considering moving him from the cradle to a proper cot to see if that makes a difference. A friend mentioned that her baby kept waking herself up by hitting her arms against the sides of her moses basket.

[IMoveTheStarsForNoOne]

Cot sounds like a good idea, We had DS in a bassinet of a travel cot at this age, and it definitely helped.

[sallyjaygorce]

My 18 month old is still waking two or three times a night. With the other two and their occasional bad dreams it feels as though sleep is a long ago privilege. I hear they sleep all the time when they are teenagers. Not that I'm wishing their childhood away, but a lie in in about 12 years time will be nice.

[humandummy]

haha - already looking forward to my lie-in in 13 years time!