3.5 month old thinks sleep is for wimps!

[KatOD]

Hello, I'm sure this has been done to death but I'm a newbie so please bear with me.

My DD is 3.5 months old and sleeps in her cotbed in our room. She's never been good at daytime naps and I usually end up with her sleeping on me/ in a car seat and have very occasionally managed to get her to sleep on our bed after a battle. In spite of this she was doing ok at night, coming to bed with us at 10:30ish then waking up once for a feed between 3-4 then waking up at 7.
However... She started exhibiting teething symptoms a week and a half ago and has got progressively worse such that she's now getting up every hour (I've tried calpol and nurofen but she screams and spits them out).

Any advice? If it is early teething symptoms how long can they typically last? (I will go insane through lack of sleep soon).

Thanks!

There is a chance that it might be the dreaded 4 month growth spurt making her wake up every hour as opposed to teething. My DD was such a great sleeper until about 3.5 months and then did what yours is doing, up every hour. There is alot going on developmentally at the moment and it can be hard for them to switch off. Its hard but it will pass. The best way to cope is to try and think of all the amazing changes going on in your DD's mind and grin and bear it. We also have had on and off teething symptoms for a few months (DD is 6 months old), Calpol or Neurofen will help with the pain.
HTH

Oh just seen that she spits them out! sorry OP. If you have any friends in the States, get them to send you some Baby Oragel - its strong teething pain relief that you rub on their gums and it stops my DD crying pretty pronto. You can get a nightime one as well that is a bit stronger.

Thanks viagrafalls, really helpful to hear another perspective!

Is this your first? Tough as hell, isn`t it?! Nothing prepares you for the lack of sleep!

My first (DD) was terrible. My second (DS) was a great sleeper. My third (DS) made my DD look like sleeping beauty and at 2y 3mths he is only just starting to show signs of going through the night!

I am not telling you this to get you down. There could be a million and one reasons why she is not sleeping, including teething (I found rubbing bonjela on really helped) or growth spurt (is she hungry when she wakes up?) or needing comfort (around 3 months they start to become more aware of their "separation" from you I think) or - it could just be that she is a bad sleeper!

If it is the latter, all I can say to you is take as much time as you can to sleep when she does during the day, don`t push yourself to do anything and trust that it WILL get better. There were days I sat sobbing into my coffee in starbucks with a sympathetic friend convinced I was never going to make it through the first year - but I did and I have done it 3 times now. You WILL get through this, and one day you will look back and laugh - and come back here to post the same thing to another new Mum!

Good luck!