4 month old sleep patterns - regression?

[Luxnuova]

Our 4 1/2-month old, who used to sleep solidly until 4 or 5am, then usually be up for the day at 7ish (with occasional boons of a solid 12 hours), is suddenly waking up at 2.30am, then getting up for the day at 5.30. It is wearing us pretty thin - especially as we had been lulled into a false sense of security!

The thing is, she's not really hungry, so it doesn't seem to be a growth spurt. She'll feed a bit, then will start 'talking' eventually getting upset if we try to ignore her (she's in the cot next to the bed).

We have been changing her routine a bit lately - have been working harder on getting regular naps. She has a morning nap of about 45 minutes, which has been pretty constant since around 3 months, but over last week has been having champion midday naps, of up to 2 1/2 hours, instead of her typical 45 minutes. I thought all the wisdom was that better day sleep encouraged better night sleep - but it seems as though her napping is cannibalising the night time. Has anyone had any experience of this? Should I stop her sleeping so much in the day? Bed time was usually 7pm, but we moved a little earlier, to around 6.30 (after reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child).

I feel a bit pathetic that I'm so quickly squashed by this, and obviously spoilt by the fact that she had previously been such a stellar night sleeper. Any thoughts?

It's probably not to do with daytime sleep - babies do just wake up early! We've been getting up at 5.30 for the last two years and there's no end in sight. Yet.

Two years?? You're a hero! Yes, perhaps it's just her new thing, particularly as it's getting light so early now, but it did seem as though the extra waking at 2.30am and earlier wake hour coincided EXACTLY with the start of the new long naps. Is there a maximum number of hours a given baby can sleep? I'd take wakeful daytimes and get a bit more unbroken night sleep, if it were my choice... (ha!)

It sounds like a growth spurt. You'll probably find its like this for a week or two and then things settle down again.

(until the next one that is )

The temptation is to think you ought to be doing sth but really there is not much you can do. The good news is that your baby sounds like a great sleeper so that bodes well. Am sure she will sleep well again once through this phase.

Hmmm, so you think growth spurt, even if she's not actually eating more when she wakes? Thanks muchly for the encouraging words - I do hope you're right and it's just a phase! I think I get a bit obsessed with trying to work out the 'rationality' behind these things...(maybe sleep deprivation at work ).

Are you bfing or ffing?

Sorry, should have said. Am exclusively breastfeeding on demand. Because I tend to use feeding as part of her nap routine, she doesn't do block three-hourly feeds, more of a snacker...

If they are bfing then part of the growth spurt is stimulating your supply to increase quantities of milk available (night time is the ideal time for this for some reason I've forgotten, to do with prolactin levels etc). She is telling your body she is ready for bigger portions !

She will be drinking more - as she gets bigger she will be more efficient at feeding so take more in what to you seems the same length of feed.

Eg my son is just 6 months now and when he feeds it's a 10 min affair, just as it has been since day 1. But he's drinking much more in that time now when he weighs a rather large 21 pounds as opposed to 10 pounds! His mouth is bigger and stronger, he's an experienced feeder now, he can put it away quickly these days (in order to free up time for other essentials eg grabbing his sisters hair )

If its not a growth spurt then it's a developmental leap!

Ah, thanks, bumpsadaisie, that's interesting re the prolactin levels at night. I guess it's probably a nexus of growth spurt, developmental stuff, teething, and the mysteries of babyhood. Oh, and outgrowing the swaddle. I tried leaving her unswaddled last night and she still woke at 3, but then slept until 6.45am - an improvement! Who knows whether that had anything to do with it, but I find theorising some comfort in these situations! Thanks all for your thoughts.