19 week old not sleeping

[Saraf82]

My dd is 19 weeks old today. She is FF and has been since about 12 weeks. up until about a week ago she was so good at sleeping, going from 8pm until about 3am, having a feed then back down till 7am. But since last week she is waking all the way through the night, 12am, 1.30am, 3am, then at 5am seems to think that it's time to get up. I feed her at 1.30am and then again at 5am.
the other times she's not really awake she has moved herself into the bars of her cot and bangs her head, then starts crying. (she sleeps on her front, her choice since she's learnt to roll over about a month ago)
It's driving me mad, i feel like a zombie during the day, It's not like I can sleep when she sleeps in the daytime either as she's a napper and usually only sleeps for 30-40 mins.
I've heard of the 4 month sleep regression and wondered weather it could be this?? Has anyone gone through this and come out the other side? although it's only been a week it feels like a lot longer and it's getting me down.

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

forgot to say. when she goes down at 8pm she goes to sleep on her own. she very rarely falls asleep on the bottle or needs to be held.

Hi sounds like you have entered the poor sleeping phase. Its mostly down to her increased hunger brought on by the increased level of physical activity and mental development. In my experience it lasts untill around 8-9months when they are becoming more established with solid foods.Thats not to say you should wean early. That wouldn't work. Just that you need to expect that she's going to need extra feeds through the night for a few months.
Just as you are feeling like you can't go on and you are thinking about trying controlled crying, they magically sleep through. There's no rhyme or reason to it.

Maybe think about having a night off every week when you put ear plugs in and let your DP do a night shift?

Now would be a good time to read Baby-led weaning, by Gill Rapley.

It does sounds like the 4 month sleep regression to me. It's triggered by babies' brains working hard on the next stage of development, which messes up their sleep. It does pass.

My DS went from waking once or twice a night to 3 or 4 times a night - for a couple (three?) of weeks, then dropped back to once or twice again. I couldn't exactly tell you if he was waking for hunger, though, as my policy is always to feed him whenever he wakes up since it's the easiest way of getting him back to sleep! I know others who have had a much rougher time but whose babies have gone back to a more 'normal' frequency of waking once the regression has passed.

I sympathise, as DS was only a short napper until a couple of weeks ago (and I can't sleep in the day anyway). He has spontaneously 'grown' into longer naps at least once a day over the last few weeks (he's now 5 months old).

More info on this regressionhere, here, here and here.

Hang in there; hope it improves soon.

Hi Saraf82 - I am in pretty much the same boat as you. My 19 week old slept through three times a few weeks ago and hasn't done it again since! In fact, he's got worse! Thought his cold was the cause but sounds like it could be sleep regression which I hadn't heard of. Thanks for posting, I feel better already!

Thanks bumbums and AngelDog too - both posts helpful and have just forwarded some of the info to DH, that you added AngelDog. Really helpful, thanks.

Fingers crossed this is another phase which will pass soon...

update.....

i could not stand it any longer and thought that I must try everything before giving in to this. So yesterday I went and bought some blackout curtains and I put the travel cot up in our room and moved the cot out. I put DD down at about 8.30pm in the travel cot (no more bumps to the head for her!) and she didn't wake till 4am!!!! I fed her and put her back down and she slept till 7am.
I am sooo happy, and DD seems it too after a good nights sleep. I just hope it's not just a one off thing!
Do you think it's ok to keep her in a travel cot until she can properly move herself around???

I don't see why not? Glad you've found something that works - fingers crossed for tonight! Blackout curtains might be the way forward then. DS still woke up several times last night. He is now in his own room though, so am reluctant to bring him back with us. He also dropped his night time feed several weeks ago so don't really want to start that again either! To be fair, he went until about 03.30 last night but then woke up every half hour or so until about 5ish when I gave in and brought him in with us. He then fell asleep until gone 7! No doubt this is a bad habit, but sometimes needs must.
Already tonight is not looking good, for some reason he has woken up loads this evening so far. Not easy this Mummy job is it?!

DD slept at my mums last night and she went till 5am in the mums travel cot. Hope she's ok tonight.
No it's defo not easy this mummy business!! You think you're getting somewhere and it all goes and change.
I know what you mean about needs must. Sometimes you will just do anything to get some sleep, never mind what 'bad habits' you may be teaching them. I've given up worrying about this, whatever makes her happy makes me happy
xx

if she may be hungry why cant you try a little baby rice, this is the most easy simple food to start them on. This six months thing is not good for some babies after all aren't all grownups different in their food intake?? good luck or try a "more hungry baby milk food"