Night feeds

[bell31]

My lo was sleeping really well and only waking one in the night to be fed. Recently it's been three or four times. Anyone else have a baby that wakes up so often or am I alone?
I'd just like one good nights sleep as I've been ill and feel so tired.

How old is your LO? If 4 months then that is a classic sleep regression.

DD fed every two hour until a year and I was working ft at 4 months. Do u sleep in the day?

He's 4 months and 3 weeks. He doesn't sleep much in the day just odd 1/2 hour here and there.
Last night he slept from 7.30pm til 11.30pm didn't go back down till 1am. woke at 3am went back down at 4am then woke at 6am and didn't go back down after that.

sounds like the 4 month palava, hopefully someone will link you something (or look in the sleep board/do a MN search).

Yes 30 min naps, they eventually outgrow those as well.

Thanks

What happens at 4 months? I've a 3 month old, haven't heard of this!

The 4 month sleep regression. It's a killer.

How long does it last?

... and does it still happen even if your baby has never been a good sleeper? My LO is nearly 3 months and wakes about 3 times a night, rarely sleeping past 6 so further regression would be a nightmare!

when DD had her developmental spurts then we would get periods of longer waking often 90 mins. It doesn't happen to every baby and it doesn't last the same length. Sorry to be so vague, but didn't want to leave those Q'a unanswered or un-bumped for you. If I wasn't holding baby I would go and search some links for you.

You are not alone! DS, now just five months, used to only wake once or twice, but for the last three weeks has been waking at least three times, usually more.

Information on the sleep regression here, here, here and here.

It affects 'good' and 'bad' sleepers. 'Regression' is a bad description - 'particularly unsettled patch' is probably a better description. DS always did those 90 mins awake in the middle of the night too but they stopped without any intervention (although sometimes the frequent wakings continued once the developmental leap was over).

There are further sleep regressions / developmental leaps at 6 months, 8/9 months, 11 months, 13 months, 15 months, 17 months, 18-21 months.

And yes, the 45 min naps do change eventually. That's really common at 3/4 months. Often it improves by 5 months but sometimes can be quite a lot later. DS started taking longer naps at about 5 months but needed re-settling part-way through naps till about 12 months or so.

Thanks, that's really useful. all I got from the other site was 'well he's 4 months, you're milks probably not enough for him. He needs solids,'

It's amazing how unknown this stuff is. I've overheard some interesting stuff from HVs to parents who ask about their child waking at 4 months.

Thanks angeldog for coming along, I was hoping you would at some point.

Yes, I sometimes find it hard to understand how ignorant untrained some HVs are.

I think most of the work on developmental stuff e.g. The Wonder Weeks was only done in the 1990s, and AFAIK isn't in a field which is really covered by HV / GP / paediatrician training. It's a real shame, as I think lots of children end up suffering as a result when their parents are given rubbish advice about how to fix a problem which will sort itself out soon enough.

With hindsight it can be nice to realise oh my LO can (eg) crawl now, that's why I've 2 weeks of shit sleep

It's the hindsight bit that's the problem. If only the LOs gave you advance notice of what they were working on, it'd be so much more bearable. :)

Another sleep regression here.

DS2 is up at 5am without fail every day. But I find he'll have a good 2-3 hours sleep from about 8.30am in the buggy on the school run. Then maybe another hour on the pick up school run. Last night he was up at 9pm, 1am, 3am, 4am, then up at 5am this morning!

If you haven't tried walking in a buggy, then keeping baby in the garden (if you can see him obviously) then definitely try it. Worked for my DS1 too. I'm lucky enough to be able to see him in the garden all the time so I put him out there when we get in from school.

Hoping it's sleep regression anyway, hope its not just how he is!

Strong, milky, sugary coffee and dim lights is the way for me to cope at 5am. My DS2 is 5months (22weeks) on Tuesday so I'm hoping it will settle soon!

it's 6.30am for me. haven't been able to drink coffee since being pg. I put lo's amber teething necklace round his ankle and he was only up twice last night.

Bell31, I could have written this post, ds now 12 weeks and we've gone from one night feed at 4, to 3 or feeds too, I'm knackered - so its nice to know I'm not alone......I've found the responses really useful. Night feeds slightly more bearable since having dd 19 months ago as have smart phone to peruse internet at the same time, although this has resulted in some very misjudged purchases! Am hoping ds will only wake twice tonight

It's the staying awake whilst night feeding I find hard. lo wakes up at 6.30am falls asleep again can't put him down or he'll wake up. keeping him in the sling he'll sleep till 8.30am. why can't he sleep in his cot till then?

Lol to phone shopping, dd2's antics plus my new iPhone have resulted in quite a few parcels turning up, some I can barely remember ordering!

OP my dd2 is like this in the mornings too, can you bring your LO into bed st that time? Sadly I often have to get up with dd1, but when dh is around, like this morning, he takes dd1 away, dd2 comes in with me and we sleep on till around 8! Bliss!!

I do exactly the same thing as caz except my DD is 8mo. The morning she woke at 5 so I fed her and had her lie next to me in bed. Didn't get up till 9am. Complete bliss.

What am I missing with the Amber necklace? What's the significance?

It's a teething necklace. they apparently release oils to help with teething.