How are your 16 week olds sleeping at night?

[LoveRainbow02]

My little boy is 16 weeks in 5 days. He goes down at night between 8 and 8.30 and this could be him until between midnight and 3am. Some nights he wakes much earlier for a feed, sometikes 2 night feeds then seems to be wakening every hour afterwards. Most parents I know who have babies at a similar age all day their baby is sleeping through. I know every baby is different though. Would be greatful if you could share your little ones sleeping patterns.

Wow @NoParticularPattern that's a long week! Do you have support nearby from family?

This heat is too much at present, I really think the babies struggle as we do. Are you giving yours water?

Ps I totally get the bit sleeping thing unless they are... I used to be great sleeper too; now I really struggle to switch off!!

@LoveRainbow02 her first literally just erupted the last few days. I felt it on Friday morning after a really horrible couple of days with her screaming a lot. So she’d have been just 19 weeks then. Hoping the other half of the pair shows up by the end of the week!!

@Emma3456 yes I do have good support but DD has become super nosy recently and won’t feed if we are anywhere other than home so I struggle to get out to meet up with them without her having a huge meltdown because she’s hungry and tired but doesn’t want to feed! And then I can’t switch off when I’m at home unless she’s asleep so it’s a bit of a catch 22 really!!

Hope everyone isn’t too knackered! We had an ok ish night. Well, she went down by about 8 ish and then slept til maybe midnight? Then she woke up and was in bed with us until we got up at 6. I remember swapping sides 4 times so I make that roughly every hour and a half 😂😂. What I would give for 3 hours solid sleep haha.

I’m not offering water as she’s breastfed but I’m sure one of my friends was having the dilemma the other day of whether or not to offer water to her twins who were born the day before my little girl so I suppose it depends on how hot it is and if you think it’s needed?

Here's to a better night all! Which part of the country are you guys in, I'm in south east (Kent) and it's still really hot!!

I'm in Scotland, bit cooler here tonight thankfully. Wee one slept from 9pm until 2.15 for a feed and I can say that's the best stretch of sleep I've had in days!

Oh great, do you feel better? I have family in Scotland who are amazed at the heat! My DS was ok last night but grizzly this morning.. think he is teething as really clingy too and constantly wants to BF.

Yeah we don't usually get many warm days here lol so it's came as a shock! I've got anbesol for my ds and it seems to soothe so maybe that's worth a try if you don't already have it. I feel much better today and more energetic. Amazing what more sleep can do to you lol.

I'm off to town to buy some this morning actually, hoping it works! I know what you mean about sleep, you don't realize until you have a significant stretch just how much it makes a difference. Do you have friends with similar aged babies who have said they are 'sleeping through'? I really hate hearing that lol!

Yeah I know a couple of people whose babies are the same age or are slightly younger and are sleeping through. Makes me question what they are doing different to me lol. Every baby is different. My ds seems to be quick in learning new things but just hasn't mastered the whole sleep business haha!

How are you getting on? @emma3456

Hi @LoveRainbow02 .. we have had a really bad few nights! He has been up every hour after 1am 🤨. How about you??

Gosh you must be so tired. Do you think he's waking from habit or is genuinely hungry? Last few nights have been great for me. Last Wednesday ds slept from 9 through to 6, took his dummy and carried on until 8am. Since then every night has been relatively similar with a few wakenings through the night for the dummy to be put back in. Although I am still being woken a couple times a night in classing him as sleeping through as he hasn't been getting feeds and I now know he is capable of going all night without a feed. Did you get anbesol to try?

Oh wow.. now I feel really crap about our situation! I don't know what it is.. think it's the 4 month regression, plus the fact it's been warm. Just want one nights good sleep. That's so great yours is going through, long may it last

Yeah I really hope it continues. He was really worn out from his jags last week and was sleeping a lot so I'm thinking maybe that has kicked him into a better sleep routine or something lol.

@emma3456 don’t feel bad about not sleeping through! DD still isn’t either (5 months old now). She still goes down around 7.30-8.30 and then wakes at 10. Might get a couple of hours after that but she will be up usually every hour from that point forward. I’d love more sleep. Even like 4 hours in a row would be really great. 3 even!!

Anyway I have no advice, none, other than to say you’re not alone and it’s nothing you’re doing wrong! They’re just babies!!!!

I think it was just good luck with my ds for those few days as last night he was back to normal and squeezed in 2 feeds that he had dropped previously. I keep telling myself he will sleep through properly when he is ready. Does anyone know if they experience a growth spurt around now?

Thanks @NoParticularPattern ., it's hard isn't it. I've noticed he sleeps so much better in his bouncy chair than flat in bed.. thinking possibly reflux 🤔
How is your little one getting on?

Could possibly be reflux but thy are also more likely to be a bit refluxy if they’re having s growth spurt and feeding a lot more (am I right in thinking you’re bf?). I know DD spits up a lot more when she’s having a growth spurt or feeding more often for comfort (ie teething, joy!!) so it could be that coming in to play? But I’d definitely go to your GP if you think it is becoming a real problem, they will be able to help!

DD is doing ok really. Not getting s huge amount of sleep but she’s doing well and it’s not like I have much to do most days other than look after her and feed us both so we sometimes manage a nap in the afternoon if she’s feeling inclined. I’ve just attached her big cot to the side of our bed as she’s outgrown her cozee crib (giant child!) so that’s upset her for a few nights but she seems more settled in it now. Hoping that will help the transition into her own room at some point. Although at the moment there’s no point even considering putting her away from us because it would just mean even less sleep 😂😂 at least with the big cot it means we feel like there’s more room in the bed because it’s sturdier and I can lie right on the edge of our mattress without rolling onto her!

Oh that's interesting.. yeas BF and would make sense as he's been feeding a lot recently. He's actually gone to sleep very quickly this evening as such a bad night last night. I should really be sleeping tooo.

That's a great idea with the cot.. ours is massive but would like to do the same if it works.. it's more getting the height right isn't it??

He could just be having a big leap in his development- have you seen the wonder weeks app? DD lines up almost exactly with when they tell you she’s going to be dreadful so it does sometimes stop me going totally insane!! Yes it’s hard to get the height right but thankfully the big cot is actually the same height as the top of the mattress on our bed as we have a super high bed! It’s super much nicer not to have to struggle for space for fear of falling out of bed now there’s the big cot attached. Plus the small cot was always a bit wobbly and I was never convinced it was level which just annoyed the living daylights out of me 😂😂

@NoParticularPattern - I downloaded the wonder weeks app this morning and your right it is very helpful and also lines up with when my ds is more whiny and clingy. Makes sense that it goes by the due date and not birth date too. My ds was just over a week early. I've not had a full nights sleep since Sunday, He is back to his old ways of waking every hour despite not needing nappy changed or fed. I so hoped those 4 nights when he slept through was the start of something good lol but reading the wonder weeks has opened me up to just how many developmental changes are happening for him.

Yeah I've been following it too since he was born, he was a few days late. Most of it ties up, especially this 'leap' as he has grown and developed so much recently.
Have either of you experienced a raised temperature when teething?

@emma3456 - No my little ones temp has been fine. Checked his mouth this morning and there is a definite little bump on his gum so hoping the first tooth won't be long in making an appearance. He is very sick after feeds the now, he has reflux but this is managed with ranitidine and doesn't seem to be causing him pain anymore but the amount of times he is sick is off the scale!

Oh really, I was wondering whether my Lo had reflux.. he has just never settled on his back and is sick after feeds a lot. How was it diagnosed in your case?

It all started when my ds was a few weeks old. He had colic but also wouldn't settle when lying flat on his back, screamed and arched his back during feeds, feeding time was a nightmare! He grunted loads in his sleep and always seemed to make throaty noises like he had something stuck in his throat but could never clear. I was back and fourth at the doctor and to my health visitor for weeks before the doctor agreed to try him on gaviscon. That kinda helped but constipated him really bad so next step was ranitidine and he's been great on that. Dosage ups every now and then as it goes by his weight. Have you got a wedge you could maybe pop under his mattress? I used that in the Moses basket and pram but was able to incline his next to me crib at 1 side.