This too shall pass.... will it, though?

[explodingbosoms]

I've posted on here with my 4 month (and now 5 month) sleeping woes recently. Have been reassured by talk of regressions and phases etc.

But now the disrupted nights have been going on for over a month. Last night was one of the more tiring: dream feed at 10.30pm; fed at 2am; woke at 3.50am and would not settle (did shush-patting etc), eventually caved and fed at 4.50am.

My mum is muttering darkly about "forming bad habits" and I'm wondering if this is my lot now until she's no longer a baby. She's 23 weeks now, and until 4 months slept pretty well (even slept through at one point).

Please reassure me! Has anyone had a lengthy stretch of poor sleeping around this age and gone back to a good night's sleep eventually??

Or is there something I should be doing?

Til my dd is no longer a baby, that is, not my mum!

I have also started a thread about the very same thing...we are 5 weeks into the continuous wakings

I blamed 4 month sleep regression, then a growth spurt, then the injections.....

It has only been in the last 3 days that the 45/ 90 minute wakings have stopped. Last night we only had two

I just carried on as normal, didnt change any routines and did what ever i could to get through the night, co sleeping and feeding her as much as she demanded.

Hopefully we are on the home stretch for a few better nights, just wanted you to know it will get better soon!

It will pass, you will survive! But there will also be periods of disturbed sleep (at least until they are teenagers).

Things that affect sleep are: too hot, too cold, viruses, thirst, eating the wrong things before bed (I have bad dreams after apples), worries, growth spurts, different patterns during the day, someone else being restless, loud noises, lights, different bed clothes etc. etc.

What you are trying to do is, not stop them waking, but get them so they can send themselves back to sleep. I gave mine anyway up cups of water, sprinkled lavender on their pillow and did whatever necessary so I could function the next day.

Even if you "spoil them" (whatever that means) if that is what is necessary for you to get enough sleep, that is okay. When they are 18 they won't be waking you for a drink or a bicky all night.

Erm, we had a six month sleep regression that has just started to resolve itself... at 12 months...

sounds exactly like the nights we're having! I always feed once and she's usually up once more and I either feed or settle depending on what seems best at the time. she's slept through a handful of times and it is better than it was a month ago (which was hell on wheels ...) I often hear her wake up, grunt a bit and settle herself once/twice a night so I know she is getting better.

I have friends whose babies are blithely doing 7-7 ... it sucks. good luck!

Explodingbosoms is she in your room or in her own nursey? My lo was waking rediculous amounts at this age and then when she reached 6 months and we moved her into her own room and there was so much more sleep all round! We weren't disturbing her and she wasn't disturbing us as much either! Now she is 6 1/2 months old and she goes to bed at 6.00pm, dreamfeed at 10.00pm-ish, another feed at 2.30/3.00am and then more often than not through until 7.00am. I have excepted this and am ok with it rather than upsetting myself/ stressing about wether or not she will ever sleep through the night. My older sister's baby who is also BF woke at least once a night for a feed until about a year old, so I think it's normal and I find it easier not to set expectations too high and then feel down about it!

Thanks for the support ladies!
Lolalotta she is in our room still and I know for a fact that we wake her up (went to the loo at 1.30am last night and banged into the bed- cue the start of her rustling and stirring and eventually wanting a feed). She's going into her own room this week.

The pattern you describe is what she used to follow and I'd be more than happy to return to that! I just can't imagine how other babies her age are going 7-7... it feels like the impossible dream so I'm not going to get hung up on it.

As long as you know others are the same boat and it's "normal", it's easier to cope with.

Much respect to anyone who is returning to work at this stage. I wouldn't be much good to anyone!

I was getting up at least 6-7 times a night from about 3 months till about 6.5 months. I accepted it and didn't try to change anything. Fed to sleep if it was at least 2 hours since the last feed, patted and rocked at other wake-ups. It suddenly improved. Now (at 7.5 months) I'm getting up twice a night (around 11 and around 3:30) and it feels like bliss! The only problem now is that he can be hard to settle if the 3:30 is close to or after 4.

Explodingbosoms, I was shocked at how big a differene it made with her being in her own room and how quickly she settled in! It felt great to get our room back and I felt like I had a bit of breathing space. I really think it will make a difference, so Good Luck and hang on in there!