Well we seem to have got rid of the frequent wakings from the 4mo sleep regression (come early) but not the 3/4am starts - how do we tackle this?!?!

[scottygirl5]

My DD will be 4 months tomorrow. She seemed to go through a sleep regression a few weeks ago (see thread here). We were at the inlaws for Christmas and her sleep was a nightmare there, still had the frequent wakings but she was starting the day even earlier, 2 or 3am.

Since coming home she has thankfully started having a slightly longer sleep at the beginning of the night again (normally 3-4 hours) then tends to go another 2 hours at a time but once she wakes for a feed anytime after 3am she will not go back to sleep. Yesterday it was 4am,today it was 3am. Using white noise (from the prince lionheart bear) I'm normally able to get her to keep dozing for about 10 minutes at a time for another hour before she just gets more and more alert and starts crying if left in the crib. Before the sleep regression she tended to sleep till about 5.30am and we could leave her to coo in her crib till 6 (in an ideal world I'd like her to start her day sometime from 6 onwards though at the moment would take 5 onwards).

Has anyone had any experience of this? How have you tackled it? Its driving us insane and DH goes back to work next week and will be exhausted if she keeps this up. She's also a rubbish napper, probably my fault for always letting her fall asleep on the boob after feeding but no longer sleeping for very long even there...don't know if the rubbish naps and early wakings are connected?

Please help!!

Hello Scottygirl, my DS is the same age and very similar (fed to sleep, lots of night waking, nap-resisting) - and we were at the ILs over Christmas too; just had to co-sleep most of every night to deal with it.

However I've just read a book called Baby Secrets by Jo Tantum, and after 3 days of being on a new routine and doing 'spaced soothing' he seems a little better at settling himself at night. DH commented that DS seems happier too.

I am modifying the routine to match his unique needs as I go, but her ideas are a great framework, and the spaced soothing is working brilliantly. We are still a long way away from 7pm - 7am (will it ever happen??!!) but I feel much more positive that we are going in the right direction!

HTH

Hi OovoofWelcome, thanks for your response, much needed after a horrific night, first waking after 20 mins and DD screamed until fed again!! Will see if I can get the book out the library. Has it helped for naps or just nigt sleep?

My sympathies Scottygirl, we've had a rough night too - am knackered! But am perserver

Bloody iPhone!

Anyway, the spaced soothing really helps with naps, and with settling at the beginning of the night. Middle of the night, not so much yet. Although DS woke at just after 5 am (4th waking of the night, urgh) and I was able to help him drift off til his feed at 7am.

We were on four night wakings too, is reassuring its not just us as so many of my friends have sleep through or once a night waking babies, several younger than DD! At 1am she was ready to start the day, a new low...

Library doesn't have the book so considering buying.

I know, I'm so jealous of my mum friends with their sleep-through-the-night kiddies! DH and I aren't brilliant sleepers though, take a while to wind down and relax and are quite high energy, so maybe little DS has inherited our tendencies!

I was really glad I bought the book. It has a supportive quality and lots of info. I'm not following the routine I chose staunchly (there is a selection) but following DS's cues during the day - if he's grumpy & sleepy I put him down for a nap regardless of time.

Also, he is so so distracted during the day, has micro feeds and then just wants to look around and coo and goo. So cute, but not so good for filling him with daytime calories!

I feel your pain! DS is almost 5 months old, rarely sleeps for longer than 3 hours in a stretch, won't go back to sleep without feeding and has recently started waking at 4am (last night 2am) and chatting to us for at least 90 mins. I don't have any solutions i'm afraid...

I use the Pantley Gentle Removal method (from No Cry Sleep Solution, but google it & you'll find details) to help him self settle during the day, white noise to help in the evening, and recently gave him a 'blanky' that he cuddles to sleep. These are helping the daytime, but I'm at a complete loss about the middle of the night wakings.

Scottygirl, did you do anything to solve the regression, or did it pass of it's own accord? DD 4 mo tomorrow has gone to pot over the last fortnight, am gutted as she was a v good sleeper!

RillaBlythe - now not so sure its over! Last night she woke 4 times to feed whereas the previous few nights she had got back to just waking 2 or 3 times to feed and had stopped the multiple between wakings of her own accord after about 2 weeks or so. Hope it all passes quickly for you.

OovoofWelcome - know what you mean about the distracted micro feeds!

Truth - have that book but DD objects loudly when i try the bit where you touch their chin! Definitely something i need to keep working on tho as sleeping on the boob definitely in us into this mess! Will maybe try in daytime insteadd tho.

Good luck for a better night for us all tonight!

Oh, I don't touch LO's chin. Maybe I'm doing it wrong! I just wait until he seems to have stopped feeding then stick my little finger in his mouth to get him to pop off. 9 times out of 10 he doesn't try to get back on, just rolls himself off, settles and goes off to sleep.

Good luck

Quick update - Better night last night after giving calpol before bed, DD was coughing a lot in the day and her temperature was a little high so now wonder if the dreadful sleep the night before was related to that...? Just glad for a chance to catch up with some sleep!