2.30am/5.00am night waking - 4 month old regular as clockwork! Please help stop the madness...

[SanandOllie]

Our little boy's almost four months old and over the last 3 weeks has started waking regular as clockwork at 2.30am and 5.00am (literally within 5 minutes either way!).
He's not really hungry (he goes to bed at 8 and has a dream feed at 11) and if you offer him the bottle he has a nibble and faff and eventually has a couple of ounces (at most) before falling asleep... but wakes up as soon as we put him back in his basket. We never rush into him at either time - we let him try and self soothe... if/ when that doesn't work, we shush-pat (which very occasionally works) until the crying builds... then we feed him.
When we put him back down, we gently shush-pat him to sleep which sometimes work, but generally he gets more and more restless and wakeful. Cue PU/PD which frankly, just doesn't work for us, even for an hour - he just gets more and more frantic until he's unconsolable and we end using the old tried and trusted "pacing the floor jiggling him to sleep routine". (By now about an hour and a half had gone by). Repeat as necessary at 5.00am (minus the food which he really couldn't care less about at that time).
Tried waking him at 2.00ish to pre-empt the waking but either he still wakes at 2.30 regardless or wakes up completely and has a massive hissy fit about being woken! (Oh the irony!) He has a tummy bug about 3 weeks ago which screwed up his old sleeping pattern (11-4 then 4-7) so I guess that's what made everything go off course. I sooooo know he's got into a bad habit but just don't know how to help him!
Sorry for the long post but any thoughts for the little one are much appreciated!
PS. He's not a particularly great sleeper in the day - has about 4 x 40min naps.

Hi. Don't have any ideas, but just wanted you to know that someone has read your thread! Don't really know what to say. Sounds like you're trying everything you could possibly do. Your post was a couple of days back - has anything changed? Also what time do you put him to bed?

Hi, just wanted to tell you I know how you feel. My fourth child was a terrible sleeper and I remember those nights. We tried everything, even homeopathy Chamomilla. Some days she'd have two ten minute naps, and still woke up every night. It all calmed down though when she was about 18 months old. Now she's two and sleeps 11 hours at night plus a 2-hour nap in the afternoon. What I mean is it will end some day. Can you get some rest during the day, or do you have to work outside? Does he sleep during the day that you get some sleep then?

My kids were terrible sleepers when small - I co-slept to help them not reach the shouting stage. Sounds like you've tried everything to get him to sleep so just to say be kind on yourself. I've been through tough sleep deprivation in the last 6 months. If your partner can help you get some rest by sharing the nights then this will enable you to get through this stage. I keep telling myself that a stage will pass - & then it will be something else!! :)

Hi SanandOllie, how are things? We're going through exactly the same with my dd (5mo). Just started solids at the weekend so hoping this may make a difference once she's taking a decent amount. Are you thinking of solids yet? I'm sure dd is getting more full cos she woke at 11pm, 2:30 & 5am, drank lots at 11, but not at the other two times, so it must be a resettling issue rather than a hunger issue. I'm going to try and settle her without the breast tonight and see what happens.. I know it's hard, but all the chopping and changing in put-down techniques might not be helping. Try and stick with one for two nights to see if you get any progress. The pu/pd technique only works if you get them really calm before putting them back in the cot and this can take some time for the stubborn lo. I really have to practice what I preach tonight! Just try really hard not to give in to the jiggling routine. Good luck and let us know how you're getting on.