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Sleep

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Original poster

Four months old - Should she be sleeping through?

20 replies

ragtaggle · 06/02/2004 12:36

I know there's no definitive answer to this question but I just want to know what you think about this. My dd has always been a pretty good sleeper - from about 6 weeks we were getting several ten or twelve hours stints at night.s. Unfortunately we went away for christmas (When she was 3 months old) and she slept in a variety of beds. After that her sleeping pattern became more erratic and she no longer 'sleeps through'.

For about the last fortnight she has been waking every night at about 3 am after going down between 7-8. I feed her and she goes straight back to sleep until about 6-6.15. The problem with this is that I can't get back to sleep however hard I try. (Even though I feed her in the dark lying down) I tried re-introducing the 10.30 feed (Which I'd dropped at about 11 weeks because she seemed to not want to wake up and who was I to argue?) but it made no difference - she still woke at 3.

My mum suggested that I should offer her cool boiled water as she as proved that she can go through the night. I know she'll heartily reject this as she won't even take a bottle. The thought of a battle at 3am is not a good one but I'd really like to cut out this feed. Is she now waking at 3 out of habit because I have kept feeding her at this time or is it unrealistic to expect her to go through the night at this age?

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dinosaur · 06/02/2004 12:40

Mucho sympathies about not being able to get back to sleep. I usually get up to put my DS2's quilt back on at least once a night and have the dickens of a job getting back to sleep afterwards.

But tbh I think that only one wake-up a night is good for a four-month old. Hopefully it will gradually get later and later until she goes through until 6 a.m. That's what happened with my DS1 (my DS2 was a nightmare sleeper, but that's a different story!).

Sorry not to be much help.

CountessDracula · 06/02/2004 12:50

Yes ragtaggle I would agree, I think dd woke once during the night until at least 6 or 7 months.

You could try ignoring her but she is a bit little for cc (IMO)

emmatmg · 06/02/2004 12:59

Our 4.5 month old is also waking for a feed (although bottle) during the night, Like you DD ragtaggle he was sleeping through, well nearly all the way anyway but that seems to have gone out of the window.
He woke at 2:30 last night and then again at 4:30(no grub for him then though) and wanted to get up a about 5:45am.

He's always been fussy with his milk and after I weaned him things really changed. It was a miracle...all the bottles and food was guzzled down. It was fantastic but very short lived as we're back to square one with food and sleep.

So no help from here just sympathies..........

SenoraPostrophe · 06/02/2004 13:11

ragtaggle - sympathies.

The things I would try would be: cut back a little on the second to last feed of the day so she has more for the last feed; or give her a dummy when she wakes at 3am.

However it could just be that she can't get enough milk into her little tum to see her through the night any more and that you will have to persevere for a bit. If that is the case would it help if you went to bed later? Then you'd be more tired when she wakes and maybe it'd be easier for you to get back to sleep.

Maybe you should also get a travel cot next time!

BTW through the night at 6 weeks is great. Maybe I only have 3 weeks to go

Original poster

ragtaggle · 06/02/2004 14:29

Thanks for this. You've helped me see that it's me who needs to work out how to get back to sleep rather than her that needs to break the habit of waking at 3 am. I suspected that one night waking was very good really so I'll just endeavour to learn how to switch my brain off at 3. Maybe I'll start going to bed at 1!

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Original poster

ragtaggle · 06/02/2004 14:30

P.S: She won't be doing with dummies - refuses it every time. Prefers me to be one

OP posts:

kaz33 · 06/02/2004 14:33

6 weeks = growth spurt I recall

She's doing great to have even slept through by 6 weeks, you've got a while till she becomes totally predictable. But sounds like you got a sleeper, see "Baby for sale" thread to see the other side of the coin.

cords · 08/02/2004 13:46

Ragtaggle .... I am sooooo in yr boat .... I am the one who cannot sleep through the night !!! ... ...

I also have tyhis 3am alarm and I often feel as if I have been awake till 6am .... So, regardless of how well DD sleeps, I feel exhausted ! I am now trying homeopathic sleep tablets and also ear plugs ... I have in the past gone into the kitchen and lugged back a glass of wine to get me off to sleep ...grim I know !

I think that it will just take time ... wish it was more simple than that , but you do hve my FULL sympathies there !

cords · 09/02/2004 11:33

RT ... I remember you advicing the PU/PD method to me before , maybe you shld reapply the principle at the 3am waking to avoid feeding ? Have you noticed if she is still feeding as well for the morning feed despite the 3am feed ?

Also, just a thought ... cld it be that she has always murmered around this time, but now becasue you are sleeping so lightly esp at this hour that you are noticing ? Do you give her the chance to resettle ?

WSM · 09/02/2004 11:35

DD didn't sleep through properly until she was around 8 months. I was so frustrated as the other mums in my group had babies who slept through from around 6-10 weeks !

ANGELMOTHER · 09/02/2004 11:45

So many of us in the same boat I'm afraid....see the how do you teach a baby to settle themselves thread and you'll see I'm with you here.
My dd now 4.5 mths is waking 12, 4, 6 and doesn't really want her feed in morning, preffering it seems to snack throughout the night....er I think not but it's very hard to reason logically with a 4 month old at 4am

oliveoil · 10/02/2004 12:53

WSM - they were lying. I don't believe it (victor meldrew stylee) when anyone tells me this anymore, makes me feel better anyway.

Original poster

ragtaggle · 12/02/2004 11:39

I'm with you on that one oliveoil. I think people have short memories when it comes to this issue. BTW my dd has just slept from 7-6 three nights in a row (Now nearly 18 weeks) She even goes back to sleep until 8 after a ten minute feed! I did nothing in the end - have had it up to the back teeth with baby advice books - and she did it of her own accord!

But I know better than to join the ranks of the smuggerati as it could all change - as I well know - in a heartbeat. Here's hoping ... and good luck everyone

OP posts:

Blu · 12/02/2004 11:43

LOL at Smuggerati!

lucysmum · 12/02/2004 11:54

dd2 is 9 months and has only slept through when with hindsight she was getting ill (ended up in hospital for a week !). Currently wakes once a night and has a bottle to get back to sleep. DD1 was the same but would take a dummy so it was much quicker with her. Of course even when they start sleeping through it's not long until they start calling in the night for the potty, nightmares, teddy bears, blankets falling off etc etc. Roll on the teenage years ! I too have a problem getting back to sleep - try keeping a piece of paper by the bed and writing down what seems to be in your mind - might help - and also keep really warm when getting up - socks, dressing gown etc - I think this makes it easier to get back to sleep.

pamina3 · 12/02/2004 13:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

marsup · 01/03/2004 17:08

My DS, 9 weeks, feeds every 3 hours during the night at the moment and wakes screaming with colic in between. I shouldn't have read this thread, it has made me depressed (though that might be a side-effect of sleep deprivation!)

JennH · 01/03/2004 19:50

You sound just like me, my baby sleeps 7-1ish then sleeps again until about 6am, and she is not interested in her 11pm feed at all.

I don't know what to suggest really, but i find myself waiting up a lot until 1 cos i just think whats the point in sleeping for a few hours.

So nothing to add really, just support x

motherinferior · 01/03/2004 19:59

Mine were absolutely awful at that age, marsup. It gets better. Honestly honestly honestly it does. At 9 weeks I was seriously considering leaving home.

marsup · 06/03/2004 14:24

THanks motherinferior - I guess it always seems really long at the time and yet things keep changing. The colic actually seems a bit better now, but DS is such a light sleeper and so bad at getting to sleep that even a bit of digestive difficulties creates havoc.

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