Sleepeasy sleep training for a 4.5 month old

[marushka82]

My DD is 4.5 months and I reached a point where I think we need to do some sleep training otherwise I will turn into a zombie...
I am currently co-sleeping with her and she nurses to sleep. The longest stretch of sleep she'll do is 4 hrs at the moment and then she's waking up every 2-3 hours. I usually start the bedtime routine at around 8 and she's in bed with me by 9pm on most nights. She's usually up at 7.30 am.
Recently her sleep just got more and more erratic and over the last weekend she was up every hour! Not even hungry because she didn't want to eat when I offered the boob.
I am desperate for her to sleep better and to fall asleep on her own. I also want to improve her naps (currently she sleeps for 40mins-1hr in the morning - the first nap is usually 2 hrs after she woke up, then 1hr-1.30mins around 12-1pm in a pushchair and 30-40 mins in the afternoon - usually around 5ish.)

My friend recommended the Sleepeasy Solution and I think DH and I are ready to try it. I read most of it but I'm not sure about weaning DD off the night time feeding. Should I do this before I start the sleep training or do both at the same time? If you used this method, could you please share your thoughts? How did you prepare for it?
I feel like DD's night feedings are so erratic at the moment I will have a hard time weaning her off them! Confused but so so desperate for some sleep - and I know it will benefit DD too!

I know you are desperate but I really would try and wait. Every single "sleep professional" says to wait until at least six months old for any kind of sleep training.

DS is 13 months and the supposed four month sleep regression hit us really hard. Exactly like you describe. We co sleep too and I don't know how people get up in the night. I can't remember exactly but those naps sound OK?

I just tend to think...babies wake a lot. And I know that doesn't help you, and I know it's shit, and you have my full sympathy. But I'm just starting to think some babies have different sleep needs to adults. I used to think a four stretch was a good stretch! I don't really know how it is now but it's not without wakings, that's for sure.

I'm sorry, I'm not being much help. I guess I'm just hoping that telling you it doesn't sound unusual...normal, even...it makes you feel a tiny bit better. I'm in an online group of 40 women and our babies are all the same age. All but two went to shit around 4 months; none except two babies "sleep through".

Hi ZebraZebra, thanks for replying!
It's a bit better now, I think I just got desperate after that one weekend when DD was waking up every hour. Now it's not so bad and she does a stretch of 4-4.5 hours and then wakes every 2-3 hours. That I can definitely deal with! I think she is starting to teethe too, which probably isn't helping, so I've been giving her Calpol before she goes to bed.
I think I managed to get her used to napping regularly through the day, she's currently on her first nap and it's been an hour (that is LONG for her, hehe).
Should I be worried that she doesn't fall asleep on her own? For daytime naps I use white noise and a dummy and if I time the naps right she falls asleep in 5 minutes, at night she nurses to sleep. I don't think I ever managed to do what the books say; i.e. put DD in her cot/our bed drowsy but awake and let her soothe herself to sleep...

She's so young still, I really wouldn't worry about her needing something to help her sleep. She's biologically programmed to keep you as close as possible - I think you're onto a really good thing that she ONLY needs a dummy or white noise or feeding. I was doing an awful lot of rocking to sleep when DS was four or five months.

I personally think there's way too much pressure to get sleep sorted. She's so little and she needs you and that's not a negative thing. My best advice - cuddle her close, enjoy it, she won't be little forever and worry about sleep if these things are still an issue in several months time. You sound like you're doing brilliantly. It's so easy to worry about what "should be" but really - just worry about what is best for your family. I'm glad she's sleeping a bit more but in all honesty - he sleep patterns sound very normal for her age.

Thanks ZebraZeebra!
I'm so tired, for the last two, three nights she's been waking up to fart - actually, she doesn't fully wake up, she just throws her arms around, squirms, grunts, moans and pulls her legs up. I'm almost certain it's trapped wind but have no idea what may have caused it, I don't think I ate anything different? It's exhausting for me and for her, I'm worried that she's not getting enough sleep...
I already eliminated the obvious sources of dairy and soya from my diet but read somewhere that citrus can be bad as well and the night before she seemed really farty and I realised I had quite a lot of orange juice. So no citrus for me for now, but I'm not sure what else to try!