Help - advice please 4mo and all change sleepwise ��

[WhiteMagnolia]

Hi

Any advice really appreciated! My dd1 is 19wks and spent most of the first 3 months on and off in hospital...long story but all fixed now. She has got v severe colitis triggered by serious allergies which is all under control now. I bf and feed specialised formula 50/50 and am on strict exclusion diet. She was born at 5lb - totally healthy just a bit small. From the start she has always gone down at about 11pm and woken once in night and then again a 6am which although was tiring looking back entirely do-able - this was at home only. However as an in-patient she was woken every 2hrs for obs and we had the same light day and night...grrr . Whether this is a factor or not I don't know but since 16ish weeks she has suddenly started sleeping only for an hour - hour and a half at any time in the night. I would assume it to be behavioural but she goes down very happily during the day in her own cot upstairs even if she is put down awake she will play and then sleep..so don't think separation anxiety or anything. Day naps all fine but come the evening all kicks off! I put her down now at 7pm after bath and feed and she sleeps till maybe 8.30...horrendous screaming etc and eventually I give up and let her join us and feed until we go to bed at 10ish...from then she will sleep to 1am and after that she is relentlessly waking up and screaming...the only consoling thing is breast..but I am in my knees with exhaustion and could do with even a 3 hour sleep...why now?! Anyone else had the same? Any tips? Could it be hunger? Behavioural? Can't think what else?!

Thank you and sorry its so long!!!

Yes! I had similar. Dd is CMPA and had awful night time screaming. Then the 4 month sleep regression hit, then teething plus growth spurt and well basically the whole bedtime thing just went to shit . She is taking Neocate and dairy and soya free.

We did whatever we needed to get her sleep. Be that co sleeping, feeding to sleep, cuddles, singing or even going for a walk in the pram, car rides. Anything! Some things tried one night but not the next. We just kept going.

I don't want to jinx it but she's nearly 8 months old and since she started on solids it has gradually got better . She doesn't sleep through. Hates going to sleep and wants milk twice a night but there is a huge improvement.

Do whatever it takes op. If it works even for one night then that's a result in my book

Have a look at this www.sleeplady.com/baby-sleep/4-month-sleep-regression/ or Google four month sleep regression. I can't comment on the medical side as fortunately we don't have problems there, but DS was sleeping well, waking once or twice a night, til he hit four months, we've been up most of the night for the past 3 weeks or so . He seems to be improving now, fingers crossed, although currently constipated so awake most of the night again with sore tummy.

My LO had 4 month sleep regression (IMO) and at 5 months I think it had become habit, so I started to just settle her on her first wake (around ten pm) instead of feeding. I just picked this wake time to do this as I was the least exhausted at this time! After a few nights she no longer woke at this time, and her lengths in between night time feeds subsequently lengthened. It will pass, don't worry, but it may take a while....