Tips on getting dd to sleep longer at night- desperate!

[Hayls]

DD is 4 months and nowhere near sleeping through the night. She goes down around 7 and will then sleep till around 11.30/12. After that she's awake at least every 2 hours and often more frequently after 5ish. She's normally up for the day by about 7. She's feeding every 3 hours during the day and having some solids as well so I'm sure she's not hungry but I inevitably end up having to feed her-breast fed and WON'T take a bottle for dh to help out- because if I leave her she gets louder and louder then it's even harder to get her back over. She just seems to want to play as she sings and gurgles away quite happily and eventually screams but a quick feed always sends her back over. She sometimes wakes up crying and I'm happy to giver the benefit of the doubt that she's hungry then but surely she should be sleeping longer?

I seem to have tried everything but I was just wondering if anyone had any other ideas. I've tried giving her the dummy in her cot and in my arms and when it rarely works she wakes again after a few minutes. I've got blackout blinds but that doesn't seem to have made any difference to the early mornings. I'm not keen on trying controlled crying but might have to if things don't improve. Any other suggestions much appreciated. I really don't know how I get to the end of the day sometimes as I find it difficult to nap

P.S I do actually love being a mum and she's otherwise the perfect baby!

our first baby was a terrible sleeper (and he's still has a few bad nights). we have often used a herbal remedy from Bioforce called Valerian-hops...it has helped keep us sane on more than one occassion over the past 2 years. Its great for any sleep problems (in children and adults). i've used it during pregnancy as well and found it great.

officially it is for over 2's but I have used it (I'm a nutritionist and own a health shop) on both babies from 3/4 months (as soon as they were having a bottle).
you add 1 or 2 drops into some water or milk (or any liquid) about half an hour or an hour before bedtime.

i know not everyone likes using herbal remedies on babies but I have no hesitation in recomending this (its also great when they're teething)

Gloworm, thanks for that.

Along those lines, just a thought- does anyone know if it's safe to put a couple of drops of lavender oil on a tissue near dd's bed. And would it help her sleep? I've got some that dh often uses for insomnia and could try it tonight if it'll help!

Hi Hayls have you tried lying your DD on the muslin cloth that you use so that she can smell you during the night, also we use a light weight sleeping bag and then tuck DS in so that he's nice and secure.
Don't have much else to add, sorry.

lavenda oil is fine as far as i know just make sure its out of her reach
is there anychance of teething or maybe a cold because mines got both and hes waking in the night crying not hungry just wanting a cuddle hope this works and you get some sleep soon
oh and try puuting her to bed a bit later like around eight hopefuly it will tire her out enough to need the full nights sleep

Sorry to hear the nights aren't too good Hayls.

Could you perhaps give her milk at 11.30 /12, just in case she is hungry. Then if she wakes again soon after you'll know its not hunger.
Then when she does wake again maybe offer her water. Maybe if thats all she sees is on offer she may not bother waking.

Is she always breastfed to sleep - even during the day? If so then maybe she cant fall back to sleep by herself when she wakes at night, in which case you'l have to start putting her to sleep without a feed, maybe starting during the day.

I hope this helps, but all babies are different and in my opinion its all trial and error and we just muddle through as best we can. Good luck - keep us updated on Feb thread.

lavender oil is fine...1 drop only...not directly under face, but at edge/corner of cot.

ds, who is now 2, asks for his "sleepy drops" everynight!! they seem to help.

Hi hayls,
It's a real killer, isn't it? this sounds just like us at present. Ds aged 4.5 months naps easily during the day (as long as we're at home, but the pushchair screaming is another story...) then his nights are just like your dd. I managed to get him to stop feeding between about 11pm and 5 am, by using a sort-of pick-up/put down approach (cf various threads on the Baby Whisperer) but he still wakes every 1.5 - 2 hours during that time. I am getting desperate, because the 5am feed blends into 2yr old dd's getting up time of 6am, and is getting slightly earlier, so the days are starting at 4.45am. My next effort will be to not pick him up, but to cuddle him in the cot, sort of lying next to his head, and hope that he learns to settle himself when he wakes. This appeals more than doing cc. Good luck!

How's progress Hayls? we're going backwards, ds (20 weeks) now wants a feed at 11pm and 2.30am, then last night he was awake from 2.30 - 5 am, shortly followed by dd's morning wake-up call at 5.50am. I am exhausted and have mad staring eyes. Unfortunately, begging & pleading with him to sleep hasn't worked. This had better be a growth spurt or else some serious measures are called for, but I don't know what exactly. Had started solids, met with indifference to the spoon (although great enthusiasm for my own food), so postponed for a bit.