It's another 4 month regression one - self settling

[Bobbiepin]

Typing this from under DD, at 5am, times are getting desperate (I'll try to keep it short)

4 month sleep regression has arrived and hit us like a train, unfortunately timed with a hefty growth spurt which I think is over now. DD has gone from sleeping 11-7 to waking up every 2 hours. While the growth spurt was spurting I didn't mind feeding her and she would go straight back down after a decent feed (combination fed, a bottle before bed, bf through the night). Times have changed.

My problem is everything I've read to beat the regression is about self settling. DD does it very well when we first put her down: a kiss & dummy and she'll drift off, even if she's not particularly drowsy but she seems incapable of doing it when she wakes during the night. I try putting the dummy back in but no luck.

We're on our 4th wake up tonight (1st rocked back to sleep, 2nd fed, 3rd rocked and she's now asleep on my shoulder).

Why is it that she can self settle at bedtime but not through the night? What can I do to help her learn to?

Also, last point. When dh leaves in the morning I put her on the bed with me, and she sleeps for a couple of extra hours but DH smokes so I won't co sleep with him here.

Are you feeding during those wakings? As she could be hungry!

I was during the growth spurt but now she'll only have a quick comfort feed and be up 30 mins later so I'm trying not to unless it's a reasonable time (2 or 3 hours) since her last feed or I can't settle her any other way.

Not sure if this is right but there’s a high sleep drive before bed and as the night goes on, I think this drive reduces and sleeep gets lighter. My boy is now 10 months and he self settled at bedtime but when he woke during the night (and still does 1-2 times), I normally have to feed to calm him and get him sleepy, put him in his cot awake but very drowsy. He pulls off as if to say put me down now and he just rolls over and goes to sleep.

I think it’s very normal for them to need more help during the night. It’ll just be a phase and hopefully will go back to normal. Is she in a developmental leap at the moment?

That sounds about the same as what DD is doing now. She jist finished a leap so I was hoping it would get better. Maybe she needs more time.