4 month sleep regression or habit of waking?

[JWbs]

Looking for any advice really as I'm not sure if my DS is going through sleep regression, or just an awkward sleeping phase!
My DS started to sleep through the night at 8 weeks. He would go the whole night and wake happily at 6/7am. As soon as he turned 14 weeks, he began waking during the night. This could be every hour, every 2 hours or sometimes every half hour. The first week or so I would just get up and put his dummy in and he would happily settle back off for however long (as stated previously) but this didn't seem to get better as I found myself getting up between 5-10 times a night just to put his dummy in or stroke his head. He didn't appear hungry and when he was waking, 9/10 his eyes were still shut and he was just jiffling around in his cot and whinging a bit until me or my partner got up. I began to think this was habit but it just started out of no where! About a week ago I decided to try feeding him when he woke to see if that would solve it and he would only take a few once's then settle back off for a few hours.
His bedtime is roughly 7pm. I have tried keeping him up longer to see if that would help but he just gets upset/over tired, so I've stuck to putting him to bed at 7pm when he is drowsy and ready. Last night he only woke 1:30am and then 4:30am and both times I fed him. Am I doing the right thing feeding him? If this is sleep regression, is feeding the right answer? But it seems to settle him for a few hours which is why I have begun doing it and seems like the only sensible answer. Any advice for this very OT mum or do you think it's just a case of riding it out? It's been a good 4-5 weeks now!

I don’t have an answer for you but my little one who is 13 weeks has gone from being an ok sleeper (awake twice between 7pm and 7am for feeds) to waking every couple hours and thrashing around his cot and banging his legs etc. At first replacing the dummy helped but even that doesn’t work now and I spend a lot of the night awake trying to settle him (like yours, sometimes his eyes are shut). Feeding him only makes it worse as he’s more unsettled after it. I am at breaking point with exhaustion. I’m sorry I don’t have an answer for you but following your post in case someone else does !

It's nice to hear someone else with a similar issue. He always used to be a brilliant sleeper up until 12 weeks (made a mistake in my post saying he was 14 weeks when it begun). He's 17 weeks tomorrow and this is still ongoing. I'm also not sure what the answer is but I guess it's probably just a case of riding it out and waiting for it to stop. I always remind myself that he won't be a baby forever and he has to sleep eventually but it is exhausting when you're in the moment. Mine too thrashes around in his cot, throwing his legs and arms around. He's also started to become really unsettled once I put him to bed! He used to settle off and now he doesn't want to go to bed, almost like he knows he can't sleep throughout the night!

Snap! You could be describing my baby!! I started swaddling him about 3/4 weeks ago which at first helped his sleep massively but now he just throws his legs up in the swaddle and fights to get his hands out!
I keep reminding myself it can’t last forever too but it’s hard when you’re living on 4 hours sleep a night!! Good luck. Hopefully it gets better for both of us x

I tried swaddling but he was SO angry about it, I decided it wasn't worth it! He has always liked to stretch out so it's not for him! I really don't think there is an answer, just got to hope this doesn't go on for months to come. Keep hope, I am! Good luck x

Oh I feel your pain! I’m going through the exact same thing. I’m still feeding my baby when he wakes up which is several times during the night. I would say if the feeding is helping your baby to settle a little longer then he probably is waking up because he’s hungry. I can’t wait for this sleep regression to be over, I feel like it has lasted forever!!!

How many times are you feeding during the night? My little one is having roughly 2 feeds and this is making me nervous about weight gain! He's has a growth spurt and filling out now, I'm just worried he's going to get chubby if he carries on having these bottles during the night! He's began to take 4/5oz with his night feeds - so he's clearly hungry! He's not ready for any kind of baby food - I tried him on baby rice and he wasn't ready so I'm not going to try that just yet. This is my first, so it's all trial and error, but it's definitely comforting to see other mums in the same boat! I won't feel like the only mum awake in the middle of the night anymore with a 4 month old!

My one is up three times during the night, sometimes more but I’m breastfeeding so I’m not sure if there’s a difference. However, my sister formula feeds her son and at that age he was up at nights for feeds too. I wouldn’t worry too much about weight gain, are you getting him weighed regularly? I’m sure your health visitors would be able to advise you if he did gain too much weight.

Also, I’m sure there are lots of mothers up at night. It’s currently 12.50am and I’m up feeding my son. I’m sure il be up again in a few hours!

First time mother here too. I’m sure your doing everything the best you can. X

My mum did tell me that BF babies can be more demanding with their milk? I put my son to bed just gone 8pm last night and he woke just before 2 and I have just fed him. I'm sure he will wake again in a few hours - tonight was a better night!
I do get him weighed regularly, but I just worry all of a sudden he will get a lot bigger with the extra feeds he's having in the night.
It's reassuring to hear your sisters LO one was the same at this age, I know sometimes I need to get a grip and get on with it, but sometimes searching for an answer that isn't there is easiest! He's a lovely, happy baby, it's just these sudden night wakings that he started 5 weeks ago that's knocked me back a bit! I HOPE it's a phase and it'll pass.. sooner rather than later!
Keep up doing what you're doing though. As daft as it sounds, I try to take in the moments at 2am etc when I'm feeding him, as one day he will be too big and I won't get sleepy cuddles. It'll all be worth it x

Going through the same thing with my 14 week old. She’s been a pretty good sleeper but has regressed spectacularly over the last week waking every two hours for feeds atm. I’m breastfeeding so thankfully side feeding is saving my sanity but it’s tough. I’m a second time mum and I can definitely tell you it gets easier as my 2.5 yo is snoring in his room happily. Don’t worry about weight too much keep an eye on it sure but they’re quite clever things and take what they need usually. Good luck!

It's sleep regression I think. Had with both children. Basically we kept to our methods of putting to sleep in terms of making sure they self-settle. But I fed overnight when they woke (I breastfed) as I think they are growing and developing so much in the early months they can use the nutrition. Both got over it and became decent sleepers around 6/7 months. In terms of weight they were always normal weight, 50-75% percentile in weight vs 75-90% in height.

As the keeper of a baby who basically has slept in 2 hour stints since he was born, I’d say sounds like he’s just being a baby? Some of them just don’t sleep very well, is my assessment. 2 wake ups is pretty good going (the definition of ‘sleeping through’ at that age is 5 hours!). Don’t worry about weight gain - they are pretty good at self regulating and little chunks tend to thin out.

You could try making sure he’s getting his naps and possibly a slightly earlier bedtime? I’ve discovered ours actually does better with an earlier bed time. It’s also entirely possible that your baby will get through this stage and be back to actual sleeping. They’re mysterious like that. In the meantime, cut yourself some slack, catch naps if you can. I’m still alive and it’s been 9 months of this ;) it has definitely got better for us.

Thank you for your replies!
It seems he's waking at the same times every night 1(ish) and 4(ish). I am starting to think he's got into a little bit of a habit as last night he woke a few more times but would settle back off without a feed happily.
I feel like I'm going to be doing night feeds for months and months to come and he turns 18 weeks on Monday 
All the smiles in the morning make up for the tiring nights, I just can't wait for him to finally have a good (long) sleep again.. and me!

Hi, my DD is 20 weeks and has just gone through her sleep regression, it does last a little while but only a little while. Be ware that at the same time as sleep regression they can also begin reverse cycling and this is where they will feed through the night rather than the day due to becoming so aware and curious at what’s going on around them in the day they concentrate on food at night. Plus a growth spurt too.

She is back in her normal sleeping pattern now, so it’s ride it out and enjoy those cuddles.

Good luck!

Hello!
That post is what I needed to read this morning, thank you!
That's exactly what it feels like, he's reversed and gone back to feeding during the night and it doesn't seem to be anywhere near stopping. I presume you just fed your little one when she woke and eventually she didn't wake for a feed?

Also how long did it last for you?

Yes yes, god feeding her is the only thing I have ever thought of doing when she wakes - saying that I found we would put her down at 7:30 and then about an hour into her sleep she’s suddenly WAIL and that would need a good pick up and cuddle. The rest was a feed, 12:30, 2:30, 3:30, and so on... but I breastfeed. I would imagine the amounts they are taking during these times aren’t a full feed of formula? I’d probably prepare to feed but try and cuddle first. When I was looking up about all of this for FF it said one extra feed is fine during this time xx

Anyway, I think it lasted about 3-4 weeks... really not that long in the scheme of things!

My DS usually goes to bed at 7(ish) but I find if he goes to bed at this time at the moment he will wake a lot more than if I put him to bed a bit later! Right or wrong, I'm trying to put him to bed a bit later, means we both get a bit more sleep!
He has at least 2 feeds during the night. Rarely I can only do one, it's the only thing that will actually settle him back off! The only thing that bothers me is that he's going to rely on these feeds and it's never going to end. I have tried comforting him back to sleep and even putting his dummy in but he's just hungry so I'm having to feed him.
So glad you've said yours has come out the other side.. mine has been going through this since he was 12 weeks - he's now 18 weeks! X

Oh imtheres so many schools of thought but a lot to say that this is age is too young for them to form habits - bad or good! Just do what you need for you and your baby x

Best advice yet - thank you very much  xx

Interesting reading the above comments as I am losing the plot with my little one! He wakes and absolutely screams the house down, currrently he only sleeps at night for 1 - 1 1/2 hours and requires cuddles after a feed for a good 1/2 hour of that time! So sometimes I am only getting 30 min bouts of sleep. The only way to get longer sleep is for me to keep hold of him in a very upright position and try and get some sleep too at the same time.
He has had a virus, which he is just coming out of and it seems to be getting worse and not better. I thought the screams were because of the virus and not the sleep regression. Thoughts? Any advice?

@JWbs if that's when your baby is tired then you probably need to stick to 7pm.

I have exactly the same think DS is 4 months yesterday and suddenly waking in the night a lot, 1.44am as I'm writing now. I have a sleep consultant, apparently at 4 months that's when babies that can't self sooth regress, they lean upon their dependencies to get to sleep in my case BF. He wants feeding even when not hungry to get back to sleep.

Apparently by addressing to issue at nap time, putting him down super tired in cot awake it will then start to solve your night issues. Mine cried out at 10pm I gave him 5 mins and he settled him self back off. Let's see how we go