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Sleep

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Waking at night

26 replies

Marta62162 · 29/09/2021 08:01

My 19 week old wakes up every 3 hours at night
and takes 4 oz each time sje wakes up before she used to only wake up 1 time in the night.at 15 weeks she would wake up every 15-30 minutes at 16 weeks every 1 hours and then from 17-18 every 2 hours now from 19 weeks every 3 hours and I don't see this ending I thought that she might be teething but I don't feel no bump at the back when I touch but she is dribbling and bitting her fist all day I need some other mums advice of what could possibly be going on.
Thank you

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kitkatsky · 29/09/2021 08:07

Classic 4 month sleep regression im afraid. I know she's nearer 5 months but these timings aren't specific

Marta62162 · 29/09/2021 08:09

Kitkatsky thank you for the reply
But this has been going on for 3 weeks now and I think the sleep regression goes on for 2 weeks as my health visitor mention to me about this.

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Pickle2021 · 29/09/2021 09:15

Sorry to say sleep regression for 4 months can last a lot longer then 2 weeks. I think I lasted about 5/6 weeks then encouraged independent sleep for lo. I have heard it lasts longer then 6 weeks too. Think it depends on the baby x

canyoutoleratethis · 29/09/2021 09:24

What’s going on is that she’s an entirely normal baby! Honestly, OP, you have nothing to worry about - her sleep is improving, having gone from waking every 15-30 minutes to waking every 3 hours, so it looks like you’re coming out of the end of the 4-month regression (and sounds as if you got off lightly). My 7-month old is still up every 2/3 hours, so it’s all completely normal. I would perhaps reframe your expectations on baby sleep, and hopefully feel better knowing your LO is just doing what babies do.

Marta62162 · 29/09/2021 10:30

Thank you for the reply but how long did your sleep regression last for?

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Pickle2021 · 29/09/2021 10:52

Mine was about 6 weeks until I encouraged independent sleep. Mine always been difficult sleeper at times, and I was purely exhausted so I chose this route. If I hadn't done it I think it would have been very long time until she got through it. Every baby is different x

Zarene · 29/09/2021 11:01

DD's sleep went to shit at four months, and it lasted till we sleep trained at 6 months. Sorry OP - no real advice but solidarity!

Marta62162 · 29/09/2021 11:53

Thank you all of your reply I hope her sleep will get better I am just tired 😫 I'm not sleeping much but she does have a night routine every evening 7pm bath 7.15 massage with lotion getting dress 7.30 cuddles and then feeding 7.45 ish and 8pm time for bed I do this every night.

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Moonbabysmum · 29/09/2021 13:22

The thing about the 4m sleep regression is that it is because of a permanent change in sleep. So the worst of it may be over in a few weeks, but what is left over that haze clears may be very different from before the regression.

My eldest slept from 11-6 before the regression. After the haze cleared, she'd added in a feed at 1 and 4, so back to 3hr stretches. Whilst those gradually faded away (last middle of night feeds went at 15m) it took her until the age of 3 to get as good a sleeper as she was before the regression. Its a reset button basically.

My youngest was a rubbish sleeper before and after it so I barely noticed it.

canyoutoleratethis · 29/09/2021 13:45

As the PP said, your LO’s sleep has now changed permanently, so anything that came before, is gone, so when it comes to sleep, there’s no point looking back. But as I said, you should take reassurance from the fact that your LO’s sleep is improving, and she’s done that naturally. Waking every 3-hours is completely normal and actually very good for a baby who is still so small. Some may say you need to sleep train to get longer stretches. But as your baby has perfectly illustrated, they will improve their sleep when they are ready - she’s already settled into 3-hour stretches and she’s done that all on her own, this may stay like it now for a bit, or she may improve further, or she may regress again (you have teething and weaning to come and they can both negatively impact on sleep). Honestly, I do think you have a good sleeper for her age and have only just come out of the 4-month regression, so try not to worry or think you need to do anything. I know you’re tired, but having a baby is tiring and getting 3-hour blocks of sleep is about right for now. Do you go to sleep when she does? It may mean an early night, but if you’re tired then you should sleep too. Sounds like you have a good bedtime routine going, so if I were you, I’d go to bed with her at 8pm for a bit and enjoy the extra sleep.

Marta62162 · 29/09/2021 14:54

Thank you for the reply but I cant go to sleep with her as I have a 5 year old and a 7 year old in the house so I need to make a snack for them before bed wash them get them in pj's cleaning the house getting there school cloths ready for tomorrow so I go to bed at around 23.30 as then my little one wakes at 23.00 as she goes to bed at 8pm so honestly I only have about 6hours of sleep at night as she wakes up then at 6am and won't go back to sleep so I am a bit frustrated and overtired because of this I just wanted some advice from other mums maybe I thought that I was doing something wrong or maybe that something was going on but all of the mums said that this is sleep regression.

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Marta62162 · 29/09/2021 14:57

My previous kids I didn't feel it as they were rubbish sleepers but this one was doing good waking once for feeding so bedtime 8pm and then wake up at 3am for feed and then 7am up for the day but now from 15 weeks she started this sleeping pattern.

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canyoutoleratethis · 29/09/2021 15:18

Oh OP, of course your tired and frustrated. Sorry, it wasn’t clear from your posts that you had other children who obviously take up your time on top of DC3. Hopefully your DD’s sleep will continue to improve over the next few weeks, as she’s already come a long way and is clearly out of the worst of the regression (mine was stuck in the waking up every hour phase for a month - it was horrific!). It’s not much consolation, but you are through the worst already, so I hope she continues to settle down and gives you bigger stretches. In the meantime, I’m in solidarity with you as a baby waking through the night is hard work, but it sounds like you’re doing a great job with your little tribe! x

Moonbabysmum · 29/09/2021 15:24

Are you a single parent?

Because what you describe is you needing to do everything - from making the other kids a snack in the evening, to doing all night wakes, and being the one who gets up at 6am?

If you aren't a single parent, then these things nerd to be shared more. With my first we alternated nights, with my second I bf (bottle refuser) so couldn't do that, but he dealt with all bedtime and wakes for our older one, and got up with both every morning.

Marta62162 · 29/09/2021 15:51

Thank you so much

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Marta62162 · 29/09/2021 15:53

Hi moonbabysmum
I am married but my husband works from 7am to 7pm so he needs his rest I don't want to push him or bother him I know his tired too after 12hour shift of working he was in a warehouse so its hard job too but thank you for the support.

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Marta62162 · 29/09/2021 15:54

Thank you all for your reply and support thank you so much I just needed some mums advice and talk😘

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Moonbabysmum · 29/09/2021 16:07

So you get a 24hr soft but you don't want to bother him with a 12hr one?

In can't see any reason why he can't do the evening and the hour before he goes to work as a minimum. Tbh, i think he should be doing more then that with 3 kids, but it's a good start as a minimum.

canyoutoleratethis · 29/09/2021 16:08

That’s ok, OP. I just hope we could help a little, even just listening and reassuring. Parenting is seriously hard work, so I hope you have some people to talk to. And you can always post on here for some support. But it sounds like you’re doing great in such exhausting circumstances, and your lovely children are lucky to have you as their mum, as you clearly care for them a very great deal FlowersFlowersFlowers

Marta62162 · 29/09/2021 16:13

I don't think he would even want to if I ask him to hold our baby for like 2 minutes coz I want to go to the toilet he refuses so I have to take her with me upstairs put her in her next to me crib so then I can use the bathroom there's no time tomyself I feel everything Is on my shoulders the kids the house shooping doctors appiotments school everything I have no Time for myself and now my baby's sleep gone worse.

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Marta62162 · 29/09/2021 16:14

Thank you so much for your caring words

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Moonbabysmum · 29/09/2021 16:39

I think you said have a husband problem much more than a baby one. His attitude isn't normal or acceptable. It doesn't sound like he's got the message that it's his child too :-(

Moonbabysmum · 29/09/2021 16:48

Think you have a husband problem, that should say

Marta62162 · 29/09/2021 16:54

Hi I was OK when my baby was sleeping and just waking up 1 time at night but now when her sleep got worse I feel overtired doing things because of the lack of sleep so this is baby problem of not sleeping

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FinallySomeNormality · 29/09/2021 17:05

It def sounds like classic 4mo sleep regression stuff to me. Nothing at all that you are doing wrong, and it's one of those things we just have to ride out!

DS1 was fab sleeper until the 4mo sleep regression. Then he was up on and off at nights - not often for feeds, but needed resettling a lot. We used a dummy and he'd go back to sleep fast, but would cry again after the next sleep cycle as it'd fall out. We ended up getting rid of dummy which was painful but I think did eventually help. I'd say his regression lasted on and off from the 15wks until about 6.5 months. Some nights were fine... others crap. No consistency!

Ds2 is just in it now - this past week he has gone from sleeping 7-7 with a dreamfeed at 11pm to suddenly waking at 12am (not hungry as we still dreamfeed at 11) and then on and off from 4am. Needing another night feed again (he is going through big growth spurt I assume) and then up for the day at 6am. Naps have always been shit so can't comment on how it's affecting his naps Grin