4mo old waking every 40 minutes at night

[Okz]

My EBF 4mo old is waking every 40minutes at night, right from when she goes down after 7/8pm the whole way through the night until 6/7am. She wakes up screaming and won’t be settled by anything but the boob. My husband and I have tried a variety of different settling methods (rocking, noise, self soothing) but only this will do. After a short feed (2-7min) she will fall asleep on my chest and sleep for either a few minutes or another 40 minute cycle.

She has never been the greatest of sleepers and I thought we hit 4mo sleep regression a few weeks ago when she started waking up every 2 hours but this 40minute cycling is unreal! I also thought it might be to do with a cold she caught last week but that’s been and gone and the constant waking has stayed.

Please help! Going insane due to lack of sleep!

Have you considered co-sleeping (safely)?

This feels all too real. I have a 5 month old and last night was the first time in about 5 weeks that she's slept more than an hour without needing a feed.

We co-sleep, so it's not too bad, but gosh I am TIRED. Good luck, it'll get better.

Hmmm this is useless but it does pass. I would make a plan to survive as best possible for a couple weeks and then go for it and decide for example that they will have a feed every 3 hours and for all the other wakes be settled in their cot without picking up. Then you can stretch to 4 hours etc once that takes, it should work. You could even start tonight if your partner is off work for a few days and you're happy for them to help. Shouldn't take more than a couple nights

Sorry unless you are not keen on sleep training in which case solidarity, this regression is brutal, it will pass, safe coslseping might help

At so little it ca. be regression or a milk spurt to increase your supply maybe. It's brutal though and you have my sympathy. Even if you give yourself 2 hours off , might help you. Have you a partner to give milk if hungry or would you consider a dummy?

Could be growth spurt? It will pass xx my eight month old has been waking every two hours for a month or so now and only tonight has done a five hour stretch! Out of the blue x I’m so wound up about Xmas I haven’t slept though so typical .

If she's having a short feed each time, it sounds like she is having a little snack and then waking up hungry regularly for a top up.

If you could try some methods to keep her awake for longer so she stays awake to have a nice big feed (take clothing off, tickle her feet, move her around and talk to her), and then put her down when she's drowsy, she'll likely start sleeping in longer stints over time x