HELP! - 16week old suddenly waking every 1.5/2 hours at night & no more than 45 min. naps

[elk4baby]

Hi,

I've written on here before asking for advice on the short naps - I still can't get more than 45 min. from DS.

Now, for the past 4 nights he started waking every 1.5 to 2 hours and then every hour towards the morning.
He goes down at night (always with a fight - very actively resists sleeping, at naps too), sleeps for 45min to an hour. I go in and give him his dummy, he sucks for a few min. and falls asleep. I have tried getting back to sleep without it, but this takes ages longer and doesn't affect the length he sleeps after. I put him down without it the first time though - bath, massage and feed (falls asleep with the breast in his mouth sometimes, but I try my best to make sure he doesn't and settle him otherwise). After this first hour he usually slept for 5/6 hours (aaah, bliss), but now he wakes 2 or 2.5 hours later and then 1 or 1.5 and then 1 more and 1 more... naturally, after such a night he's grumpy and tired .
And what's worse is that he doesn't nap for longer stretches in the day after such a night.

I have tried feeding him more during the day (almost every 2hours), but that didn't change anything . I have also tried the Baby Whisperer's suggestion of trying to move him to a 4-hour routine (we've been roughly following the EASY routine since about 6 weeks), but that didn't have an effect either (yet?! ).

I'm out of ideas as to what's waking him. Any suggestions?! PLEASE HELP! I feel like I've had a bad hangover for the past few days.

[Hulla]

sorry for short post - dd napping on my other arm.

Sounds like 4 month growth spurt, my dd did it too and it was hell!

It passes but it is hard. You're more disciplined than me, I just let dd suckle to sleep, don't bother with routine (anymore) and threw BW away! [anything for an easy life emoticon].

It was at this point we started co-sleeping to cope and I took naps with dd too.

Have a look for the 4 month sleep thread - this is very common. It was full of ideas and support.

Good luck!