4 month old waking at 3am and then every hour after that | ExpatWoman.com
 

4 month old waking at 3am and then every hour after that

2782
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 17 October 2011 - 10:46
Some babies (and adults) seem to be naturally heavier sleepers, so although they do wake, they don't fully rouse between the cycles. My husband is like this, in the morning he's like starting up a computer, wheras I'm like turing on a tv (we are the reverse with going to sleep, I have a long shutdown whereas he is out like a light). Unfortunately DS got my genes on that one. SIL has gone through the same as you with her first being same as my husband but her second being much more easily woken. Once they are fully awake then they become aware of any physical/emotional discomforts such as wet nappy, being hungry, missing their dummy, missing mummy, too hot, too cold etc etc so life would certainly be easier with the kid who groggily rolled over and transitioned back to sleep before all that kicked in. Hope you find a solution that works for you.
184
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 17 October 2011 - 09:56
Alimart just wanted to point out it is NORMAL for them to wake every few hours, ALL babies do this after around the 4 month mark, (as do adults), the only difference is that many settle back again by themselves without you even being aware they have woken while others need help. So its not that there is something WRONG with your baby. Thank you for this, just think we were very spoilt with his sister who sleeps very well and doesn't wake up very often. Hopefully it is just something he will grow out off as he learns to self settle.
488
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 17 October 2011 - 09:52
hey alimart, funnily enough we have an appt with Cecile on Sat that we made a few weeks back :) He's improved alot although we still are using the dummy...it's so hard to take away! He is napping brilliantly during the day now and is similar to your LO at night being very unsettled in the early hours of the morning. I remember reading once that is a time where they are in a much lighter sleep so easier to wake. DS goes down between 615 and 645 and then has a dream feed around 11ish (may wake earlier altho settles here quite quickly) but then is often unsettled from 4am but seems to go back into a deeper sleep around 6am. I know it's not hunger with my DS as well, he seems like he just wants to sleep! Am going to get a humidifier for his room as he is also very snuffly and I don't think that helps either. I definitely think the tea has helped DS - hope it can help you too.
2782
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 17 October 2011 - 09:50
Alimart just wanted to point out it is NORMAL for them to wake every few hours, ALL babies do this after around the 4 month mark, (as do adults), the only difference is that many settle back again by themselves without you even being aware they have woken while others need help. So its not that there is something WRONG with your baby.
184
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 17 October 2011 - 09:39
Hi Sydnegal, how are things going now? I hope your ds is sleeping much better. I am going to go and look for some of that tea as def seems to be working for you. We have taken the dummy away but are still finding ourselves giving in when he just wont settle at 4am! We are giving him a dream feed at 11ish and then he is pretty much crying out every 2-3 hours, sometimes he settles by himself but sometimes we have to go in and give him something to hold onto. I wish I knew what was waking him up as I've tried feeding the little guy and he just wont take any so its not hunger. I'm going to see Cecile on Tuesday to see if she has any ideas of what could be bothering him. I know waking up every 2-3 hours is still pretty good but I am back at work full time and would give anything for about 5 hours of continuous sleep!!
488
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 08 October 2011 - 19:31
Hey M - glad to hear your LO is doing better on the new formula, you must be so relieved. The Linden tea I found at the Organic store - it's called Lime Flower Tea and comes loose which I just put in water. I also added a bit of Camomile and a teeny bit of sugar (when offering on it's own) but without when using for formula. Tonight he zonked out at 615 - he was knackered after his first swim class this afternoon...no dummy required! Kiwi - will keep plugging away at getting rid of it... :)
332
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 08 October 2011 - 15:26
not meaning to hijack this thread, but just wanted to update and say we had a great night last night! Went down super easy (without dummy!!) at 6.45, dreamfeed at 11.30, then a few brief awakenings at 1.30, 3.45 and 5.30 but each time went to sleep within minutes and slept until 7. I did give the dummy then but once he seemed to relax I pulled it out gently and held his mouth closed. no picking up and he stayed in the cot the entire time! Am super happy this morning and I have to say that i think the Linden Tea is a bit of a magic lullaby potion alright...would definitely recommend anyone trying it. Kiwi - it's supposed to be excellent for fevers too so maybe you could try on your DS if he's still poorly too. Super news SG : ) Where can you get this Linden tea from? Sounds like it has made all the difference and hopefully with time your DS will continue sleeping for longer spells. DD is now on S-26 HA and has improved considerably. You can tell her tummy has settled right down but she's still a little gassy but can fart away on her own without crying to be picked up to help her get the gas out.
2782
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 October 2011 - 11:27
that is great news SG, I would work on getting rid of the dummy slowly as gently as you are doing, I got halfway there around that age and then he caught a cold and I gave in, which I regret.
488
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 08 October 2011 - 07:49
not meaning to hijack this thread, but just wanted to update and say we had a great night last night! Went down super easy (without dummy!!) at 6.45, dreamfeed at 11.30, then a few brief awakenings at 1.30, 3.45 and 5.30 but each time went to sleep within minutes and slept until 7. I did give the dummy then but once he seemed to relax I pulled it out gently and held his mouth closed. no picking up and he stayed in the cot the entire time! Am super happy this morning and I have to say that i think the Linden Tea is a bit of a magic lullaby potion alright...would definitely recommend anyone trying it. Kiwi - it's supposed to be excellent for fevers too so maybe you could try on your DS if he's still poorly too.
488
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 07 October 2011 - 09:32
well I feel more human this morning as my beautiful hubby took the entire night shift (armed with formula mixed with Linden tea) so I could get a full nights sleep :) DS was a bit better last night so I wonder if the tea helped too. He went down very easily at 6.45 and slept 2 hours and then was a bit up and down until he fed again at around 11. Then slept until 2.30am, woke briefly again at 3.30 but then after a bit more of being unsettled slept from 4 until 7! (this is a vast improvment on every 45 min to an hour)... And then this morning he rolled over from back to tummy for the first time! Very pleased with himself! I guess I'm going to have to stop swaddling now :) We did recently move from swaddle to a woombie which allows more arm movement and I bought the convertible version which allows you to transition them to having their arms out. And lastly, we just had one more small miracle...he went down for his nap this morning without any patting or rocking. I just popped him in the cot and he chatted for about 10 min. After this he started to sound whingy so I popped the dummy in through the slats without him seeing me and kept saying shhhh it's sleepy time and he just rolled his head over and went to sleep! This has NEVER happened so I am super happy. I know the dummy was still involved but hey one step at a time! Kiwi - I know what you mean I do have my reservations about sleep training but I know that I will prob wind up with PND if this sleep deprivation goes on so I would have to do it for my own health and sanity which I know is selfish but otherwise I know I won't be able to look after him properly if I'm not well myself. I've already lost loads of weight and don't feel as strong as I used to... but hey I'm hoping we can get there without the training so lets see how things go :) Thanks for your support as always.
2782
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 06 October 2011 - 19:58
I was on the verge of sleep training at around hte 6 month mark (even though I'm really not ok with the idea of it, but I was that zombied) when he started to improve of his own accord. DS was an amazing night sleeper from birth until around the 4 month mark when dummy dependency started to be an issue, peaking at the 5 month point. I suspect though that if he hadn't had a dummy, he would have been dependent on the boob, so in a way the dummy was a better option as it didn't have to be (although still usually was :() me popping it back in at night. Anyway slowly but surely he has woken less and less, but yes, he was 12 months before he really started sleeping through again, and its not that rare for him to still wakeup up around 10/11pm for a feed even now at 14 months, but he can put his own dummy back in if he wakes at any other point. Do what you have to do, sleep training wasn't right for me but every mother has to make her own choices.
488
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 06 October 2011 - 17:46
hi ladies kiwi - yup we're back...yikes 12 months? I'd go nuts by then I think!! We need to get rid of this dummy even if it means sleep training I think as I just can't handle the ongoing sleep deprivation :( How did you handle it? aussiepup - thanks for the reminder, I have a necklace and just put it on him. Will put on his ankle at night as not sure about sleeping in it? M - hope the new formula helps for you. I'm sure DS also wakes sometimes due to gas, he's a farty little dude! But I also think the dummy doesn't help, all that incessant sucking! Last thing I am trying is some Linden (Lime flower) tea that a naturopath friend in Oz recommended, which is supposed to have great soporific effects on babies/kids. I just gave him about 50 ml and drank some myself to get into the breastmilk too. He also has a formula top up at night so will make up the bottle with some diluted tea as well - no harm trying right!
332
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 06 October 2011 - 17:15
Hi Ladies DD was at the doc again today as her sleep is not getting better and we are experiencing the exact same symptoms - takes 2 hours to settle at night, sleeps for 3 or 4 hours and then downhill from 1am. DD is 14 weeks old and not teething or going through the sleep regression yet (I think). She was a good sleeper at weeks 9 and 10 - slept from 8pm to 5am with only one or two wakings and those were solved by putting her dummy in her mouth and she would fall asleep immediately. In our case, I think her waking is due to a digestive issue (have written about this on other threads). Doc agrees and has suggested a change in formula and introducing solids when she is 18 weeks old. We've got the new formula now, S26HA - wish us luck. However, doc also said that this sort of waking was entirely NORMAL and developmental - yikes!!!
494
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 06 October 2011 - 15:08
My son did something similar from 4 mths to approx 6.5 mths when his teeth were braking through. He woke 9pm to 4am every 40 minutes and we were shattered this would go on for 2-3 nights when a tooth would finally break even with teething powder, gel and Neurofen n panadol. It wasn't unitil I though sod it I'm buying a teething necklace and he has only ever woken max3 times in a night and usually that is the night it cuts through. On 4 of those cutting he hasn't woken at all, only thing diff is the necklace. Whilst it may not be teething yet for your lo, I would still consider the necklace for soon ;). Hope it gets better for you.
2782
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 06 October 2011 - 13:50
so you're back then SG ;), oh dear it sounds like your wee man has headed straight down the path that my wee guy has followed. Based on the comparison, he should start sleeping through by himself at around the 12 month mark ;) although ot the last week when he has had a rotten cold and been in my bed most of the week.
488
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 06 October 2011 - 13:33
we have the sleep sheep too but don't think it does anything to be honest! My little man was up every hour last night...such a nightmare.... :(
184
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 October 2011 - 13:17
To be honest I think we just had a good night as it was the first night I tried without the dummy. We have a sleep sheep so I just put that on and after smiling at me, he must have just decided to go to sleep! When he woke at 2 I would normally have jumped up and give him back his dummy, as we have a 2 year old dd who sleeps next door but I just left him for a while and he put himself back to sleep - thank goodness she slept through it. We will see how his day sleeps go, I am back at work now but he is at home with our helper so will find out later if he managed to do the same during the day. I am happy for him to have it but I really don't want to be getting up every hour after 2ish to give it back to him, I have been so exhausted. I know there is another post where a mum of a 5 month old had a much harder time taking the dummy away. It may be because he is just 4 months and hasn't realised that it was a permanant thing.
488
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 06 October 2011 - 12:18
ahh that's great alimart...i lost count of how often I had to give the dummy last night! How did you wean off it, my DS goes mental when I don't give it to him!! I see sleep training on the horizon... :(
184
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 October 2011 - 12:11
Just an update, last night I let him go to sleep at 7 with no dummy and he went down really easily. We did the dream feed at 10.30 which went well, he then woke up at 2ish and cried a bit, I left him and after about 20 minutes of on off crying he went back to sleep until 6. So it made a huge difference that I didn't get up and give him the dummy, I was tempted though! I hope it continues as I feel like a new person after getting at least 4 hours of continuous sleep! Thanks for your advice on getting rid of the dummy, we will continue and see how things go.
2782
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 04 October 2011 - 23:08
The putting lots of dummies in the cot works well, but much later on in my experience. I'd work on getting rid of the dummy now, in whatever way seems ethically ok for you as it will only get harder the longer you leave it (trust me, I still can't bring myself to take it away) but you might find your LO still wakes and could well be hungry at 3am despite the dream feed.
2937
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 04 October 2011 - 22:14
Hey, if DS had taken a dummy I'd have been all for it and he'd probably still have it! I'm afraid as he didn't I'm probably no help with that side of things, but I know how awful it is when they wake so often :(. ETA: Just saw your reply on the other thread. I'd assess how you're feeling in yourself before you make any decisions about what to do with the dummy - if you're not having a good time of it, it might be an idea to put him to bed with 15 dummies in the cot and try to solve the sleep cue issue later when you're feeling better. x <em>edited by DubaiCat on 04/10/2011</em>
184
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 04 October 2011 - 21:03
Thanks so much ladies, I know we should probably try and stop giving him the dummy, I regret starting it now. I know it will be easier in the long run if we just have a few tough nights, I'm thinking of going back to Cecile for some sleep training tips. We were super spoilt with our dd, she slept through with no feeding from 10 weeks. As I work full time i'm hoping he will sleep a little better soon!
2937
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 04 October 2011 - 18:51
Four months seems to be the magical time when they forget everything they'd previously been doing sleep-wise! DS was down to one feed a night at that age and I thought I was going great guns. Then he started waking more often, until he was waking anything up to every 45 minutes. His sleep cue was me and a pair of boobs. As kiwi says, your DS's sleep cue is his dummy and he can't get back to sleep without it so if it's not there, he's going to ask his manservant to kindly fetch it for him :D. Louder and louder until said manservant complies! If you're planning on letting him keep the dummy, friends have highly recommended the Wubbanub as it's a dummy attached to a comforter and far easier for such a little person to find in the cot. Shove two in there if you think that'll help - my niece used to go to bed with one dummy in her mouth and one in each hand so she'd have a better chance of finding one of them in the night! I would carry on with the dream feed and he should drop that by himself when he's ready. Hopefully he'll soon be able to find his dummy by himself and then won't bother you in the night for help getting it back in. Your alternative would be to try some kind of sleep training so he can get himself back to sleep without needing the dummy, but if you're happy for him to keep the dummy I'd say that would be making it harder for yourself and creating unnecessary stress.
2782
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 04 October 2011 - 17:50
google "4 month sleep regression", basically he is waking more often now which is normal from about this point (due to developmental changes) but is hooked on the dummy to go back to sleep and is too small to put it back in himself.
184
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 04 October 2011 - 14:16
My 4 month old DS is now waking up at 3am every night and then at 4, 5 and 6. He goes to bed at 7pm and for the last week we have tried a dream feed at about 10.30/11pm (before that I was just waiting until he woke up at around 3 or 4 and then feeding him then, he would then sleep until 8). When he wakes up at 3 I settle him with his dummy but I can't work out why he wakes up every hour after that, he settles really quickly when I put the dummy back in. Last night I changed his nappy, checked his temperature (which was fine), I also ended up feeding him at 4.10 just in case he was hungry but he still woke up at 5 and 6. He is fully formula fed and has been having only one feed a night from about 2.5 months. Does anybody have any ideas what may be bothering him in the night that he wakes up at the same time every night? I have tried to let him cry for a few minutes to see if he settles but we also have a 2 year old dd in the next bedroom who I really don't want to wake up. I am now back to work this week and am exhausted with not much sleep!
 
 

ON EXPATWOMAN TODAY