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SLEEP => Night Wakings => Topic started by: ~Emma~ on January 04, 2011, 14:35:23 pm
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DD was always an angel at night. From about 2 weeks old she would go down at 7 then wake once in the night( usually about 2/3am) for a feed and be up again at 7 to start the day. I got greedy though and thought if I started a DF then she would sttn from DF 'til morning. The DF messed things up and she started waking twice a night plus DF so I dropped it.
Sinnce dropping it she still wakes at DF time, I usually just feed her and she goes right back down no probs. We went on a trip recently and I pumped some milk and gave it to her at this feed and she only took 1.5oz, the next night I tried to resettle instead but we were staying with DH's parents so I couldn't give it a real go iykwim. Anyways she would go back to sleep in my arms but wouldn't settle in the cot.Also to get to DH's parents we drove the 8 hours overnight, left at bedtime and she never woke the entire time in car only needing a feed at 3am when we arrived. This waking doesn't seem to me like she's hungry. I think I've created it by starting the DF, she comes into a light phase of sleep and then wants a snack. Its just easier to feed at this point as she goes straight back down afterwards.
Am I making a rod for my own back by just feeding her? She is just so hard to get back to sleep for it.
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I have no idea but just wanted to say that we did the EXACT same thing and are still dealing with the consequences. DS went fro 7-3 or 4am with feed and then woke at 7. We then introduced a DF at 10.30 or 11 and it messed things up!!!! Since then(2 months ago) we wakes at 11 AND at 3 AND at 5. I think I should have just let it be as I was disturbing his deep sleep cycle. :(
So yeah still battling with that. at the moment we are feeding him the first time he wakes(between 11-1) and then trying to cut out the next feed. I am breastfeeding but he also has a bottle of formula at 7pm each night so I thought I would try giving him super diluted formula when he wakes at 3 without even lifting him from his bed. Seemed to work last night and he went back to sleep after he drank less than half an oz!!! Am planning on diluting it more and more till it's just water.
DS is also the same if I feed him right away he will go back to sleep but if I don't then he will cry for 2 hours and then I will give in anyways and he is so cranky by then he will not even go back to sleep!
Anyways not an expert just wanted to share what our plan of action is :)
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Hi there Emma, I don't think at 3 mths it's an issue. The 4 mth GS is coming so really, those night feeds are probably going to change again soon enough not matter what you do now. But have you tried W2S at the habitual time? Maybe she just needs a reboot :-)
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Thanks Wendy. I might try w2s at the weekend. I thought perhaps us going to bed was waking her too but she was in her own room last night for the 1st time and still woke up. I am pretty sure its habitual given that she eats so little, I try and try to get her to take a good feed then as I think it might eliminate the later waking but she sucks for a couple of mins then zonks out.
Alicia - ((((((hugs)))))))) Are you kicking yourself as much as I am? ;) DD even did 3 full 12 hour nights before I introduced the DF! I cant believe it messed up this bad! We too had the 2 wakes after DF time for a while but the 3am one dropped and we still have the 5am one so far although the times can vary ao I'm pretty sure its real, genuine hunger at that point.
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OK, so not tried w2s yet but she is still waking at that time like clockwork, usually about 3.5/4 hours after going down for the night. I have been feeding but last night tried to resettle ( well DH did) we can get her to sleep in our arms but cant get her down into the bed without her waking and crying.I fed her last night and she didn't take much at all she did however go through unitil 5.30 after that. She is also farting ALOT at this time of night, thinking a wee bit of gas going on too.
I am thinking a cuple of things here....
1. Just re intro the DF then at least we have a degree of control over whats happening and hope that this time it does the trick
2. w2s...can we do this as much as 45 mins- 1 hour before the waking as it quite variable depending on bedtime?
3. Just keep going as we are. Do habitual wakings eventually disappear? Or do they have to be tackled?
Any advice/opinions/holding of hand welcome! ;D
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1. Just re intro the DF then at least we have a degree of control over whats happening and hope that this time it does the trick
Could do. It's very common for LO's to stir after there deep sleep phase which lasts the time you are saying she stirs, 3.5-4 hours. I wouldn't get too hard on yourself about it as she may have started waking anyway. It is likely that she is waking more from either hunger, discomfort or an inability to resettle herself. In my experience from reading other posts about DF's, it seems as though if they don't work straight away, then they just don't seem to work and sometimes trying to reintroduce these things can do more damage - did for us as DS wasn't really hungry so it actually created wind in him, more NW's as he took 2 extra feeds that felt more like a quick snack as opposed to the full feed he would generally do. Also found it harder to settle him after a snack/funny feed. When he woke on his own and was ravenous, he fed furiously then pretty much past out back to sleep.
2. w2s...can we do this as much as 45 mins- 1 hour before the waking as it quite variable depending on bedtime?
Have never done this but once I sneaked into DS's room at around 10pm (not with the intention of DF'ing him but just to have a peek and he stirred from my presence and I couldn't settle him so had to feed anyway! After that experience I didn't go in unless he woke for feeding)
3. Just keep going as we are. Do habitual wakings eventually disappear? Or do they have to be tackled?
From both my experiences, having a successful DF does make the night feeds easier to tackle, mainly because as they roll over into the deep sleep phase they are not hungry so if you are lucky enough to have a sleeper who puts themselves back to sleep, then they have already learned that self settling technique. With DD it really was as simple as feeding her at 10.30pm then her waking at 7am, then one night around 4 months I just stopped DF'ing her to see what would happen and she slept through. Because the DF didn't work with DS I just fed as he woke but he was still waking and feeding sometimes twice a night at 6.5 months so then I tackled the night feeds and decided that he needed none at all (big boy, established on solids etc) and it took 4 nights of teaching him to settle himself - just posted on Martina's post about how we tackled them.
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Thing is she is a self settler usually. She does it for her morning nap, sometimes the second nap and every night before bed and after subsequent NW's she always puts her self back to sleep. This is why this waking is bothering me. I think doing the DF made her realise she liked her tummy full at that time of night! So she wont resettle herself unless she has a snack.
So w2s? If she wakes at 10.30/45 whats the best time to go for it?
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Then I'd probably be inclinded to give the DF a go again at 10pm and hope that at that waking she doesn't wake up because she has a full tummy. If she can take a DF and settle back to sleep after and do a good stretch, or even better, last til morning then really that is the ideal situation.
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Taking both sets of advice here and going to w2s for the next 3 nights and if that doesn't work re-intro the DF then at least we can wean away from it at 6/7 months. ;D
So how will I know if she's out of a deep sleep when I w2s?
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I just did it. She was out for the count, I even flashed the lights on and off! She stirred but thats it, didn't open her eyes. We'll see......
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IT WORKED! ;D Didn't wake until 4.30am for a feed! Should I still do it again tonight?
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I would!
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You know the saying, '3 days to make a habit, 3 days to change a habit' - so maybe 2 more nights and cross fingers on the 4th? Not sure, I think I remember doing W2S with DD1 but that feels like an eternity ago now :)
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Wow great result!
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Worked again! Last night tonight. :)
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Awesome!
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Glad it worked!!! What time did you w2s?
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Hi Alicia....we are doing it a 9.45pm and the waking is/was anywhere between 10.30 - 11.15 depending on bedtime. Go for it honey, you really have nothing to lose.
It worked again last night but i am going to do it for 1 more night tonight just to make sure. I can still here her stir round about 11pm but she doesn't seem to wake. We are only now getting up for a NF at about 3/4am again depending on bedtime, she goes straight back down after a whole lot of smiling!
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Awesome! Is she textbook then?
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This girl is a bit of everything! Spirited eyes, angel nature, touchy napper.......
..... I have a feeling I've got a whole lot more trouble on my hands with this little lady. ;D
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Did it again last night to make sure!! She slept through until 5.10am. :o :o :o Over 10 hours....a few months ago my toddler was only doing 10 hour nights. ::) Only problem is she wasnt that hungry this morning when I woke her. Could be a whole lot worse though.
So going to resist doing it tonight and see what happens. Keep your fingers crossed for us.
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She had her immunisations today and now has a bit of a temp so think tonight might be bad anyways. At least I know she CAN do it and thats the main thing.
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I hope she continues the great sleep for you.
Quick question: Does habitual wakings have to be at the same time every night? I am finding Alyssa has been waking between 11-11:40pm for the past 4 nights.
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No, ours was anywhere between 10.30 and 11.45 sometimes as late as 11.30. Are you feeding her when she wakes?
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I am feeding her. :'(
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Sorry meant to write between 10 and 11.30 there!
I would try w2s honey. Thing is with us that the DF created this habit and when she stirred at this time she wouldn't be fully hungry but her tum wouldn't be full either kwim? SHe just couldn't settle back to sleep without me filling her tummy. I think sometimes they need a nudge in the right direction.
I'd say do it at 10.30pm. Really whats the worst that can happen? All I had to do was stir her, in fact thats all I could do! The 1st night I was even flashing the lights on and off and she wouldn't move. :o
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I will give it a try. should i attempt it for 3 days?
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I did it for 4 just to make sure! :)
Great news here. Dylan slept from 6.15pm-5.45am. Wasn't too sure what to do with the waking whether to start to the day or not. ???
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Great news here. Dylan slept from 6.15pm-5.45am. Wasn't too sure what to do with the waking whether to start to the day or not. ???
WOW! :o Emma that's GREAT news ;D
Start the day and don't change anything :P You must feel like a million dollars this morning!
:-*
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Yes I do! I had gone to bed at 9pm last night saying to DH that I was so tired and need of some good sleep. I couldn't believe it when I looked at my clock this morning. She is one clever cookie!
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that is wonderful news Emma. :-*