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SLEEP => Night Wakings => Topic started by: falcon6 on November 03, 2014, 08:43:47 am

Title: How to approach EWs with 4.5 month old??
Post by: falcon6 on November 03, 2014, 08:43:47 am
Hi all, would really appreciate your advice on how to tackle my 4.5 month old son's early morning wakings. He has just been through a wonder week/sleep regression and coupled with the clock change, he has started waking at about 5.30am for about 2 weeks now. He is usually crying but not inconsolable and often does a poo (which was always his 'Im awake for the day' signal!)

He is on a 3 hour EASY but its quite 'fluid' as he often only naps 30/45 minutes (although usually has 1 long nap at some point during the day). Bedtime is 7.00 with aim to be asleep by 7.30. At present, I am feeding him almost to sleep with a burping and lullaby after feeding.  He generally wakes around 1/2am for a feed so it is sometimes reasonable to think he is hungry when waking at 5.30 but sometimes he stretches as late at 3.30/4am and still wakes at 5.30ish.

I have tried rocking him to sleep but it doesn't work and have tried nursing him like a normal night feeding (sitting up in bed) but he doesn't re-settle. What I have been doing (bad habit) is bringing him into bed and nursing him to sleep in side-lying. It is not a deep sleep and if I move at all he stirs and then wakes with the rest of the house at about 7/7.30. I then find our whole day is off and its hard to know when he is due his next feed. 

I'm wondering how I fix this? Do I get up with him at 5.30 and try to stretch WT? Do I do ssh/pat or PU/PD ... or do I need to work on independent sleep at bedtime (probably!).  Not sure how to approach it..

Thanks in advance
Title: Re: How to approach EWs with 4.5 month old??
Post by: Ima shel Alon on November 04, 2014, 10:47:33 am
It sounds to me like the 3h EASY doesn't suit him anymore and he is ready to increase his A times and go up to 3.5h EASY or 4h EASY. It's not so much black and white into which cycle he should fall into, but rather find his right A time which will give you better naps.
The EW can be caused by either not having enough A time during the day, especially first thing in the morning or because he is too tired from the day as he didn't have enough day sleep. Like you see one reason is UT and the other OT, so it's really hard to know. That's why it's better to get him on a better routine.
There is information here about the transition from 3h EASY to a 4h one: Time to Transition - 3hr, 3.5hr or 4hr EASY
and here: Average A times- BOOKMARK ME! you could get an idea which A time is average to his age.

HTH and if you have anymore questions I am here :).
Title: Re: How to approach EWs with 4.5 month old??
Post by: falcon6 on November 04, 2014, 10:54:08 am
Thanks for your reply! I was wondering this myself alright having read the chapter in 'Solves all your problems'. He can definitely go 2 hours if well rested. How does this work if breast feeding?? I think he still seems to look for 3 hourly feeds, maybe 3 1/4.
Title: Re: How to approach EWs with 4.5 month old??
Post by: Ima shel Alon on November 04, 2014, 10:56:53 am
You could give a top up say 30min before naps or you could divide a feed between the beginning of A time and the middle of it.
Title: Re: How to approach EWs with 4.5 month old??
Post by: falcon6 on November 06, 2014, 19:58:54 pm
Almost nervous to post for fear I jinx it but... Things going great here with a stretch in A times and some work on self-settling at bedtime. Has gone down awake into his cot the past 2 nights (which he had NEVER done before), woke for feeds but gone straight to sleep and slept til 6.30. Thanks for support ;)
Title: Re: How to approach EWs with 4.5 month old??
Post by: weaver on November 06, 2014, 20:52:36 pm
Always nice to hear the good news too, thanks and well done :)
Title: Re: How to approach EWs with 4.5 month old??
Post by: Ima shel Alon on November 07, 2014, 13:21:59 pm
That's great news!