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SLEEP => Night Wakings => Topic started by: jeaninetoro on April 24, 2006, 18:15:45 pm

Title: Recent night waking - 4 month old
Post by: jeaninetoro on April 24, 2006, 18:15:45 pm
I am a working mom and am so run down now due to my 4 month old's recent night waking!  Up until just before he turned 4 months old he was sleeping for a 6-7 hour stretch at night, waking once for his bottle and then waking at about 6am - now he doesn't go more than 3 or 4 hours before waking!  I am exhausted!

He wakes at about 6:30am for his bottle, after which I get him ready for daycare and I get ready for work.  I play with him before we leave the house at 7:45am.  He is in daycare from about 8am.  According to the teachers in the room he sleeps from about 8:30am until his next bottle which is usually at about 10:30am.  He will play a little and then sleep from about noon to 1:30.  He has his bottle at 2pm and is then awake until my husband picks him up at about 4pm.  My husband plays with him, often times he will take a nap before I get home at about 5:30pm.  I feed him at 5:30 / 6 and give him a bath at about 6:30pm and then play with him until his last bottle at 8pm or so.  Often times he will nap before his 8pm bottle (about half an hour to an hour or so).

I don't have a detailed bedtime routine.  I change his diaper and dress him in his Halo sleepsak.  He has his bottle and is usually asleep by the end of it.  I burp him and put him to bed in his crib at about 8:30 / 9pm.

He is taking between 4 oz and 6 oz of formula at each feed, and it takes him 20 - 45 minutes to drink it.
 
He seems to be waking between 11:30 and midnight now every night.  He seldom sleeps until 3:30 / 4pm like he used to before waking for his night time bottle.
 
When he awakes he is usually vocalizing (he is not crying, it's more whining)  He is wide awake - very wide open eyes, kicking legs.  It takes me about 15 minutes to rock him back to sleep.  (I pick him up and rock him) and sometimes I will give him pacifier.  I try not to give him the pacifier at night as if it falls out of his mouth he wakes up, but sometimes it calms him down and settles him quickly.

He doesn't seem to be teething - no bulging gums although his drooling has increased and he is biting on his hands a lot more in the last several weeks.

We started to introduce cereal at the 8pm feed.  Per the pediatrician he was ready for cereal although I had my doubts.  My mother suggested I try it to see if it enabled him to sleep longer at night - it didn't make any difference as far as I can tell - in fact it seems to have increased his appetite.  I give him 1 tablespoon mixed with formula.

Any suggestions / advice would be greatly appreciated!


Title: Re: Recent night waking - 4 month old
Post by: Kimberly® on April 24, 2006, 19:12:27 pm
first thing take out the cereal. :) its most likely causing your LO tummy upset. Contrary to populate belief, cereal does NOT make a child sleep longer. In fact often times it can make it worse as they get gas, tummy upset, or even constipation.
Then I would suggest a slight change in your routine. Your day starts of great and he seems to be getting the sleep needed while at daycare. Where you may be having the problem would be your evenings. Your DS is overtires by bedtime.
Have your DH put him down for a nap at no later then 5. Make it a cat nap. No more then 45 minutes.
Here's the part you may not like.
Move bedtime from 8:30-9 to 7-7:30. do your bedtime routine at about 6:30 and into bed after the last bottle by 7. This way he isn't overtired and he's more likely to sleep longer. Do a dream feed right be for you go to bed. 10:30 is a good time. Then when he wakes if he's hungry feed him. If he wakes and he isn't crying leave him be. I know its hard to sleep with the noise but its better this way. After a few nights he'll know how to get himself back to sleep. He's learning to self sooth. If he's crying do pat/shush or PU/PD try not to rock to sleep as this will cause more problems in the long run.

Also at each feed try to encourage your DS to take more formula. He may have hit his 4 month growth spurt.

HTH
Title: Re: Recent night waking - 4 month old
Post by: summersusu on April 27, 2006, 15:20:37 pm
My LO began waking at night too and last night I put him down at 7-7:30 instead of 9:30 and he didn't wake until 4:15 w/o dreamfeeding!...Hopefully this will continue.  So maybe the earlier bedtime will work for you too.
IT is worth a try..Daddy didn't like it because it was less time he could spend with LO but it was worth it this morning when I woke up refreshed and he did too.
Title: Re: Recent night waking - 4 month old
Post by: annyj74 on April 28, 2006, 13:33:02 pm
They sound like great advice!  My baby is 3 mths 3 weeks and used to sleep from 9 pm to 6 am!!  Now she's having night wakings once or twice, so I'll try moving her bedtime earlier as well.