Night Wakings - hungry or habit?

[hippohippo]

Hi!

I am new to this SLEEP board. I have posted in PROPS in the past month and received excellent advice.
I have a 4m old ds who used to sleep through the night (6-7 hours) 'til about 2 months. Then he started taking the soother and for about 2 weeks I was getting up every 2 hours to stick it back in. When I posted, it ended up that ds was just overtired. I combined extra sleep in the evening with EASY and I solved the soother problem. Now I have another problem... he now gets up every 2-3 hours in the night. I offer him milk and of course he takes it every time, but not always for a complete feed. How do I know if he is hungry or simply getting up as a force of habit? How do I know if I should I be using PU/PD?

Here is his daily routine (although the time change has affected it slightly, give or take 1 hour):


Wakes Up: 7 AM
Feeding: 7 AM
Nap: 8:30 - 9:00
Feeding: 9:30 AM
Nap: 10 AM - 12 PM
Feeding: appx 12 PM
Nap: 1:30PM - 3PM
Feeding: 3PM
Nap: 4PM-5:00 PM appx
Feeding: 6 PM
Then I try to get him down at 7 or 8 with a DF at 9PM or 10PM.
He will then get up at about 1 AM, 4 AM and 7 AM. 

Other things to consider:
- Breastfeed (usually one side, he will take the other side sometimes 1/2 after the feed unless he falls asleep)
- When he wakes at night he will eat and then fall right back to sleep
- DS can fall asleep on his own by either sucking his thumb or if that doesn't work I give him the soother (rarely fusses in the middle of the night, he's too tired)
- Has ezcema on face, arms, stomach
- Have not introduced cereal yet
- He uses a blankie to nap and sleep, likes to smother his face with it.
- Still use soother to help calm down, then I take it out when he is about to fall asleep. But as I mentioned, I do give it to him in the middle of the night to get him down if he can't settle on his own.

Thank you Thank You!!!!!

[pbmom]

I also have a 4 mo old.  She is on a 4 hr easy - I shoot for the textbook one starting at 7 am.  Definitely doesn't always happen, but feeds are always 4 hrs apart. 

I think you might be on the wrong routine.  You seem to be feeding every 2.5-3 hrs.  Can your lo go longer?  Most can go 3.5-4hrs.  I see you BF.  I FF.  I understand from these boards though that some BF babies cannot go 4 hrs between feeds.  I would try to tweak your routine a bit and see if NW stop.  I know that mine NW when overtired or hungry.  Maybe yours isn't getting a full feed each time as he could really go longer in between.  Your NW might stop if he takes larger feeds less times a day. 

I also see that he's taking 4 naps a day.  Mine does 2 naps and sometimes catnap (sometimes not which is why I have NW).  I would aim for 2 naps 2 hrs each and 1 catnap and see if that helps.  The first nap is really short and then the feed is only 2.5 hrs after first feed.  It might be he's only eating a little and then he snacks the rest of the day.  It must be hard BF as you can't tell how much they eat. 

I would try:
7 am wake and feed
8:30 or 9 am (depending on how much A time he can handle) - Nap
11 am feed
1pm Nap (unless he woke early from first nap, then adjust day so A time isn't too long)
3 pm Feed
5 pm catnap
7 pm feed and bed by 7:30

If you want to continue DF I would do at 10pm.  But I do not DF as mine had many NW when I did that.  So, now I feed at 5pm to tank her up and she has one night feeding at 3ish.

I'm sure someone else will pop on with some advice...I'm no expert as we all have our issues!!!

Good Luck!

ps - GREAT JOB getting him to self soothe himself to sleep.  We have not gotten completely there yet!