sudden multiple night wakings? But already on 4 hour easy

[mumx3]

Have browsed the other topics but not found the answer?

DS is almost 16 weeks and has been on 4 hour last for 2 weeks (3 hour easy since birth) and things have been going well.  Occasional ups and downs but on the whole really good.

for the last few nights (despite having good naps in the day and transitioning the 45 minute mark unassisted during his long nap) he has been waking at night every 20 to 30 minutes.

He sleeps 7 pm to 10.30-11 when I give a df. but trouble now is he wake at 2am and from then until I give up at 6am he wakes every 20 to 30 minutes,  he is swaddled and sometimes breaking out of it, and has a dummy (paci) which also needs putting back in then he drifts off again on his own until he wakes again in 20 minutes

I really need help to fix these frequent nw's what can I do?

Here is the current routine (does change every couple of weeks though!)

E 7am
A
S 8.30-9.15
A
S 10.15
E 11am
A
S 12.30- 2.45
E 3pm
A
S 4.45-5.30
A
E 6.30pm
S 7pm
DF10.30
E 4am
E7am



Thanks for your replies in advance

[*Nicola*]

Hiya

A couple of thoughts for you ...

1) Could the paci be an issue?  Is he waking when it falls out and needing you to replace it for him?

2) Your post says that he sleeps through the 45 min transition but from your actual EASY it looks like he is sleeping 45 mins then having some A time then sleeping another 45 mins for that first nap ... can you clarify.

x

[mumx3]

hi yes he sleeps 2 seperate 45 mins in the morning...the 8.30 to 9.15 has to happen in the car on school run, then once home he has another 45 mins before I wake him for feed.

When he sleeps at 12.30 he sleeps for over 2 hours without help transitioning perhaps because we are home

The dummy/paci could be a prob at night....what does this mean?

[*Nicola*]

Ok ... i understand now about the morning nap Thanks for that!  Looks like you have the school run juggling act figured out

Ok lets see ...

Right around 4 months there is a BIG growth spurt.  Does he seem hungry when he wakes at 2am?  Do you offer a feed when he wakes or do you wait until 4am to offer a feed?  Resettling but constantly waking up again can be a sign of hunger.

Did the 2am wake start after you moved to a 4 hour EASY?  If he is hungry at this wake up it could be that he hasn't yet started to take enough at each feed to make up for loosing a feed, does that make sense?  The very same happened with us. 

Is the dummy falling out and causing him to wake?  It is really common for the dummy to become a prop around 4 months of age.  Have you tried using pat/shh to resettle at NW's.  Tracy does recommend you get rid of the dummy by 4 months - not sure if you are considering this but you will find lots of information on this on the Props board x

[mumx3]

Hi Thanks so much for helping me out here...I really need a lifeline right now!

Ok. Last night was the third night he had woken at 2am.  He does seem hungry at 2am. The first two nights of waking at 2am I did not feed him...I tried to resettle and he kept waking til I gave up at 4am and fed him (this was the time he has always woken for a feed.  But last night I fed him at 2am as he seemed hungry.  He downed the bottle but couldnt resettle...he did not seem windy (gassy) it seemed like he was tired and wanted to sleep but he would just drop off to sleep and then be awake again within 20-30 mins.

The 2am waking did start after moving to 4 hour easy.  WHich was at least  week ago, maybe more...my brain is not working great right now!  Moving to the 4 hour EASY seemed to solve all the daytime problems...in the day he used to fuss at the bottle and wasnt hungry, I also couldnt get him to transition through the 45 minute sleeps, and he seemed OT, but this is all drastically improved since switching to 4hour EASY

I can totally see it could be a growth spurt.  I also think the dummy may be causing some trouble...as he is desperate to get his hands in his mouth but when he manages it he knocks them dummy out and then cries.  Should I get rid of the dummy then?

Thanks so much Nicola....I really need this advice.

[*Nicola*]

Is he draining his day bottles?  If so then I would add another oz to them to try and get him to eat more during the day.  Has he increased the oz he is eating in each day bottle since moving to the 4 hour EASY?  If not then it probably means that he is hungry at night and is making up the calories at this time instead.

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=67976.0  This might help you

If he is knocking the dummy out of his mouth and crying/waking up then it sounds like this is an issue yeah.  Will he settle without the dummy?

Some links for help with dummies ..

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=2361.0

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?board=28.0 ... Props board has lots and lots of posts and information xx

[mumx3]

He was draining his 6 oz bottles last week so I added another oz and he takes half of the extra oz. This was increased when we moved to the 4 hour easy.

Have read the links and they are helpful. thanks!

[*Nicola*]

[mumx3]

how much does he take at the df? Have you considered weening it and allowing him to wake on his own. He maybe wake at some in between time yet drain a full bottle and sleep till morning?

Hi there

That is a good point...he only takes 3 oz at the df rather than the 6.5 he takes at other feeds...maybe I should let him wake and hopefully he will be really hungry then. 

What would the repercussions of him being allowed to wake rather than the df?  If it is habitual waking later on I would rather deal with that then than what we are doing now!

I NEED SOME SLEEP!

[*Nicola*]

We didn't DF with DD1 and she stopped nightfeeds around 12 weeks. 

DD2 we stopped and started DF numerous times.  If we gave it we usually got a 2am waking and maybe another one.  If we left it we got a midnight waking and often another one.  We eventually stopped it and then weaned the nightfeeds at 7.5 months

[mumx3]

Have decided to go with loosing the dummy, and cluster feeding.  So managed to get a whole 7 oz into him over 45 mins before bed, and then pat shushed.

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=133301.0

will need to think on the df's

I will see what happens tonight first.

I know sometime the advice is to bring the df forward..not do it too late...why is that?

Thank agaiN!

[*Nicola*]

I was just coming back to modify my post and recommend bringing that DF forward. 

Tracy advises doing it as near to 10pm as possible as anything after that can interupt night sleep cycles and cause more NW's.

Will have a look at your post in Props.  If he is looking for his hands anyway then hopefully it will be a smooth wean

[mumx3]

have updated other thread, still not sure what to do about df...thinking not to do it at the mo.

[*Nicola*]

Read your update, fantastic news!! Well done on getting him to sleep without the dummy.  You have done a great job

Re the DF, you got the exact same results as we did without it.  You could drop it for a week and see how the nights go and then decide from there.