3 1/2 mths old - waking every 45 min or so HELP!

[Jemimah]

Hello,
My LO is 3 1/2 mths old, breastfed, and was 4 weeks early.  He is on 3 hr EASY as I didn't think he would be ready for 4 HR EASY yet due to being born a month early.  He was sleeping pretty well, but recently has found his thumb and has been waking every 45 min and sucking his thumb.  He doesn't cry, but by sucking his thumb he cannot get himself back to sleep!  I put socks on his hands last night, which made it a bit better, but his wakings were still happening.  To further this problem, his daytime naps have also resorted to 30-40 min max.  Sometimes he can get himself back to sleep, but most times not.  I am not sure why the night wakings are happening, and how to resolve the obsessive thumb sucking issue.

This is my EASY - hopefully someone can help me out?  Maybe he is ready for 3.5 hr EASY?  Maybe his thumb sucking is not the issue, maybe it's my EASY? Not sure if I should be on the NAP, Sleep or Prop forum!!  Any advice would be great. 

E  -6am (only takes 10 min to feed!)
S - 7.15-8; 8:30-9 (wakes after 30-40min, sometimes puts himself back to sleep, or shh/pat - which usually doesn't work)
E - 9AM
S - 10:15-11 (awake from 11-12 in crib sucking thumb)
E - 12PM
S - 1.30-2 (sucks thumb until 3 in crib, will get hand out of swaddle to suck)
E - 3PM
S - 4.15-4.50
E- 5PM
A - bath, get ready for bed
E - 6.30PM (sometimes 7, but he usually gets to cranky if we wait until 7)
S - 7-7.15 (he will wake after 30min, and sometimes won't go back down until 9PM)
DF - 10AM (wakes consistently throughout night, then sucks his thumb, does not cry and then will eventually go back to sleep)
NF - 2.30AM (goes back to sleep until approx 4AM, then sucks his thumb until his 6AM feeding)

If I swaddle him to keep his hands away, he fights to get out.  If you leave his arms out of the swaddle, he won't take his hands out of his mouth.  Not sure if I am doing something wrong on my EASY, if he is just in a development stage, or ...or....or...
I just want him to get some sleep!! Help!!

Thanks

[anna*]

I'd try increasing his A time by 15 mins or so - gradually, not all in one go - and see if that helps.

[Jemimah]

Thanks for your response.  By slowly increasing A time, should I take it away from the catnap hrs later in the afternoon.??

[anna*]

Not sure what you mean? I'd try putting him down for each nap after 1.5hrs awake instead of 1.25hrs. Also, if he is awake at 6am I'd try to have him asleep for the night by 6.30pm latest.

[Jemimah]

OK, I will try this today - thanks.  I was putting him down earlier as I knew he would wake up, then I would still have the time to try and get him back to sleep again - in hindsight probably the wrong decision.  I will definetely try your suggestion of a full 1.5 awake time. 

As for bedtime at 6.30.  Would I then give his last feeding at 6PM instead of 6.30?  Plus if I do that would the DF still be at 10PM?  I am not sure he will always be able to make that long before waking?? And if I bump up the DF to 9ish, then I will have to end up feeding twice at night as he can barely make it 4 hrs between feed....ugh!!Sorry for all the questions, we have a 6AM wake up so the hubby can see him before he goes off to work, but it seems to be tough to get the quircks out of it.  Any advice would be helpful.

[anna*]

You can leave the DF where it is, he may wake for it sooner but he may surprise you. Yes, you'd need to feed at 6 if you want him to be asleep for 6.30... (((hugs))) I know it's tough, but he's still so little! He'll get there.

[Jemimah]

OK - now this discussion has spurred a few more questions.....
1) how many actual hrs of sleep should the lo be sleeping at night?  6.30PM-6AM - 11 1/2 hrs (minus the DF and NF)?
2) If he wakes before the DF, should I paci/shh/pat until 10-11 DF time? Same with EW, if LO wakes at 4, should I Paci/shh/pat until 6AM?

Sorry if these seem like elementary questions, just trying to sort this out....
Thanks again

[anna*]

Ideal night sleep is 11.5-12 hours - 12 hrs is always the aim but some LOs never quite get there and will do 11-11.5hrs instead.

If he wakes close to the DF, you can just go ahead and feed. If he wakes at 4am I would treat that as a nightfeed, feed in the dark/quiet, resettle back to sleep, then give a top up feed when you start the day.

[tassie]

This is a great thread, my LO is doing EXACTLY the same at 13 weeks old.  He hardly sleeps in the afternoon, only does 45 minute naps when I can get him down and I thought it could be over-tiredness.  From looking at your EASY, am I right in that your LO is awake for a good 2 hours at a time in the afternoon?  That is, awake from 2:00-4:15 and 4:50-7:00?  Maybe he's over-tired by the time bedtime comes around?

[besjoux]

I don't have an answer but definetly following since I have the same problem with DS who is 3 months old. I am so tired I can barely stand.

[aidenmc]

Mine is almost 12 weeks and we have similar nights where he will wake every 45 minutes and have a hard time settling into deep sleep from midnight or so onwards. Naps are short too and it feels like we are always racing against the OT clock. I am so exhausted!