4mo doesn't sleep well before waking up

[mymay1]

Hi all,
My DS is just over 4mo. He is on a 4hrs E.A.S.Y starting at 6:30-7:00AM, going to sleep at ~7:30PM with DF at 10:30.
Lately he is starting to "complain" at around 5AM and needs his paci about 5 times or more before finally waking up at 6:30 or 7:00.

During this his eyes are still closed but if i'm not coming he'll start crying.

Other than that he usually wakes up 1 time during the night, just for paci, going back to sleep immediately.

Any suggestion on how I can help him sleep good during the early hours of the morning?

Thanks!
May.

[Tweakster]

Hi there, it sounds like the paci may be becoming a prop?  Do you think that's the case?

Other than that, it could be the 4 mth growth spurt...do you try feeding him?  Or he may be in need of more A time...how's he napping and what does your whole day look like, can you post for us?

[mymay1]

Thank you for the answer.
Our day looks like that:

6:30 wake up + eat (breastfeeding). Eating takes around 20-30 mins
7:00-8:30 Activity
8:30-10:30 Sleep (used to have short naps, used w2s and now he sleeps for 2 hours)
10:30 - eat
11:00-12:30 Activity (going out for a walk)
12:30-14:30 Sleep
14:30 - eat
15:00-16:30 Activity
16:30-17:30 Short sleep (sometimes shorter)
17:30 - eat
18:00 : short A time, bath, massage, song/story -> bed (usually by 19:30)
22:30 DF (bottle)

I guess the paci may have become a prop...
Do you see something "wrong" in the day routine?

Thanks

[mymay1]

P.S.
I understand that the paci may be a prop and that he needs it when he wakes up but why does he wakes up at all?

Thanks again...

[mymay1]

P.S. 2
I don't think he is hungry as he turns right back to sleep and usually cries with his eyes shut.
And when he finally wakes up in the morning he doesn't cry. Just talk to himself for a while.

[Tweakster]

Hi there, well he actually may be getting too much day sleep at this point.  At 4 mths most LO are doing 2 hrs A time and 2x 1.5/2 hr naps + a shorter CN of only 30-45 mins.  The other thing is that 2 hrs post his 1 hr nap may be too long.  Some LO's cannot do a full A time on a shorter nap.  Depending on the length of that CN, aim for bedtime at 6:30.

If LO has a prop like paci, when they wake they need that paci to get back to sleep.  It's a sleep association.  When we wake at night we normally check for our pillow, maybe switch sides, possibly even open our eyes...but we don't remember doing it, and because we know we are safe in our bed we just go back to sleep.  LO wakes, and all of a sudden realize there is no paci, and if paci has been helping them get to sleep then they don't know how to get back to sleep without it.  So it's not necessarily they are waking for it, but they are waking as is normal during sleep cycles BUT are unable to get back to sleep without it.

Here's more information on props:
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=67676.0

[mymay1]

Thank you!
I was wondering if it is possible to keep the paci for A time if he needs help calming down and loose it for the getting to sleep process or is this too confusing?

We are flying in 3 weeks (14 hrs flight, 3 weeks vacation) and I think the paci would be a great help on the airplain so I'm not sure I want to get rid of it all together.

[Tweakster]

Hi there, if you are traveling I would definitely keep the paci for now.  You can always wean it later.  Traveling will be changing up the routine anyway, since there is a time change.  Plus he is growing so fast at this age that he will likely need a routine revisit anyway.  The first 12 mths are just full of tweaking!