15 week old just started night waking

[Tired Mum]

Hi - this is my first post so hope I'm on track here!
Our 15 week old has been on EASY since week 3 and has been sleeping well for the last few weeks.  We DF relatively late (11 - 11.30pm) but always have done and it hasn't been a problem so far.  He started sleeping through fairly consistently about 2 - 3 weeks ago (i.e. we put him down after his bath c.8 - 8.30pm then DF as above, then he wakes or we wake him around 7am ish) but during the last week has woken up for the last three nights between 2.30am and 5.15am.  I thought this might be a growth spurt as there was a big increase in his intake after the 2nd waking, so reduced from a 4hr to a 3hr routine and upped intake.  Intake dropped after doing this but he's still waking.  Any clues? The only other change we've made to his routine recently is to switch the bath before the final feed as we were having problems getting him to take a decent nap before the last feed/bath.
He also struggles to nap for longer than 35 - 45 minutes at any one stretch during the day, although I've been trying going in early to 'knit them together' - it hasn't succeeded greatly as it normally takes 20 - 60 minutes to get him to get into the next sleep cycle.  Any tips really welcome! 

[Jo-FrasersMum]

Hi Tired Mum

Welcome to the boards.  Hopefully we'll be able to help you out a little.

Haven't you had a great run with the night sleeps    I'm completely jealous 

There's probably a couple of things you can look at.  The first is the Dreamfeed - as you point out 11.30 may be a little late - therefore disrupting DS sleep cycle through the night.  Perhaps you could bring it forward to 10 - 10.30 ish and see it that helps at all.

Changing from a 4 to a 3 hour routine may actually have the reverse effect and result in your LO taking less during the day as more frequent feeding can result in snacking - taking smaller feeds more frequently, leading to waking hungry in the night.  Your DS is still very young - if he is waking and taking a good feed in the night then I personally would be feeding him.  Although most people move from a 3 hr to a 4 hr routine around 4 months so you are kind of on the brink between the times - because though you'll be wanting to get to a 4 hour routine soon I probably wouldn't persist in going "backwards" to a 3 hour routine at this stage.

I wouldn't rule out a growth spurt though - you are doing the best thing by trying to increase those calories during the day.

HTH and good luck
Jo

[Jo-FrasersMum]

Oh sorry, also on those 45 min naps - they are a pain aren't they!!  Keep consistent with trying to "knit" them together (I like that term!) - getting past the 45 min mark is often developmental - he will get there.  For more help with lenghtening those naps you could try the Naps board.

Cheers
Jo

[Tired Mum]

Hi Jo

Thanks for your messages and advice - really welcome!  It's so nice to know that you're not alone...

We had a better night last night (i.e. he still woke a few times in the night but a few shhs from the comfort of our bed meant I didn't actually need to get up until 7am!), and we've now moved back to 4hrs as he's been really comfortable on this for a couple of weeks now and I agree that we don't want to go backwards.  The thing I've noticed is that he's just significantly more restless in general - we've even had problems getting him back down after the DF, which is pretty much unheard of.  I think he's going through a lot of changes at the moment though, bless him (dribbling, finding fingers, holding his head up off the floor) and I guess sleep is just more boring than it used to be.  We're also trying to unswaddle him gradually (he's been in a miracle blanket and it's saved our lives as he's somewhere between textbook and spirited, and certainly needed it to calm down) which is something else to add into the mix.

I'll definitely spend some time on the nap board looking at advice on this, as if he could get his 1.5 - 2 hrs in a stretch, that would be just great.... Icing on the cake, eh?! 

Thanks again,

Slightly less Tired Mum