4.5 month old up every 45 minutes all night...reduced to tears this morning :(

[pearlica1980]

Hi

  I've done a lot of reading on how to handle this but I just wanted to know if there is anything I'm missing. 2 weeks ago my consistent sleep through the night baby started waking up a couple times a night and then it just increased until the last 3 nights it has been every 45 minutes on the dot. She cant get back into the next sleep cycle without my help. If I go in before the 45 minutes I can hold her arms gently and she wont wake up she will go right into the next cycle. But I did this from 7-10pm last night and then 4-7am this morning but at some point I needed some rest! So between 10-4 she woke up every 45 minutes. When she wakes up I go in and give her her soother if she wants it and shh/pat for only a minute or so and she is back asleep. She spits out the soother when she doesnt want it and sleeps fine without it after that. We did a couple nights with no soother and it took longer to get her to sleep but had no impact on her getting herself back to sleep. My concern is that by holding her arms down every 45 mins which was recommended to help get her into the next sleep cycle, isnt that becoming a prop and causing her to be less able to soothe herself? I'm at my wits end because I thought with helping her get into her next sleep cycle I would see some progress by now but she shows no signs of soothing her self when she wakes up. Just cries a little with her eyes close until I come in. If I leave her to cry she just starts to cry harder until she gets really worked up. She is formula fed and not on solids.
Here is her easy schedule...she is on a 3.5hour schedule.

wake up & E: 6:45
A: 6:45-8:15
S: 8:15-9:45 - two 45 mins naps, she goes into the next 45mins as long as I go in and hold her arms
E: 10:15
A: 10:15-11:45
S: 11:45-1:30 - two 45 mins naps
E: 1:45
A: 1:45-3:15
S: 3:15 this one can vary 15 mins in either direction...if she takes only a 45 mins nap she goes back down at around 5 for another catnap. If she takes 2 45mins naps she is good until bed
E: 4:30
A:4:30-6:15
Bath: 6:15-30
E 6:45
Bed: 7 up every 45 minutes all night...

Any advice? See any mistakes I'm making or things I can do to change this pattern?

[anna*]

How about swaddling? I knkow it's late to start but it would mean you don't have to hold her arms down. Another idea is tummy sleeping. Another thing is that when you go in to her, settle her WITHOUT holding her arms down - you could introduce a lovey and do shush-pat or PUPD (without the soother) just as if you were weaning any other prop.

[pearlica1980]

I tried swaddling again and she would go to sleep fine but would wake up really angry and fight to get out of it. It seemed to make her more upset.

I guess that is sort of the key question I have, is it more beneficial to hold her arms and then she doesnt wake up at all and how many times a night do I do this. Or let her wake up dont hold her arms and just shh/pat her to sleep but then she always wakes up and doesnt seem to get into that deep sleep.

I feel like I'm just constantly switching props. I weaned her from rocking to sleep by shh/pat. Weaned from the soother with shh/pat (although now were back on), weaned from shh/pat with arm holding. It feels like a circle and none of them are letting her sooth her self. I could go back to shh/pat from arm holding if thats better but I'm not sure what is better.

I never thought about introducing a lovey I'll give that a shot.

Thanks for any advice, sorry if I'm not making much sense I'm super tired

[cctaylor]

My last little one did the same thing until I transitioned him to the 4 hour easy at this age and then the night sleep resumed I am not sure if your little one may be ready for this.
However I am now in your boat with my 14 week old and needing to figure what is up with her she is on the 3 hour easy still...when did you transition your LO to the 3 1/2 hour?

[pearlica1980]

She actually just transitioned to the 3.5hour so I dont think we are able to switch her yet. She just makes the sleep times before needing to go for her naps otherwise she melts down.

[anna*]

I think doing shush-pat and PUPD with a lovey (you will need to physically hold her hands onto her lovey for the first several days) but NOT holding down her arms might be the way to go. It will probably mean a worse (?) couple of nights to begin but then should improve quickly.