4 hr EASY during day but struggling at night

[CLL]

Hello!

We have recently moved our 5 week old son to feed every 4hrs. He was roughly there during the day and seemed to be at night so it made sense. This is what it looks like
E 6am
A 7 - 8:30 / 9
S 9-10 (sometimes he wants to sleep but wont!)
Y
E10
A 11/11:30
S 11 / 2 (he has always wanted a longer sleep here and even if he wakes can be kept going until the feed)
Y
E 2pm
A - Gegenerally until he falls asleep - we dont have a structured afternoon na as he doesnt settle - I tend to take him out for a walk about 4pm unitl 5:30 when  he has his bath
E 6pm
A - Cuddlebut not a great deal more unitl 7pm when we put him to bed - sometimes settles by 7:30 sometimes 8 (bad nights, longer but these are few)
S 7-8
DF between 10 and 11 - Letting him dictate as when we woke him at 10 before he then woke again at 1am and 5am

Last night we let him decide, he woke at 10:30 and then again at just asfter 2am. both for feeds. He did then wake at 4 but went back to sleep. Why is he struggling to go 4 hrs at night when he is having anywerhe between 5 and  oz per feed and then 4at 2am???

[*Ali*]

His tummy is very small at the moment so it might be that he is not able to take in enough at each feed during the day to get all the calories he needs and he therefore needs to feed as regularly at night. 5wks is very early to move to a 4hrs easy and while posisble especialy if the LO is large it might also mean he is missing out a feed that he really needs.
I think for your first nap he is OT as he has been awake too long at that point. I would aim to put him down for a nap around 7.30am if he wakes at 6am. Even on a 4hr easy you ideally want him awake 2hrs, asleep 2hrs. At his age I would expect it to me more like awake 1.5hrs and sleep 1.5hours. I think by the evening he is so OT that he is having difficulty settling.
How does he go to sleep for naps and BT? Does he go indpendently or doe she have any props like rocking/feeding/holding?

Ali

[CLL]

Sleeps and naps are getting better. We used to have to rock him and hodl him but now he is quite good at having a cuddle, being put down and then sleeping. We do use a soother to help him relax.

I did wonder about the one less feed but as he is taking so much at each feed I though this would compensate. Maybe we need to have another look at putting a smaller one in somewhere else. Maybe at 5 ish before his bath.

[*Ali*]

Yes it is common to do extra cluster feeds before BT so that is worth a try.
The soother is fine at this age and can help to satisfy the extra sucking urges they often have at this age. It only becomes a problem if he is waking up regularly JUST to have the soother replaced.