My baby girl is just shy of 3 months old. She has a wonderful temperament, super smiley, alert and attentive. She's been sleeping consistently through the night, 7-8 hours or more, for about a month (I know, people tell me I'm so spoiled). However, the past two nights have been really rough. The night before last I thought it was because she was over stimulated due to screaming during her bath, but last night her bedtime routine was normal and she still woke up. Anyway- here's the deal.
I'm breastfeeding and she's been on a fairly regular 3 hour EASY, give or take a half hour. She goes down easiest for her morning nap, sleeps 45 min-1.5 hours. I put her down by singing, then quietly rocking her with the soother and she's usually out in 5-10 min. First afternoon nap she usually sleeps in the stroller while we're on a walk, and she'll take a third shorter nap in the late afternoon/early evening, similarly done with the soother. I've tried to cluster feed sometimes even at 4, 6 and 8, and then she goes to sleep for the night and I do a dream feed around 10:30 and she's slept till usually 7.
About a week ago she woke three times in the night and I fed her each time thinking it was a growth spurt and she went back to sleep easily. She transitioned back to her normal pattern for the next week until two nights ago.
The first rough night she went down a bit earlier than usual (7:30), because she was cranky and fussy, but when I tried to dream feed her, she wouldn't go back to sleep- she just seemed to be awake and happy in my arms, but cried when I laid in her crib. Thinking maybe it was due to the earlier bedtime, I gave her some tummy time to tire her out and pretty soon she was sucking vigorously on her hand (sign of sleepiness) and fussing. I was able to put her down by close to midnight, but she woke again at 4. I fed her, and she did go back to sleep okay and woke for the morning by 6.
Yesterday she had good naps- I thought because she'd had a rough night, sleeping 2 hours from 8-10 and then from 12:30-2:30. She had a shorter nap in my wrap/carseat from about 5:15-6ish. Then fed again at 6:30, and put her down by 8:30 after a feed. I dream fed her at 10, a little earlier (because I was so tired) and she went back to sleep just okay. She seemed to be in a lighter sleep than she was before. She woke up at about 1am. I waited to make sure she wouldn't just go back to sleep, then I went in and fed her (again- still thinking maybe it's hunger because there's no regularity to it). After I fed her, she had a really hard time going back to sleep, but she was obviously tired. She was nuzzling into my neck, rubbing her eyes, making tired crying noises, but wouldn't settle. I held her and shh/patted her, but she only cried more, I rocked her with the soother, but she spat it out. I wondered if she was afraid of the dark a little, so turned a little light on- it actually seemed to help, but she still wouldn't calm down. I finally gave her a bit of tummy time and after about 5 min, she seemed sleepier. This time she did fall asleep with the soother around 2:30 and slept till 6:30.
I'm wondering if the dream feed could be causing her to sleep more lightly. She still doesn't fully wake up, but just doesn't seem to settle to a deep sleep very well. Also- I'm also worried about the soother becoming a prop- I know she's still so young, and I also realize it's only been two bad nights, but I don't want to fall into accidental parenting!
Thank you.
