The 4am party

[Lazysusan]

Last night, DD2, who is 5mo, gave me a lovely six-hour stretch after the 10am feed. I fed her at 4am and put her down in the cot and hello world, she was awake and happy.

Normally I would try to settle her straight back to sleep but I decided to see what she would do. Well, she was awake for an hour, squealing and babbling. Then she put herself back to sleep for an hour and then she was up for the day.

My questions are:

*Should I have resettled her and helped her back to sleep, even though she wasn't at all distressed?

*I give her a dummy for sleeps and naps but try to avoid using it in the MOTN as I don't want her to be too reliant on it. She's usually ok without it (usually very drowsy after a feed) but is that just a bit mean of me? When I saw how wired she was last night, should I have just given her the dummy? I so nearly ditched it a couple of weeks ago due to multiple NWs but things have really settled and it is the only way I can extend naps.

What do you think? And thank you...

[MommyMoulton]

When my DS had nighttime parties it usually means he is due for an a-time increase

[Lazysusan]

Thanks so much for the reply MommyMoulton.

You made me realize I left out one every pertinent piece of information. And that is that I have just weaned from the swaddle. That was night 2 of the sleeping bag (so I'm extra happy about that six-hour stretch!). Might explain why she woke up? Don't think it's an A time issue as she is doing 2.25 hours and she has just turned 5 months. But I will keep an eye on it...

I guess I am just keen to know what others would have done at 4am. Tried to resettle or left her to self-soothe? I just keep thinking of that extra hour's sleep she could have got had I helped her but I guess she has to learn. Yes???

[MommyMoulton]

When my DS had/has parties I left him to party and resettle himself until he cried. Even if I had gone back in to replug the dummy he would just pull it out and play with it, so for us it was a waste of time.

[Lazysusan]

Thanks so much, MM. Good to have the validation!

[ZacsMumme]

How are you going?

[Lazysusan]

Oh you're a love to check in on me. Thank you.

Haven't had a repeat of the cot party but these EWs are hard. The last three mornings she has woken at 5.30am. (Actually this morning was 5 but I just couldn't get up that early so fed her, even though it had only been 2 and a half hours, and she went back to sleep in my bed. Sometimes you just gotta do whatever you can to survive the day!)

But she got her first tooth on Tuesday and I can see the one next to it. So I'm hoping like hell that's the reason...

Last week I actually got my first STTN in over two months so there just may be a light at the end of the tunnel!

[ZacsMumme]

Teething always causes EW for us too great on STTN.
See how she is after those teeth pop and maybe post EASY if those EW are still bothering you

[Lazysusan]

Thanks Sara. Will do. x