He keeps waking up every hour at night and day

[Puppa]

Hi,

I really need advice. My 4,5 months old son keeps waking every hour at night, he's not fully awake, he just cry, because his pacifier falls out. I redo it and he's asleep in a second. And so on and on every hour. I'm exhausted from this routine.
2 months ago we started some sort of routine (not E.A.S.Y.), but very similar. He has some sort of internal clock, so to speak. He was fed every 3 hours, then fall asleep right away after burping, slept for about 45minutes-1 hour (his day starts around 4:30), sometimes he slept 1,5-2 hours (2 naps a day)... At 4-5PM, he fall asleep and slept until 0:00 PM, then we feed him (we feed him with formula, bottle) and he slept on, be keeps waking every hour. So we try to reschedule his routine with moving afternoon 6-7 hours long straight nap to 7:00 (with bath and etc at the evening). Unfortunately, bow he doesn't sleep for 6 hours straight anymore. 1 week ago, I discovered this forum and started with new schedule, example:

6:30 wake up
E- 7:00 bottle (190ml)
A- 7:30 cot, gym
S- 9:00-10:00

E- 11:00 (190ml)
A- 11:30-12:30 gym, cot, my lap
S- 12:30-13:30 (trying to fall asleep, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't)

E- 15:00 (190ml)
S- 16:30-17:00

E- 17:30 (100 ml)
A- 17:30-18:30
18:30 bath
E- 19:30 (130 or 160ml)
S- 19:30 (20:00), really tired, sometimes falls asleep in the middle of feeding
(20:00)-23:30 (keeps waking up every hour or to, just to redo his pacifier)
dream feed 23:30 (he's not awake, falls asleep right away)
S- 23:30-1:00 (1:30) straight, then he keeps waking up every hour until 6:30, 7:00 in the morning.

Before we moved his sleeping afternoon routine, he's been able to sleep for 6-7 hours straight.
I really don't know what to do. He had some sort of routine before E.A.S.Y (we've been doing it 1 week now), so he was not newcomer to schedule, if you know what I mean.

Thank you for your help.
(Maybe I should have mentioned that he was in hospital his 1st month because of meningitis, so we've been "home" now for only 3,5 months . 

[anna*]

Sorry hun I"m a bit confused about your EASY. Do you think you can post again just showing what times he wakes up and what times he goes to sleep?

One thing that stands out is that you say he just needs his pacifier replugged - lots of people this age find the paci becomes a problem, so you might have to think whether you want to wean it, or whether you want to keep replugging until he can do it himself (will probably be at least 7 months before he can do it consistently).

Also his day is really long, if he wakes up at 6.30am I would try to get him in bed asleep for the night by 7pm latest. Overtiredness won't help with his wakings.

[Puppa]

I'm really sorry, I just saw my post was really confusing.

I've made some changes, hope that helps.
Thank you for your help.

[anna*]

OK so to begin I think he's a bit overtired. Could you try getting him to bed just a bit sooner for his first nap? Say about 2hrs after he wakes up? Then if he takes a good nap you could do another two hours and the next nap.

Again as per my previous post I'd make bedtime a bit earlier too - and I'm still thinking that this could be a paci problem.

[Puppa]

Hello,

I was tying, but he's not able to sleep 2 hours straight. Usually he sleeps 45min, starts cooing for about 30 minutes and then he falls asleep for another 1 or so.
We changed bed time to 18:30, but now he's not sleeping several hours straight, but only for 2 hours or so, needs his paci (yes, I know, it's another big problem; I can't tie it to him, now can I
We've been doing strict EASY routine for 10 9 days now, but I'm still waiting for the results. OK, one good thing is that he's day now starts at 6:30 (instead of 4:00 ), but I'm still exhausted from waking up every hour. Now I have been up the whole 2 nights (not straight, though) just to see his acting. He usually wakes up at around 2am, starts swirling legs around, arms failing, nose scratching.. for 5 minutes or so, I repplugged his paci and he falls asleep... for about an hour and the same routine.

Please, help.

[Rachelss]

I agree with anna*, I don't think he's getting enough daytime sleep, which may be disturbing his nights (this often happens, even though logically you'd think it might be the opposite).  I also agree that he has a very long day overall.

As mum to 3 (5, 3 and 3 months), I've gone through the same frustrations as you, thinking "we know you can sleep for 6-7 hours...so why don't you?!".  He WILL do it again but needs to settle into a pattern first. 

You say that he won't sleep for 1.5-2 hours during a single nap.  Ive just "re-learned" with my 3 month old that there is a lot you can do to encourage it...see my last post in

3 month old - managing naps with two older siblings?  Help!

(and that turned around within literally a few days, by taking some very simple steps). 

Linked to this, if he's waking up with arms flailing around, what about going back a step and swaddling him?  If he's waking himself up with a jolt after 30-45 mins, the swaddle may stop him waking up, so he can learn to stay asleep for that bit longer.

I think that the other issue is the paci/dummy.  Unfortunately I can't help on this one as we haven't ever had a baby who was keen on them.  Hopefully someone else can advise on this bit...?

Good luck!

[anna*]

Fantastic advice from Rachel thank you

Re the paci - it definitely sounds like it has become a problem for you guys, which again is very common that it happens around this age. You have two choices basically - either wean the paci (a few awful days and nights) and teach him to sleep without it, or keep replugging until he is old enough to do so himself (probably around 7 months before he can do so consistently). Paci weaning is very daunting but totally possible. We did it with our son at 4.5 months and replaced it with a lovey which he still sleeps with. With my daughter, I couldn't face going through the same process with two kids sharing a room, so she still has hers.

[Puppa]

Thanx for the advices...

We have white noise application (Relax and sleep for android phones and mini speaker), so check
Swaddling doesn't work, he gets really nervous and keep flailing around until his arms are out. Even more cranky then before.
He sleeps in a cot in living room (more close to me, I'm trying to keep everything on low-key level, besides we have really small flat.)
Maybe I should try and wait for few more days, but I think I need to set a milestone (if nothing changes) and start with new routine, more milk, solid food... I don't know
I feel like I'm becoming zombie.

Thank you all for advices and support.

[anna*]

How about the paci? What do you think about that?

Also maybe he needs to be sleeping in a dark room now, at about this age they find it hard to just close their eyes when stuff is going on. Sleeping in a very very dark room might be all the fix you need!

[Puppa]

Hm, anna, see, I didn't think of that. I'll try it and report after.

Have a nice day everybody.

foreversleepdeprived Puppa

[Rachelss]

I have literally taped the blackout blinds around the window so it is now pitch dark for my youngest one's naps.  He also can't see me leaving the room, which is an added bonus!  I found that when it was lighter, he would just lie there watching me and anything else going on, and then start shouting when he saw me try to go.

Re the swaddling, he may well fight it but does he then relax?  All of my three did something similar but it was worth the 60 seconds of panic to get a decent nap afterwards.  The trick, I've found, is to to it fairly firmly and with a big enough sheet that you can really get it underneath them, as then they can't escape as easily.

Maybe you need to try a few changes and just see what happens....you never know, something may click!  Good luck!