Night Wakings - 4.5 month old

[wilsonnl]

Hello,

I have a 4.5 month old that has never slept through the night, the times he wakes up has been all over the map in the past two months (anywhere from 1:30am wake-up, to the latest of 5am - but always twice a night).  For the past month it has been once at 2:30am and again anywhere from 4-4:30am. At the 2:30am wake-up he cries, I go in and give him his paci and he usually goes back to sleep within 15-20 min.  Then he will wake again around 4-4:30am and I BF him, and he goes back down until 6:45-7am.

I think he is struggling with two separate issues - habitual waking, and perhaps hunger but to be honest - I am not so sure he is truly hungry or the 4:30am wake-up is habit as well??? So am looking for peoples feedback/help.

His day looks like this - the times are approximates because his feeds and next naps time depend on when he wakes from the prior nap - I find he can only be up for a total of 2 hours.

Wake-up - 7am
E: 7:15-7:30am
A: 8-9am
S: 9am (usually for 1 hour, sometimes 1.5)
E: 11:15-11:30
A:12-1
S: 1pm (usually for 1-2 hours)
E: 3-3:30pm
A: 4-5
S:5pm (30-45 min CN)
A:5:30-7pm
E: 7pm
Bedtime: 7:30pm
DF: 10:30pm - formula only since dad does it!
MONF: 4-:430am

I have started offering him formula top ups after BF's during the day and he has been taking them - more and more as time goes on. He takes anywhere from 1-3 oz of formula/feed. The past three nights he took a full 3-4oz of formula at his 7pm feed (during which he often falls asleep during) and this has resulted in him only taking a total feed of 2oz for his DF.  Should I be reducing the amount of top up at 7pm so he takes more at the DF? He used to take 5-6oz at the DF beforehand - although now that he is taking only 2oz it has made no difference in the MOTN waking's. I have also started W2S with him for the 2:30am wake-up so we will see how that goes.

Any thoughts/advice about what is going on with him? He has always been a restless/shallow sleeper and struggled with transitions. His naps were horrible - 30min-45min (and can still sometimes be) and he can also wake up at other points in the night (sometimes at 1:30am and usually around 5:30am) but puts himself back to sleep with no intervention.  Is this much night waking normal? I am debating starting him on solids at 5 months, he is currently 18lbs, so a bigger boy.

Thanks!!!!!!!

[Skadiver13]

Hi hun, I might post over on the BF page to ask about the top up as I wasn't a BFr. But just to be clear you are BF'ing at 7 and then offering additional formula at the same time (after BF of course)? I wouldn't reduce that just for the DF. You could always try and move the DF a little later like 11? Again I wasn't a DF'r so I'm not great at giving advice there. I know it shouldn't be past  4hrs after last feed or past 11. But other than that I don't it's uncommon to wake for another feed and go back to sleep so that's normal.

As for your EASY have you checked out this link
chronological EASY samples, 4-6 months

Key points:
*4 months is around the time los transition from a 3 to a 4 hour feeding routine. Please read the link to gauge whether your LO is ready for the transition and how to go about making the necessary shifts.
3-4hr EASY Transition – In 5 Minute Increments
Time to Transition - 3hr, 3.5hr or 4hr EASY
*Average Awake time at 4 months: 1 hour and 45 min. - 2 hours