Do you dream feed?

[hayleystar]

Hi everyone,
I'm trying to get my dd (5 months) back on track with sleeping as she's currently waking two hourly at night.  I have been looking at the 5 month old sample routines and have noticed that none of these routines have a dream feed. I usually do a dream feed around 9.30 but don't think dd usually has much. However she is obviously used to being woken and fed at this time as she sometimes /often wakes for this feed by herself, but then doesn't take much. Would you recommend I drop this feed and just resettle her when she wakes at this time? Or should I continue the feed until other night wakings are sorted? Many thanks for your advice

[jessmum46]

It's up to you, quite honestly.  You could try without and see if that helps with the other wakings, for some babies the dream feed can disturb sleep.  But what is your routine like?  Could the wakings be overtiredness?  Is she an independent sleeper?  Any discomfort from e.g. Gas, intolerances, reflux?  How do you resettle the NWs?

[hayleystar]

Thank you for your reply! She has previously been a good sleeper, going down for naps and bedtime independantly with a dream feed and one night feed. However naps started getting shorter, then night waking started and now she fights sleep and has been taking me around 40 mins of shh pat to get her to settle for naps and bedtime. I was thinking it could be her routine which is why I was looking at the sample routines. Here's her current one:
7am wake up, attempt at breastfeed but usually she won't have much cause of excessive night feeds
9am nap used to be 1.5 hours but now 30 mins - 1 hour
10 awake, activity
11 breastfeed
12 nap around 1.5 hours but again can be shorter
1.30 awake and solids
3 breastfeed
3.30 last sleep, 30 mins
4.00 awake
5.00 solids
5.30 bath
5.45 last breastfeed
6.00 bed
Sometimes bedtime is later depending on the length of her day naps. Basically she's awake 2 hours and breastfed 4 hourly.
I currently do a dream feed at 9.30/10 which she now often wakes up for and last night her night wakings were 11.55, 2.06, 4.00, 6.09 so every two hours. I fed at every one of them!!
Should I try increasing her awake time maybe to 2 hours 15 mins?
Help!
4.00 awake

[jessmum46]

Sorry for the delay in replying, how are things?

I suspect yes you need to push her A times a bit, lots of 5 month olds are getting 2h15-30 and are approaching the 3-2 nap transition.  That might mean she settles easier for naps and does some longer ones for you

[michaeljacknnugg]

Could you put in a feed just before she goes to bed, like a cluster feed?

[hayleystar]

Her night sleep has gotten sooooo bad. She wakes every 1.5 hours all night long, I can only settle her if I feed her. It's awful, I'm exhausted. I think it's become a habit, I guess I need to do pups to break it? Was wondering, do I go cold turkey on all night feeds and just settler her (or at least attempt to) every time she wakes? I feel so mean and I just don't see her settling

[JamesFrancisMama]

I don't have any tips but I wanted to write and send you a virtual hug and say hang in there. I'm sorry you're going through all this disrupted sleep! Sending you good-luck thoughts and hoping your strategies work.

[michaeljacknnugg]

Does your gut say that she needs a feed overnight? Most babies do, at her age. Could it be teeth?

[jessmum46]

I agree, most babies her age would need one or two night feeds, especially if breastfeeding.  If you think it has become habit though for every waking how about trying to only feed every 4h?  So if she wakes before 4h, you use PUPD or shh pat until she goes back to sleep, even if it takes you past 4h.  If she wakes and it's been 4h since a feed, go ahead and feed straight away.  Obviously as pp said do rule out discomfort first though.  Teeth?  Ears?  Reflux?

[hayleystar]

Thanks, the four hour thing is a great idea. Will start that tonight.  I had her checked over by the dr but no teeth or anything! I don't think she's in discomfort