4.5 month old waking frequently at night

[roimata9]

Hi everyone,
My baby had a tummy bug at 4 months which coincided with the 4 month sleep regression and meant short naps and night wakings after previously sleeping through most nights and having nice long naps.
I've been shh patting if he wakes before 1.5 hours each nap, and now he is having good day naps again, but he is waking a lot at night still.
He generally has A time between 1.5 and 1.75 hours and naps are at least 2 hours, with a 1/2 hour cat nap at the end of the day. Last night he went to sleep at 7, and woke at 1, 3:30, 5:30, 6:30 then up for the day at 7:50

I've been feeding him for each waking because he had terrible diarrhoea, but that's resolved now, should I be trying to resettle without feeds for any of those wakings?

[newkidontheblock]

When he was ill, did he eat less? It is common for them to start waking up more often after an illness to make up the lost calories. I would also suggest pushing to a 2 hour A time. Would you like to post your routine for us?

[roimata9]

He ate lots more frequently when he was sick, I offered him the breast after sleeps and just before to try and get lots of fluids into him, although he wasn't particularly interested in the before sleep feed. He's been well for about a week now though.
routine varies, because I have an older child at preschool, but this was yesterday:
A: 6:50
S: 8:40 (A time 1 hour 50 mins)
A: 11 (Nap 2 hours 20 mins)
S: 1:10 (A time 2 hours 10 mins)
A: 3:30 (nap 2 hours 20 mins)
S: 5 (A time 1 hour 30 mins)
A: 5:30 (nap 30 mins - woke hime up)
S: 7 (A time 1 hour 30 mins)
NW: 12:50, 3:30, 5:30, 6:30 (each time had a 10 minute feed then straight back to sleep.)

Total day sleep: 5 hours 10 mins.
Night length: 12 hours 50 minutes

[Domestic Engineer]

How many feeds was he getting at night before the illness?

[roimata9]

He was mostly sleeping through, every third night approx he would wake between 4 and 5 for a feed.

[roimata9]

I don't think he has any props, I usually put him down totally awake, pat until he finds his hand to suck, then leave him. For day naps, I've started needing to do some shh pat at the 45 minute mark, he'll usually do another 1.5 hours after that. I'm wondering if he's started the REM sleep they do around 4 months, and whether I should be shh patting him at night rather than feeding him as I did when he rarely woke, and then when he was waking and losing fluid with the diarrhoea.

[newkidontheblock]

Another possibility for you to consider is that he might be getting too much day sleep. Those are massive naps. Perhaps you could try capping the naps at 2 hours tops and see if that helps. And yes, you could try settling him without a feed. If he is hungry, he won't settle and at least you will have some clarity. Do you find him feeding well during the day? I did find DD got super distracted at that time and needed a dim, quiet room to feed well.

[roimata9]

Okay I'll try capping his day sleeps. Today has been all over the place with only 45 minute naps because we were out, were home now and he's down for another sleep at 3:30 so will wake him at 5.
I tried not feeding him, but he got really agitated, and he's waking is random, so I would guess it's not habit.
Last night he went to bed at 7, woke at 12:10, 3:30, 5:30 and 7:30. The night before last went to sleep at 6:30, woke at 3am, 5am and 7:50.
There just doesn't seem to be a pattern, except for it being way worse than before he turned 4 months and got sick!

Do you think a dreamfeed would help? I've tried once (a while ago) but he got really upset when I picked him up and took ages to settle. Maybe I should try again.

[newkidontheblock]

It doesn't hurt to try the DF again. Could DH do it with a bottle?

I agree that if he is getting agitated, the timing is random and he settles fine with the feed, then that's the thing to do. I think capping naps would make a big difference. How are your feeds spaced during the day? 1 or 2 NFs are very normal but waking so often does mean that something else is up.

[roimata9]

My pump broke, so I can't express unfortunately, so have to get him up. Last night we did a DF at 10 and he stayed mostly asleep for it, but he still woke at 12.45am! I settled him with shh pat which took 20 minutes so he was asleep at 1:05 but then woke again 20 minutes later! He would settle so I fed him and he went back to sleep straight away then woke at 5:30.
So a better night but not great. I think he must have been hungry at the first waking even though he went back to sleep.
I will try a DF and then feeding with wakings tonight and see if that helps.
He has about 5 feeds during the day, usually 3.5-4 hourly with a top up one before bed that's only 1.5 hours after the previous.

[newkidontheblock]

Do you think what's happening is that he is falling asleep before getting enough? So again he is hungry a short while later?

[roimata9]

That could be it. Since doing the DF he's been waking twice a night, once between 1 and 3 am and once between 4:45 and 5:30. He doesn't seem to be taking less time for his feeds but I'll try offering both sides and see if that helps.
Thanks for all your advice!

[roimata9]

I offered both sides for df and when he woke at night and we had our best night for aaaages! Only woke once at 4am! Hopefully that will continue.

[newkidontheblock]

Yay! FX

[roimata9]

So my boy is now 5.5 months, and the multiple wakings continue!
That wonderful night above hasn't been repeated - he's waking a lot.
I pushed out the DF to 11pm so he'd be hungry for that, give both sides then don't feed him until after 4.30. When he wakes before then I can usually resettle him with shush pat really easily. Any ideas how to stop those wakings in between the DF and 4:30? They're all over the place! Last night was pretty good, he only woke once between those times, at 2am, but took 15 minutes to get back to sleep. But often he will wake 2 or more times between 11 and 5.