Night wakings in almost 5 month old

[Tabathagucci]

My daughter will be 5 months on 7/11.  She's a short napper but has always done ok at night.  She currently has an A time of 2 hours (we have had this A time for 3-4 weeks) and sleeps about 40
Minutes for naps.  She was waking once a night and had STTN before the 4 month repression.  During the 4 month regression she still mostly woke once a night (sometimes 2x) and again around 5.  After the sleep regression we had one STTTN and then 4 glorious nights of waking once between 1-3 and then sleeping till 6 or later.  The past 2 nights she has been waking every 1-3 hours.  Every 2-3 at the beginning of the night and then every hour or more after the night feed around 1-2.  She has mild reflux but it has been a non-issue for two months now and only rarely disturbs her sleep and even when it has she hasn't woken this much.  She falls asleep with a paci on her own most times.  Sometimes needs help when she it OT or OS.  She is swaddled with white noise. She wakes about 40 minutes after bed time and takes 5-20 minutes to get back to sleep with the paci but then sleeps fine the rest of the night.
Any idea what could be causing these crazy wakings?  I don't feed her every time she wakes, but try to stick to 2-3 am and 5 am feedings.  She doesn't seem to be teething, can feel anything or see any red marks on gums. 

[becj86]

Well, likely that waking shortly after BT is OT from too many short naps in the day and the wakings in the early hours of the morning are likely related to the first A time. Average A time increases from 2hr at 4 months to 2:45-3hr at 6 months, so her ideal A time could be as high as 2:30 at this point in time - I'd try a 10-15min A time increase and see how you go over the next few days, then push again if naps don't get longer and nights are still hairy.

[FPT23]

Hi! How have you been!

I've come to share some insight since our babies are about the same age. My LO is 5 mths on 7/15!

Mine is 20 weeks and I just made a post myself about almost the exact thing! I'll tell you what, they def need a push in A time! And as becj86 mentioned, push is needed! I think what is happening is that they are catching up during the day from the NWs and are in an OT/UT cycle.

I think we both need to push regardless of OT. Try and reach closer to 2.15/2.5 A time. I've been getting many NWs too. Soon after BT..

Also, not that I'm anti paci but remember we were talking gradual removal? I got rid of my LOs paci at 16 weeks... It took a good struggle and few rough days... (And some EASY adjusting) but ever since, nothing but long naps. He was a 45 min napper. Not that it's an issue but, it helped us and he started rolling so I had to remove the swaddle. He started sleeping better (until now that he's close to 5mths too and began the NWs) and longer. 

Xoxoxo! Let's increase their time. I think that's the puzzle answer here

[Tabathagucci]

Ok thank you!  We've been putting her down at 1h55m and she falls asleep sometimes almost instantly, other times within 5 minutes.  Today I put her (or tried to anyway) at 1h10m.  First nap she fell asleep instantly, second she was practically asleep before we put her down.  Third nap, she took 5 minutes and slept a bit longer even so maybe she's getting used to it?  How many days should I do this A time before pushing her more?  Hopefully this will help with the night wakings fast enough to have results tonight!

[Tabathagucci]

Hi FTP23!  We must have parallel lives!  LOL I did the increase to 1h15m today and she was begging to be put to sleep earlier but we managed!  I tried the me gradual removal but it kept waking her up every time so I gave up. Maybe I'll try again!  How did you get rid of the paci?  I am hoping she'll learn to put it in herself soon.

[becj86]

Give the new A time 2-3 days to settle before increasing. Sounds like its going well so far

[Sunnyday01]

Watching this threads as I seem to have a very similar NW problem, every 2-3 hours from 11.30 onwards with a BT of 7pm

I'm wondering if ours is paci related...but also wondering if it's a phase uf do many if us seem to be asking about it!

[FPT23]

Hello! Haha we are quite similar!

Yesterday I accidentally extended his A time b/c he was just OT (from bad nights) so he was way harder to settle to sleep... BUT... He did NW 2hrs after his BT but then slept right until 6am! Sure not the ideal 7 but it was the best night we've had. I think b/c the A time was extended. So I'm going to work on that again. We had been having the perfect naps, super easy PD and walked away... That was at 2hr A time first thing in the morning, and 2hr A time still after a short nap. Long naps he could go maybe like 2.10? I think.. I skimmed through the posts but what's your A time like? If your still under 2 hours that most def can explain short naps too... At our babies age they need more. I read along some thread on here too that they start increasing A time very rapidly around this age on up.

I had always done the GW approach with the paci without knowing. It was never a BIG prop as we always removed it once he seemed sleepy.. And he never seemed to need it. Around the start of the 4mth when his sleep started to change, he seemed more and more dependent on it. Not tooooo much but needed replugging more and that never was an issue before. He began to roll to his tummy so I needed to get rid of the swaddle too (but he was already both legs out and 1 arm out). When I got rid of the paci I just started by not giving it to him at naps... After a few days we had been struggling BUT after posting for advice I realized it was a matter of an EASY issue. Next thing I knew, he just got it! I nailed the right A time and it's like he never needed the paci before! It was glorious. His sleep has been all long naps since. Nights I still swaddled w paci if needed but that's another story but also now we don't use either (being 20 weeks and such good naps I knew he was prb ready) ....

Hope that helps!

It gives me SOME comfort in knowing that it could be developmental and common since it's happening to all of us at the same age haha

Hugs!

[becj86]

Are you feeding during the night, Sunnyday? What's your EASY? It can really help to increase those A times.

[Sunnyday01]

Shall I post here as I have my own thread further up this board, don't want to hi jack someone else's thread!

[becj86]

Sorry, no, just keep your thread. Didnt realise you had one. I assume you're just following this thread but happy with your own thread.

[Sunnyday01]

Yes following this one as similar problems but happy with my own thread!

[Tabathagucci]

FPT23 that's great!  How was last night?  Sounds like things are coming together!  I just pushed A time to 2h15m.  Yesterday was day 2 and she's still begging to be put down earlier and falling asleep right away.  I'm also still getting wake ups anywhere from 20-40 minutes after but she's resettling easier most times.  Her ideal Total A time for the day seems to be 9.5 hours.  She woke last night at 10 and 11 but she'd gotten her arms out of the swaddle.  I left her the first time thinking I'd see how she did but when she woke again I reswaddled her. She slept straight till 4:15!  I nursed her and got her back down with a little difficulty but not too much and she's still asleep at 6:40!  So as much as she's fighting me on increasing the A time it has certainly helped!  I'm hesitant to push it further after today (the third day) but I may do it just to see if I can get a long nap from her. 
As for the paci, congrats on weaning it!  Yay!! I don't think I'm ready for that at this point but will keep it in mind for sure!

[FPT23]

Take your time with he paci. I just realized it began to cause more issues than not when we hit the 4mth regression. Honestly, it was tough and it went on awhile but it was my EASY! All along. Once I handled that, he was good to go.

Yes, they need time to get used to the new A time. Part of the process but looks like it's working! For us too! It's only gotten better. Maybe it's a fluke haha but he slept from 8ish (he fought BT...OT of course) since he pushed it out not being able to settle... But he slept until 4am and I had to wake him because I felt uncomfortable (and engorged!) not feeding him at all... But he went straight back to sleep until 7! Keep pushing but little by little. Your LO seems to be sensitive to OT so go lightly. My LO handles it pretty well for the most part in his day.

He's at 2.15 ish.... In the mornings.... It seems. He's been needing help lately but of course, b/c of the pushing he's more OT than usual and needs a bit of help. I PD a little before 2.15 (5 mins before) but he struggles a bit.. Wondering at this point if it's OT or UT!? Haha. During the day after a good nap he's going 2.20 ish... I've been tracking his EASY. That's how the pattern seems. More or less.

Good vibes your way! I wonder if the short naps are due to not being able to I.S at this point? Do you get any long naps? You should at least get one, to compensate somewhere from the OT of short naps? If your getting 20 min naps it can also be OS. Have you tried to tone things down before nap time. Not the wind down but maybe a few mins before, take her to a quiet room, or walk around the house a bit? 40 mins can indicate UT, so you may want to focus a bit more on getting those A times right- it's a struggle I know it. Haha! Have you been tracking your EASY?

List it if you have, in EASY format?

[becj86]

Weaning the paci can be a double edged sword with a LO with reflux - it helps keep them more comfortable.

Really from 4 months, ideally, you're revisiting and increasing A time every 2 weeks or so. Where that hasn't happened, LO gets tired at shorter A times out of habit and they do need the push even though they're not keen during the day.