Author Topic: 4 month old keeps waking every two hours - help!  (Read 1623 times)

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Offline Roisin n

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4 month old keeps waking every two hours - help!
« on: May 28, 2017, 09:32:15 am »
I have recently transitioned my 4m old on the 4 hr easy routine, and she has started waking a lot more frequently (every two hours) at night. she doesn't always wanted feeding, but  does take a while to go back off.


Here's a rough outline of our day

W/u - 730

Eat - 7:30
A - 2 hours
S - 1 hr 20
Eat - 11:15/11:30
A - 2hrs
S- 12:30 - 2hrs
Eat - 2:30
A - 2 hours
S-45 mins
E - 5pm
A - 2 hrs
B/t and last feed - 7pm

She usually wakes at 9:30 crying and wanted another feed. I try to get her back off but she usually wakes 20 -30 mins later. I try and do the dream feed about 10/10:30 if she doesn't wake.

She then wakes at 12:30 but goes back off once I put the dummy back in. She then wakes at 2:30 and again and 4:30. I have tried to get her back off during the 4:30 feed but she keeps waking so I give another feed (pretty sure she's not actually hungry though) she then usually goes until 7/730.

Her  naps are getting better, she used to only sleep for 45 mins but still wakes around then but resettles easier with a bit of help from me sometimes.

Any advice would be appreciated as I am so tired and exhausted! :)

Offline jessmum46

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Re: 4 month old keeps waking every two hours - help!
« Reply #1 on: May 31, 2017, 18:53:01 pm »
Hi there, popping over from your other thread.  Those naps do look rather better don't they?  Just remind me - is she closer to 4 or to 5 months now?  It could be a touch of OT given you've done a push to get to those 3 naps, and have a full A time after the catnap (often this last one is a touch shorter), but I wonder if the increased night wakings started when daytime sleep got better whether she may in fact be a bit UT?  How much awake time total in the day is she getting now compared with previously?  If she is getting on for 5 months I'd push her A times a touch more, perhaps 10-15 mins and see how she goes.

The other things that could be playing a role are the dummy and some dependence on feeding for sleep.  It may be something you need to think about tackling?  I would expect her to need a couple of night feeds still but perhaps it may be a case of persisting with resettling in other ways?

Offline Roisin n

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Re: 4 month old keeps waking every two hours - help!
« Reply #2 on: May 31, 2017, 20:39:49 pm »
Hi,

Sorry I hadn't seen your reply on the thread!

Her naps have definitely improved and this week I haven't need to wake to sleep. Her first two naps are usually 1 hr 20 mins at the moment. In total she is getting around 3.5 hrs naptime. Awake for 1.45-2 hrs a time. She's probably not getting as much awake time as previously but then she was getting very OT at the end of day which could have been down to poor naps.

She will be 5months in two weeks so I could probably start extending her awake time. I think the night wakings have got worse since having better day time naps so could well be UT.

I think she definitely depends on feeding for sleep. We use a dummy and it works during the 9pm and 12am wakings, but it's the 1am waking that she struggles to go back off. Even though I dreamfed her at 10:30. It seems to early to be hungry. I usually end up feeding her at 2ish and 430.

Would you suggest pat shush to resettle if the dummy doesn't work? She seems to get very angry with PU/PD.

Thanks for your help! :)

Offline jessmum46

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Re: 4 month old keeps waking every two hours - help!
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2017, 11:37:38 am »
At her age shh pat should be fine.  You can adapt it to suit you both - for example with my DD I used to lay a hand across her tummy/nappy area (with her lying on her back) and pat the hip on the opposite side, and with DS I stroked his head and lay a hand on his tummy instead of patting.  I would expect it would take a long time the first time, but should rapidly get easier the more you do it :)

Offline Roisin n

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Re: 4 month old keeps waking every two hours - help!
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2017, 12:37:28 pm »
Thanks for the tips - I will try them out tonight.

The past few days she's gone a lot longer than 2-3 hours without a feed . She managed 6 and 7 hours the last few days. So I am thinking it's more the dummy falling out which she struggles to go back off with.

Would you suggest completely ditching the dummy or just wake she wakes? She does go off to sleep very fast with it,but she wakes a lot for it at the same time.

Thanks :)

Offline jessmum46

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Re: 4 month old keeps waking every two hours - help!
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2017, 16:59:12 pm »
I've never used a dummy so probably not the best person to advise you about it....bear with me and will see if someone with a bit of experience can pop in :)

Offline LaraAndrea

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Re: 4 month old keeps waking every two hours - help!
« Reply #6 on: June 06, 2017, 00:01:58 am »
Would you suggest completely ditching the dummy or just wake she wakes? She does go off to sleep very fast with it,but she wakes a lot for it at the same time

A while back I asked about ditching or keeping​ the dummy. The advise I got was if the dummy is being used as a prop you may benefit in the long run from getting rid of it, especially if you are already losing sleep due to sleep training. Get the hard stuff done all at once.

On the other hand there is evidence to suggest that dummy use up to age 6 months can reduce SIDS.

We chose to keep dummy (my LO did not require multiple re-plugs), she is now 8 months old and she can replug on her own if she wishes.

Offline Roisin n

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Re: 4 month old keeps waking every two hours - help!
« Reply #7 on: June 06, 2017, 07:57:24 am »
Thanks for your replies - I think I may have to ditch it... hopefully a few bad nights will be better than waking every 2 hours constantly to replug the dummy.

Thanks! :)

Offline *Ali*

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Re: 4 month old keeps waking every two hours - help!
« Reply #8 on: June 08, 2017, 22:04:07 pm »
Tbh at this age I'd just assume she's hungry and feed her earlier. Do you think she is getting enough milk in the day since you moved to the 4hr easy? Many BF babies don't move to 4hrly feeds until much later, often once solids are established.
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