My son is 13 1/2 weeks old. He has always been a great sleeper, sleeping 6-8 hours since about 5 weeks, sometimes up to 10 or 11 hours. Generally I do not even have to get out of bed. About 1 1/2 to 2 weeks ago he started an earlier bed time, around 7:30. Ocasionally I'd need to feed him on those 10 or 11 hour nights, he'd be up about 10-15 min and back to dreamland. For the last week he had been waking more frequently. At first I thought growth spurt, and tried feeding him, but he wouldn't take a full feed. Now I just roll him back to his side and pat him and he falls back to sleep rather easily. The problem is his frequency of waking up is getting worse. Last night he went to bed around 7:30, woke at 12:30, 2:30, 4:30, 5:30, 6:30, 7:30, and up at 8:45 smiling and in a good mood. I have not been doing to dream feed as he has been doing well without it. I tried feeding him at 2:30 and he ate pretty well. But why the frequent wakings afterward? He went back to sleep easliy with just a pacifier and patting at all the wakings except the 2:30 where I fed him and teh 5:30 wehre he screamed and screamed so I tried holding him to soothe him and tried shh pat in sitting. Should I try the dream feed now? Should I continue the shh/pat/paci i(in his crib) n the middle of the night? I don't want him to becomed dependent on it. He comes and goes with his self soothing skills, sometimes finding and sucking his thumb, sometimes crying in frustration. I am afraid I will foster his dependence on the paci and shh pat technique and inhibit his self soothing skills. But at the same time I don't want him to CIO. Any suggestions? I did return to work yesterday as well. His sitter is following the routine. He ate and napped well. Is it possible he just missed me and wanted more attention? He seems rather young for that, but who knows? I would love some help before this gets out of hand and becomes his new routine. Any suggestions and words of advice?
