Waking but going back down

[FreddieEden]

Hi there,

DS is exclusively bf and has been going 12 hours in the night without a feed for about a month now (odd regressions but pretty much there).  That's pretty amazing as he is a 91st centile baby but food doesn't seem to be his big issue -  must have an efficient metabolism.  Not on solids yet and feed about every 3 to 4 hours during the day.

He used to go down between 6 and 7 and be in a pretty deep sleep until about midnight when he would stir a bit and maybe stir a couple of times before wake up.  Now, he seems to be moaning and groaning pretty much every hour to two hours.  He usually gets himself back to sleep without any intervention from me.  I don't dare go in there so I don't know if he is awake when he is groaning away.  I know I am lucky that I don't have to go in and resettle him but I do think the quality of his sleep is suffering.  He seems a lot more grumpy during the day than he used to be.  We have had problems with 45 minute naps but he seems to be getting over that now, though he is still a bit erratic as to when he takes long naps and short naps.

Can I do anything about this or do I just have to wait it out until he gets back into more solid sleeping?  I thought about restarting a dream feed (we used to do this but we stopped when he stopped waking for it as I was worried about his 45 minute naps and wanted to let him get a solid stretch of sleep) but I am reluctant to start a pattern of feeding where there isn't currently one.

Any thoughts?
Thanks very much
Freddie

[Kimberly®]

as a fellow mom of a 12 hour night sleeper first I'd like to say way to go You've done well with his sleeping.

Now to the problem at had, I think you'll need to watch him. He may be in fact reacting to the missing dreamfeed, how long has it been since you stopped??
When you hear him in the night, is he crying at all? or is it just moaning?
If its just moaning then he's likly just entered a light sleep, especially if he's resetling into sleep.
If your concerned about it you could try going in quietly and placing your hand on him to help him resettle, or leave him be.
Going in may wake him up, and that could make him grumpy. Or you could go in and he's settle better and sleep better.
Or leaving him may been a restless sleep, or it could give him a chance to learn to self sooth.
In the end, as little help as it is, the choise is up to you. You know your baby. Do what you think must be done.

[FreddieEden]

Thanks very much for the quick reply.  I don't think I did anything for the 12 hour sleep - he just decided he didn't want to eat in the night any more!  It's been weeks and weeks since we did a dreamfeed so I don't think the waking can be related to that.  In the night, he is not crying, just making the same grunty groany noise that he does before he goes to sleep for his naps and at night.  My experience from doing nap extensions is that he has now reached the point where it is counter productive to go in unless he is doing a proper cry.  Once I go in, he starts trying to socialise and doesn't go to sleep.  Even the odd time I have had to do pick up put down, then I have left whilst he is still awake but calm as he goes to sleep better that way.  My intuition tells me that he needs to be left and that he will get quicker at resettling himself or will eventually stop waking at all.  He would let me know if he needed me in there.  But, equally, I would really like to be able to help him out as he isn't the happiest baby on the block at the moment.  I don't think he is a naturally sound sleeper but also isn't one of those babies who can get by on less sleep than the norm.

Freddie