help!

[momofella-grace]

Hi, Ive posted a few times before with different problems this is the latest..my baby is now waking at 4.30 am and i cant get her back to sleep. She was waking throughout the night but that has stopped. She used to sleep through the night but only if she went to bed at 10am and she wouldn't nap in the day. This is her new routine

Wake at 4.30 am for a feed
E-7.00am (not really interested in this feed but i try anyway)
A - until 7.30am
S-9.30am (2 hours)
E-11.00am
S-12.00 (2 hours with pu/pd)
A- until 3
E-3.00
S-5pm for 45 mins
A until 7pm
Bath and bed by 7.30
DF -11am

Spends most of the day tired and grumpy still (and thats both of us!!)

Any ideas..I'm so tired.

[Katet]

how old is your lo... thanks for posting the routine, but depending on her age it may or may not be an appropriate one & may be the cause of the problem

[LŠuren]

hiya

Just after a quick scan -

Is she hungry at 430am
Does she wake at this time every morning, or is it different times?
How much do you feed her at 430am?
Are you breat or bottle feeding, if bottle how many oz's does she take and what weight is she?
I take it she had another feed after 3pm and before her d/f?



The reason she is prob. not hungry at 7am is because of the 0430 feed depending on the amount you give her.

Katet she is 15 weeks

[momofella-grace]

hi, she is 16 weeks today, breastfed. sorry yes she is fed at 7pm and weighs 13ib 13oz. i feed her at 4.30 she does seem hungry.

[Katet]

Ok for 16 weeks & BF the 4.30am feed is very normal... so it is the fact you can't resettle her back to sleep that is the issue, is it that you can't settle without feeding, or that she only settles with a feed... if it is that she only settles with a feed... well that is because that is what she NEEDS at this age.

For her age I think her day awake time is a bit long, so I think overtiredness is the issue

for a 3.5-4mo, you would expect 1.5 -2 hours awake time (2 hours is pushing it for many babies) so you would actually be looking at 3 x 2 hour naps in the day & about 10.5 - 11 hours sleep overnight.... but you would also expect 2 (& possibly 3 night feeds... including the df to be part of that time)

It is actually quiet normal for them to be hungry at 4.30 & not so much at 7am, so try to unlatch her at 4.3o, when her sucking stops being strong... I found that it wasn't until my ds started on solids at 6months (I don't suggest strating them eary to solve this problem, as it can sometimes lead to life long digestive problems starting solids too early) that the what slowly moved from a 4 to 5, then 6am feed dissapeared.

hang in there she is only young & if EASY is going well, it will improve, it just takes time & being tired is VERY normal... you will find as your lo gets older (7-8months) night wakings for developmental reasons often occur, so I think it is best to learn as a mother an earlier bedtime & naps while the baby does are NORMAL, not a luxury
HTH

[momofella-grace]

Hi thanks for your rely, her sleep is so erratic since being on easy, she woke several times during the night again but slept unti 5a! half an hour lie in, i may go back to 3 naps as you suggested and give that a try.

[momofella-grace]

Hello, i have tried to adapt the routine based on your advice and the fact our day starts at 4.30 /5 am if you can tell me what you think it would be appreciated.

5.00am - feed
5.30 -7.00am activity
7.30 am - sleep for 1hr 30 mins
9.00am - activity
10.00am- feed
11.00am -sleep for 2hours
1.00pm-feed
1.30 until 3pm activity
3pm-sleep for 1hr
4pm- feed
4.30 -5.30 activity
5.30-6pm sleep
by 7.30 -sleep/bath

i have had to swap around the feed and activity order at times due to her waking early. there are still long bouts of activity but with more naps.

thanks again xx

[Katet]

Do you want the day to start so early, if not I would take the first feed 4.30/5am as a night-time one (reasonably normal) & then try to resettle your lo until when you want to start the day.
 
If you can't get her back to sleep, I'd try just sitting in a dark room & cuddling, until at least 6.30am (I've done that on occasions) you really don't want to start a habit of that early a start. from my experience, you need to look at being consistent with a change for at least as many days as they are months old & if you have a big "regression" which  is normal at about day 2-3, then you need to add another 3-4 days after that, so what ever changes you make, don't expect to see much of a difference for about  week.

then you could have your first day feed at 7/7.30 (even if it is small)... even if you only get her back to sleep at 7am, I'd wake at 7.30, to set the day then nap from 8.30/9 & then work the cycle from there.

Hope that helps

[momofella-grace]

thanks so much for your help, Ella only woke at 1.30am for a feed and then slept until i woke her at 7.20am. not sure what helped maybe the extra nap.