nights ruined

[cmmorin]

Hi
I started following EASY about two weeks ago, at which time I had a four month old that would eat every three hours in the day and sleep an 8hr stretch at night without waking up, but i implemented it becuase he wouldn't nap, it took forever to get him to sleep and he would usually only nap 30min
Now two weeks later he still only takes maybe 3 30 min naps a day (only time he sleeps more is if we're out) and he's horrible at night!!!  last night he woke up five times!!!!! every since i've implemented EASY he has not gone one 8hr stretch without waking up!!!!  He's night sleep was the only good thing we had going and now its horrible and causing me to meltdown having to get up so often to resettle him, i don't feed him all those times he wakes up, just try to feed him once in the night so he doesn't make a habit of that, but what can i do ?? will i get my nights back!!??? having him sleep that 8hr stretch at night, then go right back to sleep was the only thing giving me the strength to get through the day and trying to teach him to nap longer and now thats gone!!!
any advice would be great!
Thanks
Chantel

[Kimberly®]

{{HUGS}} I know this is very hard, your LO is overtired and thats why he isn't sleeping at night. Overtired babies wake more often. Can you give a full outline of your day? include wind down routine, bedtime, bedtime routine, amounts eated, length of A time and what A time is.
The more detail the better. We'll help you find the solution. 

[cmmorin]

Jacob is now 4 1/2 months, he was born 4 weeks early
This is our day
E 7:30 (sometimes 8 but no later)
very quick eater, done within 10-15min usu.
diaper change around 8
A: 8
around 9 he usually gets fussy, but i'm always reluctant to put him down, cuz that only extends the time  I have to fight with him to put him back to sleep
S: 9:30 We always do the same thing, swaddle (legs only, from the time he was 2 days old he always always got his hands out) then go to his room, turn on the music, close the door, turn off the light (the room has been blacked out) sit in the rocker with him facing out with his soother and we sing a lullaby and he's usally down in bed with in 2 min he starts fading and is asleep within 5 min(sleeps 1/2 hr then i fight and struggle to get him back to sleep until 11)  When he wakes after the 30 min i always try to settle him by giving him his soother, shhhhing and having to hold his hands which always get around his face and i usually have to cover his eyes to block the stimulation
then when all that doesn't work and he really gets mad and fights it, i had tried for a week the pu/pd to no success (then later realized that i was putting down too quickly for his age) but then we went to sitting in the rocker to calm him down and he will usually sit there and scream in our arms on and off till feeding time, you turn on light and he suddenly stops knowing he's won and doesn't have to sleep.
then we eat and do all that all over again
today after rereading some BW i went back to putting him on my shoulder to soothe him with shhh/pat and soother and he settled better, less crying and fighting and once i got him resettled for a whole 10 min but usually when i put him down he always woke up so i bent over and positioned myself like it would be if he was in my arms and let him bury his face in my neck and that seemed to temporarily work once.  i'm trying hard to be consistent and trying to keep my patience but i've been having meltdowns.
oh bed time...k usually he eats around 5:30-6pm then we play and around 7-7:30 go for a bath, which he loves then he eats again and sleeps, and used to sleep until 4-5am (i've never dream fed because i liked that he slept from 8-4 then again till 7:30-8am it works for me)
oh A= time in bumbo,diaper change, play mat, bouncy chair, likes to stand lately, he's hard to keep entertained for an hour + read stories if he lets me
need any other info or did that cover it all?
Thanks
Chantel

[cmmorin]

here's a rough day:

E:7:30
A:8
S:9:30
E:11
A:11:30
S:1
E:2:30
A:3
S:4:30
E:6
A:6:30
bath @7pm, eat again bed by 7:30-8pm

If he sleeps till 8am bump all that ahead by 1/2hr
I know they say a 4month old should be on a four hour..but i'm struggling with this and i couldn't imagine right now him up for 2hrs, sleeping 30 min then spending 1.5hrs fightiing a losing battle most times to get him back to sleep!!!!!!! i'm having a hard enough time coping as it is

also cuz he naps so little, i have a hard time keeping him  awake to eat well in the day time cuz he's so tired he falls asleep but i won't let him..i keep at him and make sure he eats well so that day time is food night time is for sleep

[Kimberly®]

OK I've read over everything. Thanks for all the info. I can see that your LO is overtired, this is leading to his short naps. An overtired baby can't sleep.

Start by moving your naptimes earlier for now. When you say he gets cranky, 10-15 minutes before that start wind down, keep it simple and low key. The less stimulation the better, have your LO into bed in the morning by 8:30-8:45, Have your LO down within 1.5-2 hours of waking so he isn't reaching the overtired point.
Also move bedtime routine to 6-6:30 and into bed by 7pm. Again a good routine is key. Keep it simple and not to stimulating and make sure its the same everyday.
Your LO will be functioning on a 3.5 month level if he was born that early, ajust everything to that level and it should help.
Keep to a 3-3.5 hour routine for the time being.