Why does she keep waking up -- 20w-old

[Mom_to_L&S]

Hi ladies,

I posted on this board a month or so ago and, unfortunately, I am back 
My DD is waking at night around midnight-1am and then again around 4am after which she will either sleep deep untill wake-time or very erraticaly, it varies.

My DD is 20 weeks old, formula fed and on a 4H EASY. She naps well, 2 long naps + 1 catnap and is happy most of the time. She starts her night between 7 and 7.30pm.  For good measure. hereīs our schedule:

7am E
9-10h30am S

11am E
12u30pm-2h30-3pm S

3pm E
Between 4h30/5pm catnap 30-45 min.

Between 6h30-7pm E
Bedtime between 7pm-7h30pm

Last week, we dropped the DF because she never took much and fed less and less well during the day. She is formula fed from day 1.
When she wakes up, she is a mixture of fussy, coo-y and grizlly, sorry that doesnīt make much sense probably. But itīs like she is half asleep still and talking in her sleep. If we donīt attend to her, she eventually starts crying and wakes up grumpy.
Iīm afraid she is paci-dependant (I am not ready to wean yet) and canīt fall asleep without it (spits it out when asleep) but even a re-plug doesnīt seem to cut it anymore. I have noticed that she is suckling on the paci VERY fiercely, so maybe she is teething? (which would also explain the fussy eating?) but the hard suckling makes her lose it over and over again.
Last night, I thought she might be hungry because of the dropped DF, so I fed her. Still, she woke up at 4am with the same behaviour.

I would like to know why she keeps waking and how to help her.
Her normal sleeping behaviour since week 8 is 12 hours of nightsleep with 1 interruption between 4-5am which would be solved with a simple paci-replug. Now, the night is erratic!

Thanks in advance,

Sophie

[Layla]

Other than the paci or it being developmental, it could be that she is in fact be teething. Does she seem to have other signs of teething? Could also be that she is having too much daytime sleep. You might want to try cut the afternoon nap to 2hrs (if not 1.5 hrs). So her pm nap would end at 2pm & she would still have the catnap at 4.30pm & go to bed at 7pm.

Maybe someone else has other suggestions as well?

[Mom_to_L&S]

Thanks for the insight, I appreciate it 

I was pondering too about the daytime sleep. The thing is, she really aches to rest after 2H of A-time. She rubs her eyes, yawns and is visibly relieved when I put her down and drifts off within minutes.
Her morning nap today was 1H 45min after which I woke her up.

Her last bottle of the day is also between 3,5-4H (closer to 3,5H) after the one before that, not because she is hungry but because she is just so tired and we donīt want to stall the eating for the sake of having a perfect 4H EASY. The poor thing is just bombed after a full day.

She is having her lunchnap now, and I will wake her after 1,5H and see if it makes a difference.

Re. teething : she is suckling her hands and fingers a lot but sheīs been doing that for weeks. No excessive drooling.

Sophie

[Layla]

You'll probably have to wake her from naps more than one day to see what effect it has on her nights.

Her last bottle of the day is also between 3,5-4H (closer to 3,5H) after the one before that, not because she is hungry but because she is just so tired and we donīt want to stall the eating for the sake of having a perfect 4H EASY. The poor thing is just bombed after a full day.

Thats fine. This was almost always the case with my girls as well 

[Mom_to_L&S]

You'll probably have to wake her from naps more than one day to see what effect it has on her nights.

Her last bottle of the day is also between 3,5-4H (closer to 3,5H) after the one before that, not because she is hungry but because she is just so tired and we donīt want to stall the eating for the sake of having a perfect 4H EASY. The poor thing is just bombed after a full day.

Thats fine. This was almost always the case with my girls as well 

Good to know 

[Mom_to_L&S]

Well, last night was back to normal : bed at 7.15pm and first wake-up at 4.15am. Paci-plu and she slept untill 5.30am when she decided it was time to start the day  so I fed her 60ml and then she settled back and slept untill 7.10am. (we start our day between 7am and 7.15am and I wanted to keep her in resting-mode untill that time, is it ok to have fed her a little bit in order to get there?)

Nap-wise, we had a 1,5H lunchnap and no catnap since we were out and about and I got held up so wasnīt in time to put her down for the catnap. She went down without a problem though at 7.15pm.

Still not sure if sheīs teething, she is chewing a lot and a little whiney now and then which she never really is.

I will keep an eye on the naps for a few days and see if she keeps sleeping well during the night.

Thanks!

Sophie

[Layla]

Good to hear. The early morning bottle - well that depends who you ask. I think its ok but it can become a prop. To be honest, I always thought its ok to have a feed & then back to bed but just be careful that she doesn't then want to wake up for it every morning. She might have wanted to start her day at 5.30am because the catnap was missed. ON the days you can't get one in, try for an earlier bedtime. It will save you/her from getting overtired.

Let me know how she does.

[Mom_to_L&S]

The early morning bottle is definately not something I want to make a habit of. But then again, she never asks for it and I only gave her 60ml, which doesnīt qualify as a feed really since her bottles are always 180-200ml.

Iīll let you know how tonight goes.

Sophie

[Mom_to_L&S]

Hi,

I just wanted to say thanks for the great advice, I am now keeping her naps 1H45mins twice a day plus a 45min catnap and she has been sleeping from 7pm-5am uninterrupted for the past 4 nights. Paci-plug and then sleeps untill 6.45am.

You were, as always, really helpfull, thank you 

Sophie

[Layla]

Sophie, thats great to hear .