How many times does your baby wake at night?

[joey123]

My baby is nearly 4.5 months old and from 4 weeks till about 3 months she was going to sleep at about 7pm, waking at about 1am and again at about 6am.

But since about 3 months, she has started waking more, up to 3 times a night (being every 4 or so hours). Only about 2 or 3 times in the last month and a half has she woken only once. All the other nights, she has been waking 2 -3 times.

I have 'The No Cry Sleep Solution' and this says that it is not unreasonable for babies up to 6 months to wake up to three times a night. But I am curious as to what other babies are doing and when they started waking just once a night. Especially seeing she spent 2 months just waking once a night . I'm in no hurry for her to sleep through, but waking more than once is a little tiring!

I'm not sure if I should go to the effort of trying to get her back to just one feed a night, or just ride it out. (Yes, I feed her every time she wakes and she falls back asleep after about 5 mins feeding. At her second waking, or the waking that is after midnight, I change her nappy to wake her up so I can offer her the other side).

Thanks

PS - She feeds every 2.5 - 3 hours during the day (she is exclusively breast fed) and sleeps for anywhere from 3-5 hours in the day time (all her naps added up). It seems she wakes only twice a night when she has longer naps in the day.

And no, I'm not going to introduce solids or formula to save my sleep, just incase that was going to be suggested. Thanks.

[STARRYSKY]

hi joey, just wanted to say that it all sounds perfectly normal to me (but then every baby is different anyway, so whats normal!) she could just be going through a "phase".
my Jacob is almost one and now wakes 2x every night, midnight and at 4am, usually has a feed then straight back to sleep, but just this last week or so has decided that 4am is playtime! not fun for me!
I tend to find that the more day sleeps J has, the better he will sleep at night, he still has anywhere from 2-4 naps per day, from 40mins to 2 hrs in length.
Good for you with regards to solids, I found that if anything it just made the night wakings worse!
Goodluck with it all, just ride with it, she will settle into something that will be "normal" for her in time. xx

[Sterla]

Well.... my DS is 8 months old, and he wakes up 3 times a night (occasionally more) - basically he is up every 3 hours. He used to sleep longer when he was younger - I used to be able to get 6-8 hours before he'd wake up. I breastfeed him each time, and he does genuinely seem to want it and need it (maybe he doesn't need it to keep his belly full, but as a comforting thing he does seem to need it).
It's tiring, and I have people IRL making comments like there must be something wrong - but the few times I have tried to settle him without the feed have resulted in me being up with him for a few hours instead of 20 mins. Nothing changed when he started solids either.

Sorry, this probably isn't a very helpful reply - but this has been my experience.

[Heaven]

Well.... my DS is 8 months old, and he wakes up 3 times a night (occasionally more) - basically he is up every 3 hours. He used to sleep longer when he was younger - I used to be able to get 6-8 hours before he'd wake up. I breastfeed him each time, and he does genuinely seem to want it and need it (maybe he doesn't need it to keep his belly full, but as a comforting thing he does seem to need it).
It's tiring, and I have people IRL making comments like there must be something wrong - but the few times I have tried to settle him without the feed have resulted in me being up with him for a few hours instead of 20 mins. Nothing changed when he started solids either.

Sorry, this probably isn't a very helpful reply - but this has been my experience.

EXACTLY the same situation here.

[mbear]

my son is same age -4.5mths. He has been waking every hour in the last 2 weeks - b4 that he was up 3 times - he is breastfed. last night was only 2 times....felt like i won lotto today....but sounds perfectly normal to me hon....i would expect to be getting up to a breastfed 4.5mth old bub at least 3 times a night.....

[Liviam]

I'm up feeding DS (3 1/2 months) three times a night. Thankfully he's started settling quickly so I'm not up all night. Sounds like your little bub is doing great. Keep up the good work.

[~Kim~]

EXACTLY the same situation here.

And here. Nate is nearly 8months and wakes every 1 1/2-2 hours. I've tried the Pantley techniques....maybe I'm doing it wrong but hers didn't make an iota of difference. He is as restless as all gettup until 9.30-10.oopm...only in the last few nights will he actually spend some time in his cot.
This is my second crack at a crappy sleeper. He's waaaay worse than Darcy was. So in my most frustrated times I go in and sit with my sleeping daughter who now at 3 1/2 happily does 12hours over night....gives me hope.

Sorry but the point of that whole ramble (maybe I'm more frsutrated than I thought) was that your bub sounds completely normal to me. Hang in there hun This gig ain't easy is it?

[MrsFabuloso]

Well, I must be damn unlucky cause I have a 14mth old who wakes between 1-3 times a night (and he will have a bf then too), and a 2 1/2 yrs old who wakes 1-3 times a night...yep I'm tired!
It sounds normal to me, but at that age, my DS was sitll doing 2-3hrly feeds day and night. I think I'm just unlucky with my kids sleep....pity I used to really like sleeping....!

[Winter]

EXACTLY the same situation here.

Are we all sharing the same baby? Exactly the same here too!

[Early Kids]

My baby has been sleeping through since 8 weeks, with only one night since 8 weeks that he woke between the hours of 10pm and 6am. He's 4 months today.

My big boy is 2y7m and rarely sleeps through, he wakes up screaming, causes unknown.

[joey123]

Thanks a whole lot everyone. It makes it much easier getting up in the night now that I know it's nothing unusual and that I really shouldn't be expecting anything different.

Take care and I wish you all the best with your sleeping babies

xx

[Heaven]

I've tried the Pantley techniques....maybe I'm doing it wrong but hers didn't make an iota of difference.

Me too! DD must be a tough case bc it didn't help at all, actually made her worse and when I gave up trying she improved a bit.

Well, I must be damn unlucky cause I have a 14mth old who wakes between 1-3 times a night (and he will have a bf then too), and a 2 1/2 yrs old who wakes 1-3 times a night...yep I'm tired!

Damn it!! I was convinced second babies were better sleepers! lol. Hoping for a sleeper next time. I couldn't cope with 2 waking so I'm going to have to wait til DD sleeps better before having another one, that may be 10 yrs from now, pmsl.

Thanks a whole lot everyone. It makes it much easier getting up in the night now that I know it's nothing unusual and that I really shouldn't be expecting anything different.

I agree, I get distressed about the night waking when I have my mum or nan telling me she should be sleeping through by now. But when I think it's normal I cope much better.

[HollyC]

The most normal thing for my DD from about 3 months was to sleep all night. That being said, she would wake if she was sick, teething or sometimes just going through phases. Sometimes it was once a night other times more. She was also exclusively BF.

When she did wake we would try to resettle her and feed if that didn't work.

It is interesting what you said about her sleeping better when she has longer day sleeps. Maybe you could work on her sleeping more during the day? Maybe a long walk in the pram?

[~Kim~]

Damn it!! I was convinced second babies were better sleepers! lol. Hoping for a sleeper next time. I couldn't cope with 2 waking so I'm going to have to wait til DD sleeps better before having another one, that may be 10 yrs from now, pmsl.

Yeah me too... I so lucked out!!! 3 years worked for us

[Jellyfish]

Oh Joey! I missed this thread but we are up many times a night still at 7 months. Last night it was 6 times... usually, though, it is 3 or 4.

it is exhausting, hey? I am just hoping it gets better...

[Arcadia]

Usually once or twice, last night was about 5 (although she was in bed with us, so 'up' meant pull boob out lol).

At 7 months it was 2-3 times.

DD still hasn't ever slept through the night...and I am wanting to TTC for #2. Hmmm....

[Kahlan]

Hi

I am one of those lucky ones. My little one (almost 4 months) has been sleeping through since 7 weeks. I have had the occasional night waking but they are very few and far in between. Recently she had been waking at 4 am but just play with herself, no crying, but a lot of self talking and hand playing for an hour before going back to sleep... except it doesn't help... I can still hear and cannot sleep until I know she is asleep (she has started rolling and I don't want her to roll over (back to tummy and get herself into a pickle which she often does when awake during the day)

[joey123]

Thanks so much everyone.

You wouldn't beleive it ...

Lily has slept through (10-11hrs) for the last 3 nights

Let's hope she keeps it up.

And, no, I didn't change anything. Oh, I was waking her up at 8.30pm for a top up feed, but I cut that out, and she slept through about 2-3 days after I stopped that.

I feed her every 3-3.5 hours a day, depending on her sleeps. I always feed her before I put her down for a nap (whether she needs it or not) and she has increased her day sleeps up to 4-5 hours in the day now too.