Like having a newborn again

[hj1981]

Bianca started sleeping thru the night from about 3mths old - now for the past week she has been going to bed around normal time 2000/2030 than waking up between 2300-2400 and than again at 0300 and again at 0600 - is this normal for her to be getting up so often again? Its like have a newborn baby all over again!

[~Trish~]

Yep, it's the magic 4 month mark. Lots of babies change when they hit 4 months. DS2 became unsettled and his night sleep went out the window. I had BF'ing probs with DS1 at the same age, he seemed hungrier and I couldn't keep up. It does pass! By 5 months DS2 was sleeping through the night again.

I think they become more aware of the world around them at 4 months old and it can disrupt their sleeping or feeding.

This is a phase that will pass, I promise!

[hj1981]

Trish - PHEW!!!! Very reasuring to read that its normal and it will pass! i never thought i would say this but...... bring on 5mths! hahahaha

is there anymore "magic months" i should know about? LOL

[SamiH]

Hi

Yep, 4 month overnight waking and feeding (2 - 3 am) happened here too .

The next magical month - well not a time as such, but when they start to crawl etc - they can be a bit restless and start waking again unsettled trying to move around - you would think it would be the other way around, using more energy and exhausted .....

Zander is back to going bed at night around 7- 8pm and earliest he wakes for a feed is 4.30ish (still b/f though so empty quicker) - but now 6.30 is the norm.

[Liz]

LOL - I'll say that it's normal.. makes me feel better about my 16mth old that wakes every few hours!

[hj1981]

Sami - i would of thought that when they start to crawl etc that they would be more exhausted also! bugga!!! LOL

Liz - noooooo not still waking at 16mths!!!!


Im begining to think that the only time i will get to sleep thru the night again is when Bianca starts school or becomes a teenager and dosent want to get up! LOL

Also Bianca dosent sleep AT ALL during the day - is that normal/okay?
The only time she will nap is when we are out and thats either in the car or the pram and than its only for about 5-10mins!
so i would of thought come bed time she would be exhausted but nope!!!!

[~Trish~]

Also Bianca dosent sleep AT ALL during the day - is that normal/okay?
The only time she will nap is when we are out and thats either in the car or the pram and than its only for about 5-10mins!
so i would of thought come bed time she would be exhausted but nope!!!!

It sounds strange, but your bub having good day naps actually helps them sleep better at night. She really does need to nap during the day at her age. Can you rock her off to sleep in your arms and put her down? Or does she just wake up? It seems like she needs motion to help her sleep. Have you tried a baby hammock? My DS1 would only sleep if I jiggled him off to sleep and held him in my arms for the first 10 weeks of his life (not a good long-term arrangement for me LOL), so we bought him a baby hammock and we would bounce him in it until he fell asleep. He LOVED it! If he woke up after one sleep cycle we could bounce him back off to sleep. We were both much happier

[hj1981]

Ocassionally and very rarely she will fall asleep in my arms during a feed and than i try and put her down but as soon as i move she wakes up! and sometimes i think i should just sit there and nurse her, but... and im sure everyone has said this or heard this - there is just SO much work for me to do around the house.
We have a bouncer for her and after her bath and feed around 1730 she use to have a 30min nap but that has stopped when she started waking up during the night!

Im even trying to get her into the habbit of having a nap in her cot after lunch - i will feed her than put her down - even if its just for 30mins "quiet" time - but she dosent like that either!

[Je$$_84]

Everyone else has replyed great reposnses. Same happened here took ages to get back to it... Well only recently has DD slept through... Hope its sooner for u

[Indadhanu]

Yeah, Jazzy's sleep went to pot at 4 months too. She was sleeping through as well and then... NUP. Still waiting for her to get over the 'magic 4 month' mark. As far as I can see though its fairly normal and will pass eventually.

[Shanti]

HJ - you are doing a great job hun Like Trish said, those hammocks are fantastic!! We have had DD in her's since she came home from hospital and she won't sleep in anything else.... we've tried the cot and we've tried the portacot and she hates them! The hammock is wonderful its so snug and gently rocks when they wake.
I find I put DD in it when she's sleepy but not quite 'asleep' and she usually dozes off in it herself (if i'm lucky!!!!) other times not......
That must be hard for you if she doesnt sleep during the day to get things done around the house.

Can't believe little Bianca is just over 4mths!!! Wow.....

[Liz]

Put her in a sling or wrap and wear her while you get stuff done. They can have a good snooze like that.

I think around that age my DS would only sleep in the pram during the day... so who was I to argue with him? LOL. It was convenient actually... rock him off to sleep, and if he stirred I could quickly jiggle or rock the pram. It helped him get through that 1/2 hr sleep cycle. It didn't last forever and he started sleeping on a bed again

[Snacks]

Yup, Natty's sleep went berko at 4 months as well
I also hear a lot of people who have a similar experience to us, and that around 8-9 months they have another sleep-shuffle of sorts (become a bit trickier to settle and more wakeful).
Like Trish said, I'd expect she'd need some sleep during the day. Natty was a catnapper, but she was always happier if she slept during the day. (For us, it didn't make much difference to her night sleep, but at least it made her a more pleasant little person to be around )
Liz' suggestion of the sling is great. Also, you may find that you need to stick with the settling for a while before she drifts off. At that age, I used to pat Natty off to sleep and it could take up to 20 mins to get her there! But it was so worth it. GL!

[SammyRo]

Im begining to think that the only time i will get to sleep thru the night again is when Bianca starts school or becomes a teenager and dosent want to get up! LOL

That's until the age when they start going out and you lie awake waiting for them to come home!

As to the day sleeps, we have a problem sleeper and her day sleeps with a couple of weeks exception here and there, were never very good. At 9 months, I've spent lots of times speaking to CYH nurses and a stint at day service to help her settle, to come to the conclusion that as long as she sleeps during the day, I don't care if its in the cot or not, so I will often take her for a walk and then she will continue sleeping in the pram or I time naps for car rides so that can put her to sleep. Its this or lots of screaming and stress to atttempt to get her in the cot (and I don't want it to affect her nighttime sleeping, which is currently on track, for now at least).

I think a pp has mentioned slings - they are great for getting things done while a bub that likes to be held can sleep. And there are heaps of designs/styles around. Look in the gentle paretning section for recommendations.

[hj1981]

Sammy - i have finally given into the fact that i wont get Bianca too sleep in her cot during the day - so now i sit and bounce her in her bouncer and we may get about 20mins of her sleeping!!!!!

As for night time sleeps - she is still getting up 2-3 times a night!!!!

[Liz]

hj - it's totally normal for them to wake that frequently. She's only 4 months old

[amberj]

If you google "4 month sleep regression" you will get a heap of results. Another one happens at 8-9 months....just been through that (yawns expansively).

When all else fails, sit in a corner and rock and repeat "its a phase, its a phase, its a phase" to yourself

[hj1981]

amberj - thank you soooo very much - i googled it and it was so interesting! definalty explains ALOT!
The rocking helps also