not sleeping so well anymore

[Lewis's Mummy]

I'm all confused... DS was sleeping pretty well until about 3 weeks ago. He was going down for the night at about 6:30 and sleeping til midnight when he'd wake for a feed, then straight back down til about 4 for another feed and then we'd be awake to start the day somewhere around 7. Now he's stirring/waking every 2 hours and from 4 am or so it's every hour... I thought it was because we got out of our semblence of a routine when we visited my parents interstate, but we've been home for 2 weeks now...

I still wrap him; he has a dummy when he first goes to sleep but doesn't wake when it falls out, just wakes later. Sometimes he'll quieten when I first walk into the room, other times he rolls his head around with mouth wide open until I put the dummy back in. What I don't understand is that he didn't do that before... he just stayed asleep with or without the dummy.

He has a bath and cuddle/story before bedtime and a feed before or after the bath depending on whether he wants it. Feeds in the day are much shorter now - maybe he has too much to see and do - but at night he feeds well. The feeds certainly don't bother me, it's the 2 hourly wake up thing when he's not hungry. He's not cold, not too warm, just seems to be calling out and wanting a cuddle, pat, face stroking or similar. Last night I tried to resettle him without the dummy and it worked but he still woke up 2 hours later...

Is this just a phase that will pass? I can cope with it at the moment, but I'm just wondering what happened? I'm hoping it settles down - I'm starting to get tired like I did when he was first born and DH doesn't hear him and has to go to work anyway so I have to get up every time... He still naps pretty well during the day and I'm reluctant to stretch the naps out more because he just gets way too grumpy if he doesn't have a nap...

I wish he could tell me what to do... but as he can't can any of you who've been here before give me some hints?

[KatieRabbit]

My DD was doing the same thing but not half as bad- just waking at odd times for no seeable reason. However, the dummy usually worked for her to get back to sleep. Perhaps DS is just looking for comfort and it may take a few nights to get back on track but could you go in to him and comfort him without talking or picking him up? As in holding his hand, stroking, humming until he is back to sleep. I think two things here:
1. Keep it constant whatever you do so it becomes a go back to sleep signal. A little hummed tune works a treat. So do the same thing every single time. And you may have to do it a few nights as I mentioned.
2. It is a phase and it will pass. I have found with DD that any changes (sleep) always revert back to her normal after 1, 2 or 3 nights. I get alarmed thinking that it will continue only to find that it NEVER does.
I would keep up the day naps as you are doing. That is unless he is getting too much sleep during the day. I think recommended (take with lge pinch salt) sleep at this age during the day is 4.5 to 6 hours. DD (same age) usually has about 2.5 to 4 hours on average.

[MantaRay]

How's it going now LM? Has it settled down? I think 4 months is a common time for this. Many mums mistake it for baby needing solids but that rarely helps. I think it's mostly because they just hit a new level of alertness around then and there is too much going on. I hope you are getting some more sleep now.

[boo]

How are things going LM? My DS has been doing the same thing for over a week now - only he's waking every hour from about 1am (he used to sleep for 12 hours, maybe waking once during the night) - I thought he could be having a "wonder week" but i'm starting to worry that he's formed a habit i'm not going to be able to break! I've tried settling him without he's dummy but it just won't work, I think the dummy might be half our problem, i'm starting to pull my hair out!!

[Lewis's Mummy]

The day naps are soooooo frustrating now... it all goes hand in hand with my feeding probs in the bf support thread... no longer needing 3 naps of 90 mins, instead seems to need 4 or 5 and they're lucky to last an hour. Before he was self settling for the naps, now it's hell... I have to rock,jiggle, sway, pat, sing - you name it I'm trying it. He has always fought sleep, but it's getting ridiculous - I can see how tired he is and he'll be thrashing about with his eyes barely able to be open and gradually nods off only to start again half a minute later... He's so alert and 'busy' when he's awake during the day but we've also got to the point where he needs me there to entertain him (unless the dog is chasing his tail or something which grabs DS's attention) I'm just really really tired - I feel like I did when he was a new born...

[Rahjah]

Oh gosh I could have written your post.

Is this just a developmental thing or what? I've been trying to work out what's WRONG but maybe there is nothing?