thread: Sleeping troubles

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Jun 2012
    10

    Sleeping troubles

    My gorgeous 4 month old is struggling with sleeping. When she goes for her naps she falls asleep fine no problems but then she is waking up half way through I am not sure if I am supposed to encourage her to keep sleeping or get her up???
    My first was a perfect sleeper so this is all new to me!
    She is still waking up between 4am and 5am which is very frustrating as I am shocking with lack of sleep lol!
    Ideas please???

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Jul 2006
    Melbourne
    4,895

    How long is the initial sleep for? If it is shorter than say 1 hr I'd resettle

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Jan 2011
    2,075

    Sleeping troubles

    My CAFHS nurse said its common for them to wake after say 40min, but then to re settle them so they sleep 1.5-2 hours. My dd will sometimes go 3 hours. Apparently they need at least the 1.5 hours for a sleep cycle?

    She also recommended just rocking her and not picking her up to re settle which I did for the first week and it worked. Now I judge or by how she is ( sometimes she needs a cuddle to sleep). Generally now though she sleeps the whole cycle.

    I find a good way to judge if she's slept enough is how her mood is when she wakes. If she's grumpy or teary she needs more, happy it's generally enough. Sometimes she'll wake and when I go in she is rubbing her eyes which is also a sign she needs more....

    Hope some of this helps!

  4. #4
    BellyBelly Member

    Sep 2010
    North West Victoria, Australia
    3,003

    DS (also 4mos) is having this trouble.

    With the 4-5am wake up, he loves doing this! So, we cosleep in the early morning. And he sleeps til about 7 now, as long as he's in our bed.

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Jan 2011
    2,075

    Sleeping troubles

    Oh and I forgot to mention once I got the day sleeps sorted the night sleeps seem to fall in place. What time do you put your little one down at night?

    I wake dd before we go to bed, she has a story and a play with her dad I give her a big feed and then she normally sleeps to about 7.30-8am

    Xx

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Sep 2008
    Adelaide
    3,201

    A babys sleep cycle is actually only 45 mins, and adults is 1.5 hours - but helping them 'join' sleep cycles together is the key

    My DD is just 4 months, she was having 4 or 5 x 45 min sleeps a day for a while, drove me a bit nuts, as with a toddler its easier if she had a long nap. However she's started linking 2-3 sleep cycles together now so I am getting 2 big sleeps and 1 shorter one each day now. I didn't actually do much to encourage it, she just started doing it. If she does wake after a short time I will either cuddle her, pop the dummy in, pat her or sometimes even give her a bit of boob if she's rooting for it to get her to continue to sleep.

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Jul 2006
    Cloud nine :D
    6,309

    Sleeping troubles

    Wrong thread - sorry