why do things change?

[nicoleE]

DD has always had a sleep routine through the night - last feed at around 8 or 9pm then to bed by 9 or 10. She would last one 5hr stretch then reverts back to 3hrly as she is during the day also. Because of this I was dreamfeeding her at 11pm so she would then last until 4am... this was working well..
However she recently stopped lasting 5hrs and changed to 4, then the last couple of nights she has only lasted 3.5hrs... Im really not coping well on this broken sleep!
For the early morning feed i bring her into bed (about 6am ish) and feed a little in bed although mainly we both just fall asleep again. On the plus side she does last until about 8-8:30am before she has decided she has had enough... thing is I have had allot of broken sleep (i dont sleep very deaply with her in bed although do enjoy the closeness). I cant catch up during the day because my little princess only sleeps for 30-40 minutes at a time (she is like clockwork!) about 3 times a day, thats it! (she is very happy through the day so she must be getting enough)

Is there a reason why she could be going 'backwards' overnight now at 4 months? (her day sleeps have not changed) Growth spurt? (although i thought these slowed off after 3 months).. needing solids? Just bad luck? something else?

thanks :sleeping:

[UmmInayah]

I would definitely think it was a growth spurt. When she wakes for a feed is she feeding strongly? Or does it appear like it's just for comfort?

My DD wakes almost every hour for comfort feeds. I find that co-sleeping works best for us in this respect. At first I hated co-sleeping because I felt like I was always watching her and never getting any sleep. It has since gotten better, though..

:hugs: All the best with it. I hope it doesn't last too much longer for you. Sleep deprivation is the pits!

[~Emmylou~]

I'm sorry you're doing it tough again it really is a rude shock when things have been going so well :(

There is a reason though, baby's nervous system is growing, and changing and developing every day and this is why the don't do the same things for long. Their eating habits change, they way they look changes, the way they interact with you changes....and their sleep patterns change.

It really is so, so normal and I know how you feel, honestly I do - we went through a full year of hellish sleep deprivation with DS. Some periods he woke hourly all night long for weeks on end. Pure torture and I thought about just walking away and never coming back when it was at it's worst. Even now he still wakes up once.

I guess for me I found it really helped me to not obsess about why he wasn't sleeping. When I knew he wasn't hungry, cold, hot, sick or teething I just focussed my energy on finding coping strategies rather than doing my head it trying to find the "magic bullet" to get him to sleep. Once I did that I really found it sooo much easier to cope.

Hang in there, it may well just be a phase that will pass in a week or two as well :hugs:

[nicoleE]

Thanks ladies.


I would definitely think it was a growth spurt. When she wakes for a feed is she feeding strongly? Or does it appear like it's just for comfort?

At the first overnight feed (normally around 2-2:30am if i dreamfeed at 11) she feeds well. The next wake up at around 5:30am I bring her into bed and she normally doesnt feed much at all as we both fall asleep. The last couple of nights she has been a little upset upon waking... could be teeth to I guess. I do try to resettle her by putting my hand on her chest and putting a dummy in before i opt to feed her but she makes it clear she is not interested in resettling. She does however easily go to sleep after a feed during the night so she does know its sleep time!
She has not been feeding as well in the mornings but i think makes up for it a little by the afternoon, she is having lots of wet nappies and by her weight (a couple of weeks ago she was 7kgs) i dont think she will starve!