Sleep Problems - Is this normal

[hollysmum]

For the past week my 15 week old daughter has been waking during the night 4 or 5 times. Previously she was having a feed at about 7:30pm then sleeping through till about 2am, waking for a feed, then waking again at 6am for another feed and then going back to sleep till about 8:30 or 9am. Now she is all over the place, there is no consistency at all and she seems to be waking all the time. Last night she went down at 7:30, woke at 10:30, then 12 then 2am, then 5am. I am feeding when she wakes because that puts her straight back to sleep, but I really doubt that she needs all these feeds. When she wakes up she doesnt cry she just squirms around, almost like she has bad wind. I've tried burping but really dont get any results. Is this squirming behaviour (rather than crying) something normal? Any suggestions on what I should be doing?

[drewid]

Hi

I have a 17 week old son who generally sleeps from 8.30 till 8.30 with one wake up for a feed between 3-5. However sometimes he wakes up anywhere from 12-2 and I know that he's not waking from hunger - sometimes a dummy will put him straight back to sleep (before i even leave the room). If he's still unsettled I put his music box on - it projects a moving picture onto to roof with a soft light. When all else fails I pick him up and just hold him in my arms in the darkened room for a minute or so just humming softly and rocking gently. As soon as he quietens I put him back in the cot and leave the room.

After this 9/10 he goes right to sleep again. I think he realises that he's not going to get fed, and that its also not time to play or talk. Sometimes I think he just wakes up in the middle of the night and gets a bit of a fright from being alone and just needs gentle reassurance that Mummy is still around and will come and soothe him when he really needs it.

[jamb]

I have a 16 week old who also started to wake at odd times. He used to sleep through, 6pm to 4am but started to wake at 11pm, 2am not crying either grunting, tossing and turning or singing (go figure).

At first I got up and fed him but then by accident :D I fell back asleep one night and when I woke it was a few hours later, so he must have put himself back to sleep.

Now unless he is really working up to a cry (I've got a good bub he kinda doesnt cry just gets louder instead) I just leave him and sometimes (not always) he does resettle.

That said, the 2am/3am feed has become permanent, kinda frustrating seeing as he used to sleep through.

If she is eating then she must need it, maybe having a growth spurt??? Good luck and hope you get some sleep

[lil monkey]

My bub went through a stage for 2-3 weeks a few weeks ago when she was 4 months where she went from the 1 feed at 2am to 3-4 feeds. I put it down to a growth spurt as she would go through a full 180ml in a bottle every time. Now at 5 months she is back to the 1 feed at night again.

babies are mysterious creatures and just when you think you have a pattern established they go and change it on you! :D

[mattias'mom]

My son went through the same thing. At around 4 months he went from sleeping from 9 pm straight through to 5 am nursing for about 5-10 minutes and back to sleep till about 8 am to waking up 4-5 times or more a night. We didn't know what to do. We were both sleep deprived so we starting having him sleep in bed with us as that was the only way we would all get some sleep. This went on for about 2 months but now he seems to be getting back into his old sleep pattern and to sleeping back in his bed. The last few nights he has been sleeping though the night waking anytime between 5 am and 7 am...it has been wonderful to have our bed back! I am just praying this keeps up. It seems that it is the consensus that most babies have a disruption in their sleep around the 4-5 month mark and it lasts anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. I am assuming it is a huge developmental period and that is what is cause the disruption in sleep.

[Mattiesmum]

With a 10 and a half month old I have to say everything you are going through is normal! They change all the time from teething ( you don't have to actually see them they can be moving through the gum) to separation anxiety, to just plain I want my mummy NOW!!!!!
My advice is to just go with the flow, don't stress, don't try to control it, don't listen to people who make out that if you don't stamp it out it will go on for years and years etc etc. All of it is just a stage, they settle down again and your bubs are way too young to stress about them sleeping through the night. You will have good weeks and bad weeks, don't turn "sleep" into the ultimate goal! If you have a bad night, try and grab naps when you can and try to go to bed as soon as bub goes down some nights so you can catch up a little. I went through months of frequent night-time waking and I fed him back to sleep most times, until suddenly he started sleeping for longer and longer stretches again and didn't want to feed as much ( around 9 months) so I was so glad I was there for him when he needed me.
My health nurse said it is completly normal for a baby to wake through the first year of life, particuarly breastfeed bubs. There is far too much importance put on "sleeping through the night" most babies are just not built that way. Don't doubt yourself or try to change anything just stay the loving mum that you are!

[AM]

I have a 16 month old who still nurses at night, and he sleeps in bed with me, so he just rolls over, latches on, and back to sleep he goes, no fuss, no drama.
His sleep patterns have changed numerous times since he was a newborn, I find it easier to just go with the flow, and not try to analyse anything.

A good book to further understand babies sleep patterns is Night Time Parenting By Dr William Sears.

Here is a link to an interesting article.

http://www.kathydettwyler.org/detsleepthrough.html

Angie

[mimi]

Angie, As well as, 'You took the words right out of my mouth' you also, 'took the 'link' right out of my post' LOL I was thinking about Dettwyler and Sears too!

As Angie says, best not to analyse these things too carefully - but like Mattai's mum said it seems to be quite normal at this age [and many other ages!!] and has usually been put down to 'growth spurt' or learning new skills or in later months, separation anxiety ...

Just bear in mind that ONE day you WILL get a good night's sleep ... probably not while you have kids around tho' :)