Night time waking - what to do?

[camsma]

My 4 mnth old is breast fed, with a formula bottle last thing at night before bed at about 7.30-8pm. Occassionally he has slept right through til morning (probably about a dozen times all up) , but most times he is waking sometimes twice but mostly just once a night - usually at around 3-4am.
When he wakes I tend to automatically give him a quick BF as it helps him off to sleep pretty much straight away. This is just the easiest way for me to get him to back to sleep again. My question is, do you think that I should be trying to settle him back to sleep without a feed? SHould he be needing a feed at this time - I know that he has gone all night without a feed before when he has slept through?
I find that if I lift him out of the cot to settle him (without a feed) he just wakes up more and then is even harder to settle back to sleep again.
At what age should they be able to go all night without being fed?

ALso, Im finding it difficult with the colder weather to keep him nice and warm all night. Im thinking that he could be waking up because he's cold at 3-4am?? I try and wrap him up nice and warm but Im worried about over heating, especially as the temp varies throughout the night and doesn't get really cold until around dawn.

Any help would be appreciated.:fingerscrossed:

[bellagirl]

hi:)

Well to be honest, I think youve answered your own question! ha ha
Yeh, if it seems to settle him i would feed him, my daughter is 9 months old and she still wakes up for a feed about every 5 hours!
I have tried to let her go without a feed but shes pretty determined, she knows what she wants!
also for the coldness, i use thermal blankets, you can get baby ones from kmart, i too find it doesnt get really cold till after 1 so I just keep it under the cot till then and when I get up for a drink or the loo, I pop it on her then.
Hope this helps!:fingerscrossed:

[kadownie]

It's hard isn't it- to know what to do? Follow your heart and your instincts- can't go wrong then. If mine wake I just breastfeed them- it's the easiest quickest route back to sleep. One day they will grow out of it I'm sure!

Have you got a sleeping bag- I find they help as they can't get caught up in them and they can't get out of them- so they stay warm all night.

[Issey]

My 5.5month old wakes 2-3 times in the night and I just give him a quick b/f and hes back to sleep. I thought this was just normal. :confused:

I thought he may be waking as he may be cold so I have put him in a wondersuit + sleeping bag and then under sheet, two polar fleece blankets and a light quilt. He moves up during the night so ends up without covers. It didn't make any difference to his waking.

I wish my bubs would only wake once :D

[Milis]

I think as the other girls have said, it's still pretty normal for them to be waking at night. My DS is nearly 5 months and he has just started to sleep through, but he's pretty big for his age so I think that's why, plus he's FF and eats a LOT during the day.

Have you thought about maybe giving your bub a dreamfeed around 10.30 - 11.00? This might tide him over for a couple more hours, but I don't think it works for all bubs. That's the only thing I could really suggest :confused:

Good luck!

[camsma]

Thanks for the advice everyone.
I've brought a little heater into his room and it seems to be doing the trick of keeping it at a constant temperature. He did kind of wake up at 4 this morning but he went back to sleep by himself before I got the chance to go in to him! Its almost 7 now and he is still asleep from 8 last night! I've been awake from 6 wondering if he is going to wake up!
:smiliedance: