4 month old's sleep habits getting worse...

amother

Thu, Oct 30 2014, 9:02 am

Seems to be the day for posts about 4 month olds!

My baby has always gone to sleep at midnight. We tried numerous times to get him to go to sleep earlier but it never worked. He used to then sleep straight until 5 or 6 am, then feed and sleep again until 8 or 9am. Then when he was about 3.5 months he started waking every 3 hours, and now it's gone down to every 1.5-2 hours...and he demands nursing when he wakes up, nothing else gets him back to sleep, he just gets hysterical, as if he's starving hungry...

We won't leave him alone and crying. Any ideas - I just need a 5 hour stretch to feel human again...

luppamom

Thu, Oct 30 2014, 11:09 am

Is your son large for his age? Maybe he needs more calories than he is getting from an all milk diet. But, then, if you introduce solids, you might have him waking up with stomach pain, so it's pretty much a trade off.

Last edited by luppamom on Sat, Mar 28 2015, 4:16 pm; edited 1 time in total

MaBelleVie

Thu, Oct 30 2014, 11:14 am

luppamom wrote:

I think we should start a support group!! My baby is jetlagged and very much misses blankee (especially on her face) and the result is one tired mother!!! Is your son large for his age? Maybe he needs more calories than he is getting from an all milk diet. But, then, if you introduce solids, you might have him waking up with stomach pain, so it's pretty much a trade off.

Breastmilk has more calories and fat than most solid foods that people feed babies Smile

If you think he needs more calories, nurse more often during the day.

amother

Thu, Oct 30 2014, 12:13 pm

Yes, a support group would be great Smile

He is big for his age... not abnormally but everyone comments on how tall he is...I do feel like he is hungry all the time...

He feeds every 3 hours during the day. I am feeding on demand and sometimes it's more like every 2.5 hours. He feeds for about 20 mins each time, but sometimes gets distracted easily. After each feed he is usually very happy and plays nicely. He usually has about 3 naps, an hour or so each. Then from 8pm, no sleep until at least 11pm. He's happy until we try and put him to bed, then he starts crying and won't go into a happy alert state again until morning.

We did just go abroad for 2 weeks but it was only a 2 hour time difference...

Thanks so much for responding. I'm kinda alone with this, as I'm already fed up of hearing "Every three hours - at this age he should be only feeding every FOUR"...

luppamom

Thu, Oct 30 2014, 1:38 pm

I give us both a bracha that our babies start to sleep long stretches at night and we have koach to do the things we need to do.

Last edited by luppamom on Sat, Mar 28 2015, 4:17 pm; edited 1 time in total

MaBelleVie

Thu, Oct 30 2014, 3:00 pm

luppamom wrote:

Even at night? Newborns are supposed to do one 4 hr. stretch, I can't imagine a 4 month old can't.

Who told you newborns are supposed to do a four hour stretch? I didn't say a four month old cant- just that it's normal if they don't. Every child is different, and every mother's milk is different.

If you want less feedings at night you usually need to increase daytime feedings.

smss

Thu, Oct 30 2014, 3:23 pm

OP, does he know how to fall asleep by himself, or does he only fall asleep nursing?
the fact that he used to go longer stretches makes me think this a sleep association for him- those usually start becoming a problem at 4 months old when a baby starts having sleep cycles more similar to an adult's. or else, a growth spurt. but how long has this been going on?

luppamom

Thu, Oct 30 2014, 3:32 pm

MaBelleVie wrote:

ss

Last edited by luppamom on Sat, Mar 28 2015, 4:18 pm; edited 1 time in total

MaBelleVie

Thu, Oct 30 2014, 3:52 pm

It's common for babies to start waking more frequently at that age. Feeding every 2.5 hours during the day is not considered often, so you can definitely try more frequent feedings. If she's a bigger baby she needs more calories Smile

Whatever calories she doesn't get during the day she will want at night. Obviously people will tell you all kinds of things about what babies are "supposed" to do... Much of the time they are not correct!

Dolly Welsh

Thu, Oct 30 2014, 4:41 pm

People mention sleep coaches.

I know nothing about it.

Is the kid well? Teething? Allergic to something? Getting caffeine in your milk? Would he take a pacifier? Is there anxiety going on? Is there too much light? Is the room too warm? Is he over-dressed for sleep?

Does he hate sleeping on his back? He might have been ok with it, but then growing bigger might have made him not like it any more.

amother

Fri, Oct 31 2014, 5:59 am

Smss - I am thinking the same to be honest. But anything other than nursing doesn't soothe him. He doesn't fall for patting, talking, shushing etc. The waking has been going on for nearly a month, getting slowly worse, and the strong demanding to nurse has been going on maybe 2 weeks, the last week being the worst.

He used to go back to sleep with his paci when these problems started. He still does sleep with his paci for naps with no problem. But when he wakes in the night he won't take it, turns on his side and opens his mouth wide and yells loudly (it's quite cute actually, even in the middle of the night, BH) until I feed him. We sometimes co-sleep, sometimes not. It doesn't seem to make a difference to his sleep patterns though, just to how much sleep I get (I can nurse lying down and sleep that way).

luppom - My baby would also feed all day if he could. I tried giving him an extra 45 minute feed last night before bed but it made little difference...

OP.