Ladies, my 4 month old is no longer sleeping solidly at night. He used to sleep 7 hours peacefully, but now he is only making it 5 hours. It is killing me because he eats at 5 am and then my toddler wakes up at 7 and I get about 30-45 minutes in between. Any suggestions or reasons why infant's sleep cycle may change? He already went through a growth spurt at 3 months and added back a feeding (was feeding 4 times a day, now 5 times) so I don't think it is another growth spurt. Any suggestions?
Thanks ladies for the comments. I totally forgot about the milestones and how it can disrupt sleep patterns. It has been a week or so and he's now back on his normal schedule. At the time he had just figured out how to roll over both ways. Also, I think with the cooler fall weather I needed to bundle him up more at night so I pulled out the sleep sack and added another layer on him when he sleeps. I'm also making sure I go to sleep earlier and setting an alarm to wake up for his last feeding (instead of just staying up for it) so that I can still function if he does wake up earlier than normal. Again, many thanks!
I don't know if this will work for you, but it has worked for my sister and I both. We are using an aiden and anais swaddling blanket. They are these huge muslin swaddling blankets. Its the only way my five month old will sleep through the night.
He is probably going through a growth spurt. Put him down for bed earlier at night, I would put about a tablespoon of rice cereal in his bottle too. That should keep him satisfied longer. But usually when they go through growth spurts they will wake more often to eat. He will out grow this as he gets older.
If it's not a growth spurt, it could be a developmental milestone getting ready to happen. They tend to stop sleeping through the night when they are getting ready to or have just mastered a new skill. So maybe he is getting ready to roll over, or maybe starting to teeth a little early. Make sure he is getting plenty to eat in daylight hours, and try to take naps. Good luck!
My daughter used to wake up 10 times a night. It was exhausting! Turned out she had food sensitivites. Not a problem since, as long as I'm careful to avoid the foods she's sensitive to.
They will change all the time. You are extremely lucky that he is sleeping 5 hours. That is amazing. My babies were breastfeed and I was lucky if they would sleep 3 hours at the most before waking up to feed again. I have a 9 month old now and she sleeps about 3 hours before she wakes up to nurse again. After that she gets up about every 1 hour to 1.5 hour to nurse. I get up at least 3 to 4 times a night. Then I get up at 6:30 with my son and daughter to get my son to school and my 3-year-old daughter will not take a nap during the day while I work. So, therefore I do not get a nap either. Your baby sounds like he is a good sleeper. He will get better as he gets older. Hang in there.
Nursing more frequently and sleeping less is a sign of one of two things--either your little one is in a growth spurt or your milk supply is low. Make sure you are eating healthy, drinking plenty of fluids (Drink a minimum of 8-12 ounces of fluids every time you nurse.),and get plenty of rest.
At four months, you are typically going back to work, trying to accomplish more around the house, etc. You may need to take better care of yourself. Make sure you are getting enough rest. The old saying about sleeping when the baby sleeps is very true. Go to bed earlier at night or try to take an afternoon nap. If you are doing too much around the house ask your hubby to help more so that you get more rest. Take care of you--it is the key to a happy, healthy baby while you are nursing.
Developmental changes! YAY!
Remember, nothing lasts forever, it will all be different in a month or two.
As long as he is healthy & thriving, there is nothing to worry about. He is probably focused on a new skill he is trying to master.
P : )
You don't mention his weight, I had 3 all over 8#'s. My largest was 10.6. The nurse told me that he would require more food than a 7# baby. He nursed constantly for the first 6 mos. When we finally introduced solids he started sleeping through the night for a longer length. My 9# child was the same.
