Help with Four Month Old Sleep Problems

I wouldn't get rid of the pacifier yet. Experts say it helps stop SIDS. My twin boys had a lot of sleeping problems they are 16 months old now and just getting to where we can put them to bed with a pacifier and they go right to sleep. One thing that we did to help them was to stay in the room until they fell asleep and we also played a baby song CD. The boys always take naps in the family room in their pack and plays. I think they got used to the noise and then had trouble falling asleep at night in a quiet room. Now if they wake up in the middle of the night I pop the pacifier back in their mouth and turn the music back on and off they go. It only took two weeks of sitting in their room with them (anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes) before we could lay them down and leave. I wish that I had someone suggest the CD when they were 4 months old. When we were in the room with them we didn't pick them up we just would hold their hand or rub their back. I would keep the pacifier, we started giving it to our older kids only at nap and bed then they gave it up on their own.

My sons never took a pacifier as infants, but my older one started using one a little later and it took us until he was almost 3 to break him of the habit! I was absolutely not interested in even introducing our second son to the paci unless he just really seemed to need to suckle, but he seemed fine. (I breastfed both) My Ped told me that for the 1st month of the baby's life to act as if whatever he says goes, period. But after that he stressed that was important to gently let the baby know that he doesn't actually rule the roost. We had both our sons in a cradle in our bedroom until they were 3 months old. From day one I put them to bed before they were asleep and let them fall asleep on their own. Perhaps you need to get into a routine with your new son that gets him "almost" to sleep when you put into his crib and when he wakes up give him a little time to calm himself back to sleep before assisting him through the night. YOu sort of learn to hear his different cries and what they mean, and you know when he's really in distress and needs you or when he's just frustrated that he woke up, etc.

Dear K.,
You don't mention anything about giving the baby a bottle, only a pacifier. 12 hours is a very long time not to feed a four month old baby, I would certainly try a bottle and holding him when he is crying. I have never had any experience with a baby that slept 12 hours. It could be that he is hungry. My son never took a pacifier and usually only drank about four ounces and weaned himself at 10 months. He was drinking from a cup at five months.
Best wishes!

Good Morning K., I agree Wholeheartedly with Dena. Don't take the Paci and Music is a God send. We play Classical lullabies, on auto replay all night long & nap time. You've stopped swaddling, so at least let him keep his Paci for a while longer, babies will usually give them up when they are ready. There is no set in stone answer for anything, it's what your baby needs at any given time. They don't have to give up the bottle at a year old and switch to sippys, they don't have to be potty trained before 2. Each child has their own needs, play it by ear and you and your baby will be so much happier. They certainly never follow exactly as their older siblings did either.
Both of our son's did things completely different, as did all of of our 5 gr children. Go with the Flow.

God Bless you and your precious little Prince's

K. Nana of 5

Try weaning him from the swaddle. Just take one arm out for a few nights and then try both arms but still keep it around the legs. Eventually you can go without completely. Also, I don't know what kind of pacifier you use, but try one of the MAM ones. It was a life saver when I switched to this kind b/c they are easier to hold onto. If you already use this kind I'm not sure of any other suggestions. Good luck!

Hello K.. I am not sure if you are breast feeding or bottle feeding. You might have said in your request but I am so tired I probably missed it lol. (I took a nap today and i'm not used to that so now I can't sleep). But anyways. I have a three month old daughter that has slept well since birth. The last couple of weeks have been a little rougher and I got to thinking about it and because I am breastfeeding I realized I need to cut back on the caffeine. If you are breastfeeding, that might be your problem but I don't know other than that. Good luck

All six of my kids - ages 21 to 8 - slept on their stomachs. I know what the latest advice is but they all seemed to sleep better that way. If there are not any other risk factors (smoker, heavy blankets, etc.) it should be fine. You can either turn him over or go back to swaddling and wait on him to grow out of it. I can't help with the paci issue cause mine didn't take them until they weaned. We always had them sleep in their beds and let them try to fall back asleep on their own.

Kristen-

Sounds to me like your little one is just learning to adjust and fall asleep without being swaddled. He probably isn't used to all the freedom and with it, finds he can move around, remove the binky, etc and it wakes him back up! I'd try swaddling again and see if he continues to fight it/try and get his arms out. Other than that, you may just have to go in and put his binky back in until he can find it himself (which won't happen for awhile!). My daughter is almost 2 and still occasionally wakes up when she loses her binky (even though she can find it! She wants us to do it!)

Actually, most neural development (brain) occurs during sleep (0-2 years)...so, 12 hours is fantastic at 4 months! My little one was doing the same. If your doctor ok's it, you might try 1 tsp. of rice cereal in the last bottle of the night...helped ours sleep through the night. The myth that blood sugar drops and they need to eat has been disproven, babies wake when they need food (and usually cluster feed prior to sleep). Have you read babywise? I adjusted things a bit for our daughter, but it worked well for her. Eat, sleep, play...our schedule was never rigid though. Look up encouraging cluster feeding and rice cereal before bed...but check with your doctor first.
Also, pacifiers aren't a requirement at any age. Ours NEVER took one, nor did she go for the thumb. So, maybe weening him off would be your best bet...again, check with your doc