HI, I have a 4 month old who has been sleeping through the night for about 2 months now. Just recently she has started waking up and crying an hour after we put he to bed. We haven't changed anything and she doesn't appear to be hungry just upset. Within the last few days she has been waking up twice after we put her to bed once at one hour and then at two hours. (for example, if she goes to bed at 7pm she wakes up once at 8pm then again at 930 or so. Then she continues to sleep through the night. Until 6am)
When she wakes up I CAN breastfeed her and she will go back to sleep, but I have stopped doing this when it became a reccurring problem. My husband rocks her back to sleep which can take between 5-20 minutes. We have started letting her cry for a period to see if she will "self-soothe" before we pick her up but this does not work with her. She takes about 3-4 naps during the day that equal between 2 and 4 hours and she is awake the rest of the time. We put her to bed around 7pm and she usually sleeps approx. 10 hours. She get tired and fussy around that time and we have tried to delay putting her down to see if that will help but she wakes up at the same time in the morning regardless.
A little more info for everyone:
she sleeps in her own room
My husband and I sometimes go to sleep immediatly after her and sometimes stay up (so our routine varies and that doesn't seem to effect the outcome)
we have been swaddling her (ever since she was born)
her room has a heater set at the same temp all the time
she is 17 1/2 lbs
this kept happening when we stayed at family's house for Thanksgiving (so she slept in our room then, in a variety of different noise and temp situations)
she often awakes from her naps crying but is quickly soothed and ok
Has anyone else had this problem and does anyone have any advice for me?
To address some of the questions/suggestions..
She nurses to sleep every night (and falls asleep at nearly every feeding often waking up immediatly after I stop feeding her)
But we give her a supplement of formula in the evening to make sure she is getting enough to eat.
She has been drooling for about a month and I do think she is starting to teethe. It is good to know that this could be the cause (and that others have gone through it)
I guess what I mean by reccurring problem is that all the reading I have done said you shouldn't nurse them if they wake up but let them fall asleep on their own. I know she is young, and not doing this on purpose, she just wants to be soothed, but I don't want this to become a year (or more) long issue. I just want to do what is best for her in the long term.
Our idea behind the 'CIO' was that perhaps it was night terrors, but I don't think that is the case because she responds when we come in the room by getting louder or quieter and looking at us.
She also naps whenever she is tired for as long as she will sleep..
*I don't have any expectations as to how long she sleeps or when.. I just put her to bed when she falls asleep and get her up when she wakes up.. She has been trying to sleep through the night since we brought her home from the hospital, but I was waking her up to feed her at night. My pediatrician told me not to do that, because she will wake up when she is hungry. Once I stopped waking her up, she started sleeping 10 hours per night. When she is waking up after an hour, she is not hungry, just tired. Sometimes she doesn't want to nurse or take a bottle, and when I do give her the breast she doesn't eat just suckle(move her mouth without swallowing).
She refused to take a pacifier although I have been diligently trying to encourage her for about a month now.
Thanks for the responses and all the suggestions (and future suggestions). I will keep everyone posted. I really appreciate the support from the group.
S.
Hi, thanks for all the responses. I took her to the doctor this week and everything is fine.
I guess it is just teething.. I put some orajel on her and it seemed to help.. Although she is still having some issues at night, at least I got it narrowed down. (Or I think I do) Thanks again, S.
Try consolidating her naps or eliminating one. This will make her more tired for the full night of sleeping through.
Or it could be the beginning of teething (fun).
She could be teething;-) even growth spurt.
Have you tried Tylenol?(Motrin is something I didn't use at this age, Tylenol has beed used on babies a lot longer)Their little teeth push up (you can't see them) then recede.
This happened to my son around 4-5 months. I couldn't figure it out, then I would give him some tylenol and that did the trick. I tried using Teething tablets but didn't end up using them bc of the ingredients in them. They didn't work for him either.
Another thing I figured out was my son liked a night light on.
The whole CIO thing is hard- I wanted to really know if he was fussy or hungery or teething or, or, or;-))) So I only let him fuss when I knew for sure he was just tired.
I hope this helps
Hi S., I have 5 children and the one thing I can tell you. After the first couple. I refused to mess up their schedule... Yes, I catered to my babies, but I had happy, satisfied babies that were on a schedule. At 4 months, you just threw your little ones world upside down. ( Nothing wrong with that) it could take weeks or months to get her back on track. Once she settles down she will stop the waking. I would try to keep to old schedule so she does not get in the habit of new stuff, but at the same time, cut her some slack. At 4 months I personally would not let a baby cry it out, but others disagree with that so that one is personal choice.
With my last baby- I learned very fast to be home from anywhere by 5pm. Her clock said bath and bed and I paid if I was late....
One other thing I can tell you- just because something worked for one baby does not make it right for your baby.. It is all trial and error and big smiles when we get it right..
first off how is nursing her to go back to sleep a recurring problem, she is only four months old and maybe she needs fed... she will out grow it and there is nothing wrong with noises, cus the last time i looked i don't live in a stable noised and temp world... maybe she liked feeling safe when she slept with you.. she is a bit young for you to start making her self soothe... trying snuggling with her more and there is nothing wrong with her sleeping with you for a while.. she did sleep with you for 9months after all and you are her ultimate comfort for sleep and solid sleep... she probably won't fully sleep all the way through the night until oh after she is one, cus she could be cutting teeth and can't sleep cus she is in pain and all she wants is to nurse to ease the pain and to feel safe next to her mom...
I would try unswaddling her. I swaddled my baby for 4 months and she was a great sleeper, then one night she just started waking up every 30-45 minutes all night long. I tried everything -- giving her paci back, feeding her, changing her diaper, nothing worked. So after 4 nights of this, I put her in her crib without a swaddle and she slept all night like a champ. Now she's 6 months and sleeps about 13 hours per night. Babies just grow out of the swaddle around that age.
Wow. I think you just described our scenario almost exactly. Except our 4 month old just started waking up every hour from 7 until midnight and then will sleep until 5 or 6. She had been sleeping through the night before.
From what I have been reading, this is normal behavior. 4 months is one of their growth milestones. Her brain is busy figuring out new things and this wakes her up. The approach we are trying is to minimize our interactions with her during those first wakings when she doesn't really NEED anything besides a little comforting. We go in and put our hand on her to let her know it is ok and sit with her (with her in the crib still) for a couple of minutes and she usually drifts off again. If we take her out of the crib, it usually takes longer for her to drift because it wakes her up more.
We are still struggling through this new sleep pattern but those are my thoughts. Good luck to you!
Hi S.,
Welcome to the wonderful world of parenting! Just when you have everything figured out they change. I have a few thoughts by way of explanation: Teething often begins at around 4 months and it lasts off and on for about 2 years. Don't be surprised if it's 3 or 4 months from now that you see the first tooth. So that could be bothering her. It sounds like you've figured this out already, but if self-soothing doesn't seem to work, don't use it. She's waking up and crying because something doesn't feel right and she needs a parent. I know it's hard (I had one that woke up 5+ times a night for about a year) but this baby time doesn't last forever and if you can let the bad parts roll off, you'll be able to enjoy the good parts so much more.
But, you know, just use your mommy instincts and you'll figure it out better than any of the rest of us!
Hey there S. :)
First things first: you're doing great!!!! Good job breastfeeding your little one! It is said that pregnancy lasts 18 months, 9 inside mom and nine outside...... that means that babies need their moms a lot more than we've expected! Your baby patterns are somehow very similar to my baby's. Good news is that it doesn't last forever, so hang in there girl! My girl is 3 now and she sleeps very well through the night. I've opted for a family bed since the beginning so I could survive and get some sleep myself.... and to me was the best decision. It is super safe since we don't smoke and don't drink or use drugs (prescription os whatever...) At first I wanted her to start the night in her crib and that was really tricky, and I always insisted on establishing a 7:30 bedtime. I had to nurse her on and off for hours.... so I could finally take my shower or eat my dinner around 9pm. It was exhausting but to tell you the truth I forgot all about the bad part already and only the good parts were imprint in my memory! The best part, the bedtime efforts paid off and she is in bed EVERY night around 7:30 , after we all had our dinner and I have a couple of hours with my husband and myself! I recommend to everyone to go to the local la leche group meetings to exchange experiences. It is definitely worthy, go to their site llli.org to find out about your local group meeting place and time. About bed sharing I would say that is not some hippie crazy mom idea, is safe and soothing and it doesn't last forever. Your baby won't go to college sleeping in your bed! I believe attachment parenting is the way to go, love, understanding and gentle discipline have been the answer to all my parenting pains :)
Dr Sears is an excellent resource, check their web site askdrsears.com
I've nursed my baby in bed and with time taught her to sleep with me without having to nurse all night, but when they are little they pretty much need a lot of nursing anyway. When she is 6 months and you start to introduce solids (my baby wouldn't eat until she was 10 months old!) she will sleep more uninterrupted hours but I wouldn't count on that to much for now.
One last - but not least- consideration: if you nurse your baby girl for 12 months you will be virtually eliminating ovarian and breast cancer for both of you, and also decreasing osteoporosis and RA about 200% again for both of you. All this medical info you won't find in formula cans, you'd need to investigate medical research, the llli.org site has some very good info.
So mom, hang in there, congratulations on your new baby you should be proud of yourself for nursing your little one!!!!!!!! My regards to daddy who seems to be helping you a great deal, way to go!
L.
There could be a number of things going on, but overy few months baby's sleep habits change. Pleas don't do the "cry it out" method, or "self-soothing", she will learn to self-soothe other ways, but she needs you to respond. A good read is Dr. Sears, he has a baby sleep book that explains things & really helped us. She may just not feel as secure anymore, may need ot be in the same room, may even need to sleep with you. Moms who sleep with their babies are proven to get better sleep & their babies have better sleep & suffer less anxiety. I cannot stress wnough what co-sleeping has done for the bond between me & my son. IF you are not comfortable with co-sleeping, just have her closer more of the time. Wear her in a sling or wrap instead of a stroller, she is still small & needs the closeness....this may affect her sense of security not just now but when she is older as well. ANyway, sorry to ramble on, but please read Dr. Sear's baby sleep book or the No-Cry Sleep Solution. And good luck, the first year is really hard becaseu of lack of sleep, but it gets easier & more fun!
4 months is a common time for babies patterns to change. She may be teething - have you tried motrin before bed?
She may also be on a growth spurt. I mistakenly let my son CIO around that time, then later learned he was just hungry. Does she get nursed within 30 mins of bedtime?
Lastly, when she wakes up is she actually awake. If it is difficult to sooth her and she's just crying she may be having night terrors. My son had them and wakes 1-2 hours after going down (a very common time frame) screams for 10 mins or so, then goes back to sleep. He is never actually awake. See http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/sleep/a/night_terrors.htm for more information.
It's probably not night terrors but I wanted to put it out there for anyone else who may have the same problem. It is so scary until you realize that is what's happening.
Good luck!
Hey S.,
My son, when he was around the same age, started getting his teeth (yes 4 months) and this seemed to be the main problem. I have no idea if that's what's going on w/ your little lovebug but we gave him baby tylenol a few times and he did well. Of course, you don't want this to be a habit but on exceptionally drooly days we would give him some medicine, and he did not awake within an hour of being put down. Also, I could nurse him back to sleep so we introduced a pacifier at this age. I continued to nurse and it took a bit for him to take on to the pacifier but it provided relief for my nursing nipples, and it still allowed him to soothe himself through the night. You sound like you are doing everything right and I wish you luck in your search for the answer. One other thing we did, we elevated his crib mattress because it did not seem to just be his teeth or one specific thing as it persisted for many nights--so we put a pillow under the mattress and so when he was congested--it wouldn't wake him either. I'm about to have baby boy #2 any day so I'm sure I'll be back to posting my many questions of motherhood too. It's a great site-I hope you get an idea that helps you.
Good luck!
M.
Hi S., my name is J. and I experienced a similar pattern with my daughter (almost 2 now) when she was little. I discovered that she was already having teething pain at 3 1/2 months. She broke her first teeth thru at like 5 months. I found that nursing worked for a while since the suction probably felt good. But we also started using Hyland's homeopathic teething tablets (you can find them at Fred Meyer or New Seasons) and those worked GREAT for her. My daughter didn't present with any of the normal teething signs, just fussy at bedtime and then six teeth all at once. I think it was the lying down that changed the pressure in her mouth and ears that did it to her. Good luck with your little one...and congratulations!!
I'm editing my response after reading some of the other responses you have received. I think that no matter your decisions as a parent you have to do what you feel is best for you and your child and your family. If you have chosen not to co-sleep and not to nurse your daughter back to sleep, that is your choice and you should not let anyone sway you in your decisions. I see that some of the responses are trying to encourage you to co-sleep and continue nursing, while others are tying to encourage you to give solid food and medication. I did not include my two cents about the choices I've made because what I've chosen shouldn't influence the kind of advise I give you. If you'd like to hear more from me feel free to email me or respond back. Take Care!!
it could be an ear infection. The fluid builds up as they lay down...so rocking her & releiving some of the pressure by picking her up could be why she stops. Some kids have a high pain tolerance.....my boys all did that -i'd take them in & it would be a severe ear infection, but no fever or any of the other symptoms.
S.,
I would check her gums for swelling. She could be teething. My son cut his first teeth at 4 months. Is she really drooly too? Is she chomping on anything and everything is sight?
It could be that she's trying to get back on her normal schedule after thanksgiving too. Have you tried to cut out one of her naps to see if that affects anything?
These little angels don't come with instruction manuals or troubleshooting guides. If they did, things would be soooooo much easier.
Hope this helps,
Melissa
I think that she is not ready to sleep "through the night"...and through the night is not the same for adults as it is for babies...7 hours is considered through the night for a baby - not the 12 you might want her to get...so, if you are putting her down at 7:30, you should expect, at least for the next few months, that she is going to need a feeding in the middle of the night. If you put her down at 11, then she may be able to make it "through the night".
I'm thinking growth spurt as well. (I noticed one other person has already mentioned this.) If you can breastfeed her and she goes back to sleep that seems an easier remedy than allowing her to cry it out. Besides, four months is still pretty new. Count yourself lucky that she has been such a good sleeper and trust that she'll work her way back to her previous sleeping habits if given enough time.
Talk to your pediatrician if you have any concerns. I'm sure there are a gazillion books out there addressing the issue of sleep and babies but I can only recommend the few I've read: The Baby Sleep Book by Dr. Sears, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Weissbluth, The No-Cry Sleep Solution, and The Lull-A-Baby Sleep Plan. If you don't take issue with the cry it out method and want to know about the way to be successful using it, you could check out Richard Ferber's Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems. (Although at four months old, your baby might be too young for this.)
Good luck!
I know this will sound crazy, but try putting her to sleep about 15 minutes BEFORE you usually do.
There is a possibility that her tired time has moved up and she is overtired when you put her to bed. Babies that are overtired will wake up repeated during the night.
Just try it.
Hi S. -
Babies notoriously go through a strange sleep disruption stage at 4 months. Our baby did really almost the EXACT same thing and so did almost every baby I know. I think it must be because that is such a big development time. I think this is when we started letting our son (who is now almost 9 months) cry it out. We had one very rough night but since then he always does get himself back to sleep - although he rarely wakes up in the night anymore. You are good in not nursing her - that doesn't do either of you any favors. Anyway...the point of my response is that this is totally normal and it will pass in a week or two I bet. That said I totally understand the frusturation and desire to figure out what is going on. Good Luck!
My first guess would be a growth spurt and she's probably hungrier than normal. I would just breastfeed her and put her back to bed.
My second guess would be teething. Teething can last for months before teeth actually break through so you might not feel/see any teeth for awhile. If she has any other symptoms (drooling, gnawing on things, fussiness, etc.) then it's probably that.
Also, babies' sleep habits change quite a bit the first year. I would recommend getting the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" (http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Sleep-Habits-Happy-Child/dp... ). It breaks down kids sleep needs by their age. It was a God-send for us! :-)
