sudden sleep issues

Re: sudden sleep issues

• hbr.white member

  March 2012

  My daughter is 20 weeks old, and we are suddenly having the same issue. So I completely understand. I have read that they need to learn to settle themselves when they wake up at night, but you also don't want them to get into a crying fit in the middle of the night. (I too would love to get several consecutive hours of sleep.) He could be teething. I think that may be part of the issue with our little one. I have also read that once they start learning new things like pushing up, rolling over, sitting up, etc. that these can cause sleep issues, because their little brains are 'firing on all cylinders' -- for lack of better terminology. Does he fall back to sleep immediately once he is soothed or gets a pacifier? Other parents have told me that once you start putting cereal in their bottle that this fills up their tummies better and helps them sleep through the night. Unfortunately, this was not true for our daughter, but it may be worth a shot. From what I understand, babies go through phases like this periodically, and that it is completely normal. I'm doing my best and drinking my fair share of coffee. Here's hoping to peaceful nights...soon.

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• earlysun

  March 2012

  Have you tried white noise and a dark room? My LO is usually able to put himself back to sleep if he wakes and isn't hungry.

  I'm also thinking it might be time to lose the swaddle. We used the Halo sleep sack swaddlers until he started breaking out of them and getting them over his head. Then we went to a stretchy receiving blanket for a couple weeks. He was breaking out of those too. I decided to just pull the plug on the swaddling around 12 weeks and he took to it fine. He loves to sleep with his hands up by his head, and isn't fighting the swaddle now.

  I wouldn't do any form of CIO at this point. LO is 4 months old and we haven't done that. I figure if he wakes up and gets fussy, it's time to eat. He's usually up twice a night--around 1am and 4 am. This 4 mw is kicking my tail, though.
  

  

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• jbpk2010

  March 2012

  I am a mother of 3, an 11 year old son a 6 year old daughter and a 4 1/2 month old daughter. My 4 1/2 month old was on that same sleep cycle, at 3 1/2 mth she started sleeping through the nite 11 hrs straight! My body finally got used to sleeping through the nite again. Then about 2 weeks ago she started waking at odd times, I got up and would feed her and she would want to be awake for a little while and then I would have to go lay her down cause after 2 hrs I am worn out. Over the weekend I stopped getting up cause I know she isnt sick and she can go 11hrs in the nite with out HAVING to be up so when she wakes and is just fussing I turned to monitor off cause I could hear her and it wasnt a I need you now fuss like something is wrong (as a mother you know the difference between the fusses and cries) then after 20 min I turned it back on and she is sound asleep. They have to learn to self soothe and if they are never given the opportunity then they will never be able to learn! Good luck:)

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• ns1 member

  March 2012

  DD just did the same thing!  She was a super sleeper until recently, when she's been waking 5-6 X a night.  I waited it out for a few days to make sure it wasn't sickness related or a growth spurt, and I've decided it's neither (she was latching, but wasn't actually swallowing, then going right back to sleep on me).  I think it's just a new sleep association for my LO, and I'm thinking about doing CIO (again...) here.  I'm dreading it though because I always worry there's something else I'm missing that's the cause, and I always worry about my supply is DD doesn't wake up through the night...but anyway, long story short, the exact same thing is happening here!

   

  

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