Sleep "progress"

megsue114 · August 2014

My 20wk old isn't even close to sleeping through the night... Our typical evening: asleep around 8-830, wakes to eat around 12-1, again between 2-4, and sometimes again around 5. Usually up for the day between 6-730. ( and that's a good night where she falls back asleep shortly after I put her down. Oftentimes, she wakes the instant I set her down and I have to resettle her all over again... This can occasionally go on for hours). I know sleeping through the night by a certain age is a cultural expectation and that "through the night" means something much different to a 4-5month old, but I'm a bit concerned that we aren't even close. Instead we seem to be stuck on the newborn "up-every-2-hours" kind of schedule. I can't remember the last time I got more than 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Thoughts? Advice? Commiseration? PLEASE SHARE.

Peah12 · August 2014

We're doing a bit better with the sleep, but two friends are going through the same thing with their 4-5 month old babies. So you're not alone!
Not sure if it would help, but have you tried moving bedtime earlier? My 5 month old goes to bed between 6 and 6:30 most nights.
Also, once she's fed, you could try holding her longer as she drifts off to sleep. It takes infants about 15 minutes to settle into a deeper sleep, so if you wait til she's really asleep before putting her back down it might minimize the waking and re-settling. (And let you get back to sleep faster).
Are you nursing or bottle feeding? Do you have a partner you can split some of the night feeding with so you can try to get a little more sleep?

KTdidit · August 2014

I know exactly what you are going through, and unfortunately DS has been sleeping a longer stretch only for the past couple nights. I'm hopeful that this continues and we don't go back to the 3x per night thing. I've found that a heating pad on the mattress while I'm giving him his nighttime bottle helps, he startles awake when he hits a cold mattress (so spoiled! LOL). Also I rock him to sleep until I know he's out, for instance if he has a pacifier before bed I know he's out when it falls out of his mouth

flcl · August 2014

Baby sleep is just so tricky. My H and I were talking last night about how our LO seems to be in such a groove and doing well with his night time sleep (down b/w 6:30-7pm, MOTN feeds at 12/1am & 4am and wakes up for the day b/w 6-7am). This is a dream as we just got out of the 4MW where he was waking up anywhere from 5x a night to every 45 mins. Of course, H and I must have jinxed ourselves cause LO was up 4x after our talk. We use every trick in the book (white noise, black out curtains, consistent bedtime routine, etc...) but like us, some nights he sleeps great, other nights not so much. A few things that other bumpees posted: 1) baby sleep is not linear and 2) reframing "why isn't he sleeping better" to "he must really need me right now" and 3) this will get better/this will pass, have helped me through many rough nights. Hang in there!

megsue114 · August 2014

Thanks gals... I think we're experiencing some of the wakefulness. I was hoping that she wouldn't become accustomed to being rocked to sleep ALL the time and learn to self soothe a little at a time. Unfortunately, she doesn't really eat large amounts (lots of small meals, I all "grazing" during the day) so I think we're in for many more nighttime feelings, AND she hates paci's... SO FOR NOW, HOLD HER TO SLEEP IT IS. Ahhh this too shall pass, eh....?