Sleeping/Feeding Schedules

Re: Sleeping/Feeding Schedules

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  KatWAG member

  November 2014

  jlf321 said:

  Hello, my almost 4 month old is now getting up twice during the night.  I nurse him to sleep (I know it's a bad habit - I would like him to put himself to sleep) around 8 (trying to slowly pull that bedtime forward to 7/7:30 but scared to make a drastic change to quickly) and gets up once between 11 and 1:30 and once between 3 and 4:30.  I feed him both times and then he usually falls right back asleep.  Then he's up around 6 or 7.   During the day, I try to do the eat, play, sleep thing, feeding him every 3-4 hours and putting him down to nap when he shows signs of tiredness.  This means he is usually only up for 2 hours max, except before the bedtime feeding when he is up for about 3-4 hours.  Do you guys keep yours up longer before bedtime?  His naps are usually pretty short (45 minutes-1 hour) although occasionally he'll have a longer one.  Many times the eat, play, sleep thing during the day doesn't work so well because of timing.  He can put himself to sleep for naps (with fussing/crying - I have tried everything else and it seems like he just needs to fuss/cry for 5 minutes or so).  Despite how hard I've tried, we have absolutely NO set schedule.  I have been keeping track of his sleep and eating "patterns" for the past 6 weeks and really see very few trends. I am not really waiting until he cries out of hunger to feed him because I like to feed him before he gets tired for a nap - maybe I should be waiting?  Also, I'm concerned that he's getting up twice during the night.  He used to go longer stretches (6-7  hrs) but not anymore.  Now it seems like he can only go 3 or 4 hours.  I'm finding it hard to do anything during the day because of his frequent naps -  do you guys plan for your LOs to take naps in the car seats?  I was doing that for a while.  I feel so sleep deprived - anyone going through anything similar?
  

  Could be the 4 month sleep regression.

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  JustGoWithIt member

  November 2014

  I agree with PP. You don't NEED to set a schedule unless u WANT one. FWiW, my LO has always gotten up twice at night, and he's FF. With the sleep regression he's fussing more often at night, but a binkie usually does the trick. I'm trying to get him down to one bottle right now. I also think nursing to sleep is totally up to you. I live by the thought that you do whatever you need to do for the first 6 mo to survive. After that you can try changing things to fit what you WANT.

  
  

  I have an older son, so we can't completely work around LOs naps all the time. I try to make sure he has at least one good nap in his crib or swing on the weekends.

  
  

  His general schedule is up for day at 5/5:30 (his choice, not mine).

  Bottle around 6/6:30 

  7:00ish 30 minute nap (falls asleep in car on way to daycare)

  Bottle around 9:00

  Nap shortly thereafter for 1-2 hours (1.5 hour nap usually)

  Bottle around 12/1:00

  Nap 1:30-3:00 ish

  Bottle 3:30 ish

  5:00 30 min nap in the car on way home

  Bottle sometime before bed

  Bed at 7:00.

  1-2 bottles MOTN

  
  

  }

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