My baby just won't sleep!

[lizziimayy]

When Gabriella was 2-3 months she was brilliant at night just waking up once in the night for a feed. Since about three months her sleep is just getting worse and worse. She's started to wake almost hourly and only managing about 8-9 hours of sleep during the night. In the daytime it's even worse she refuses to nap at all. I'm lucky if I can manage to get her to sleep for half an hour during a walk (which is what I'm having to do as she gets so overtired). I just feel like an awful mum as she's getting no where near enough to sleep as a 4 month old should have but she just refuses and I'm exhausted trying

 

[kitten2014]

as she slept so well before, could it be the 4month sleep regression? can be earlier/later than 4 months...how many days/weeks has this been happening for as they say it should only last a few days to a few weeks...what tools did you use to get her to sleep before? do they no longer work? do you have a nap and bedtime routine so she knows its sleep time? Even if she doesnt nap do you put her down every hr n half anyway even if its just quiet time or does she constantly cry? I have a 5min nap routine which is teddybear time and lullaby songtime, I do this to help her wind down but lasts no longer 5mins then swaddle her and put her down, I do same at nighttime but for 30mins with a baby massage, change of clothes, quiet time with daddy and I and I play a youtube lullaby video with moving colour images, she gets mesmerised by it...

anyway I digress, if you let me know what you do and what sleep aids you use (e.g. swaddling, mobile, rocking etc etc) maybe I can help suggest something....?

 

[Rooster30]

Sounds like the dreaded sleep regression. Do whatever you need to do to get through it. It is just a phase though so it'll pass. Good luck I'm dreading my LO hitting the sleep regression.

 

[lizziimayy]

It's been for a few weeks now but the last few nights have been the worst. She's never been much of a day napper but I have occasionally managed to get her to go for 2 and a half hours during the day. Tbh I usually feed to sleep, it's the only way I can get her to go down, if I leave her she just keep stirring until she starts crying. Usually I'll get her to sleep in the day but as soon as I move her/put her down she wakes up again!
At night we have a very set routine which has been the same for a few months now so I'm just hoping this will pass so that we can both get more sleep!

 

[CARNAT22]

8-9 hours at night doesn't sound bad? Although I assume it's not all in one sitting though?

They do go through phases with sleep, I've had horrendous periods with Bee [and she still isn't a brilliant sleeper] but it does settle down.

The good news is my toddler is a brilliant sleeper. Look forward to Bee following suit.... eventually ha

X

 

[lizziimayy]

Apparently babies at 4 months are supposed to sleep up to 14-15 hours a day and she doesn't sleep anywhere near that. She used to sleep 10-12 hours in total at night with just one feed so hopefully this phase will go and we can get back to normal!

 

[jessizz345]

Elsa was also like the same. She didn't sleep much and that worried me. But later she started sleeping very well. Just wait and see if she sleep or else consult a doctor.

 

[naomip]

A sling can be a brilliant way to get them off to sleep during the day. X

 

[lizziimayy]

Yeah I'm thinking about popping her in the sling today while I'm out. I'm worried that she may have caught the cold off my partner as she's been coughing and sneezing

 

[kumber]

Sounds like a sleep regression alright! I second going for a sling as it sounds like she must wants to be with you. Have you considered a dummy? I used to be completely against them but ds is a comfort sucker and they really help get him off to sleep (he is a sleep fighter). We will be looking to wean him off over the next few months (he is 14 months on Friday) once things have settled with his brother's arrival.

 

[lizziimayy]

She won't take a dummy at all! She loves to suck things but as soon as a dummy is in her mouth she gets very frustrated!

 

[lizziimayy]

Well operation sling didn't work! She just sucked on it and made it soaked!

 

[flisstebbs]

As mummy to a terrible sleeper (much better now though!), I remember this phase so vividly. One day I was so tired I left car keys in the car with the driver door open overnight on the drive! Lucky I still had a car by the morning...

In the end I gave up trying to strive for anything the books say; self soothing, putting them down to sleep etc. I just tried everything and ended up bf to sleep, co-sleeping and using all sorts of gadgets including swings, vibrating bouncers, light shows, etc etc. For all the doom and gloom some people gave me especially about co-sleeping, its all worked out fine. In fact, better than fine as most people are trying to get their toddlers into beds now and having a bad time, we transitioned Jess into a low double bed in her own room that I have gradually just faded away from and she sleeps through in there now on her own.

Failing all the above, get OH to bounce on a birthing ball for hours while you get a catch up kip!

It is so hard at this point, feels like there's no light at the end of the tunnel, but I promise it gets easier.

 

[kitten2014]

Have you tried swaddling? Our lil miss naps and sleeps at night swaddled from waist up and I have now purchased the zipadeezip as she is teething and I want to transition her off the swaddle...excellent reviews so fx it works but with our lil miss for naps they used to be terrible but then realised she needed time to transition - between 10-25mins sometimes and then she'd sleep another stretch...it has been the answer to getting her onto a 3hr feeding schedule as was trying to get away from every 2hrs that she's done since birth and extending those naps is the only way....

anyway, I digress, again, perhaps try swaddling cos if she likes the sling she'll like swaddling...

 

[BunnyN]

The amount of sleep the need is just a guide, babies vary a lot. You can try tricks to get them to sleep but not all babies are going to conform. You can't actually MAKE a baby sleep that isn't going to.

Our dd was an awful sleeper from the begining ds is totally different and loves his sleep. I did struggle to get him to sleep in his cot to start with but he slept well in my lap or in the sling and eventually moved to napping in his cot. Ds on the other hand only slept about 9hrs a night at took 5 or10min naps in the day. Eventually she started taking a long afternoon nap and sleeping through the night but its still hard to get her to sleep.

 

[Orion]

Well operation sling didn't work! She just sucked on it and made it soaked!

Could your little one be teething?

My 3 month old is drooling, chomping on my sling, eating a little less, sleeping a lot less...all symptoms of teething.