My 3 Month Old Not Sleeping Through the Night, but Used To

Hi R.,

Your baby defiantly could be going through a growth spurt. They have one around 3 months & then again at 6 months. It usually lasts anywhere from 24-48 hours. But they feed every 1-3 hours during the day and at night. If all of a sudden your child starts sleeping all the time again, then you know that he/she went through a growth spurt. After they have had a growth spurt they usually sleep all day and night for the next few days to catch up on the sleep that they missed.
Good luck!

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My son went through this kind a thing. When it happened to him, he had a double ear infection. Might look into that. Also, I know it is against most advice but my doc had me start both of my boys on cereal very early on. It really helped with their sleep schedules. My oldest son was started on cereal at 2 wks old. He is 9 now and is doing great so if there is a downside to starting the cereal, I don't see it. I do see many benefits though. Like for instance, a few hours of sleep. I think that some babies just don't get satisfied especially during a growth spurt. Good luck! Shannon
PS. Make sure you check those ears.

Sounds like a growth spurt. You will see these every few months during the first year. Once you get used to something they change on you. Hang in there!

don't worry he'll start sleeping through the night again. it is very possible that he is going through a growth spurt. also i know a lot of people think it's too early but the last bottle before bed time add about 1 tablespoon of rice cereal. be sure to cut the nipple open a little more so the cereal can flow through. i did this with all 3 of my boys and they were all fine.

A major growth spurt comes at 3 months. It should pass in a few days or so. Good luck!

Dear R.,
You child is at the right age for a growth spurt.
Also, any sleep pattern can change at any time during infancy so be prepared!

Totally normal growth spurt. :) You'll experience another one around 6m, also.

I don't know if it will work for your family situation, but co-sleeping has been a lifesaver in getting sleep for the workday. Nursing is so much easier when you don't need to physically get up & walk to another room, as that really disrupts your sleep, not to mention DS's sleep.

For more info on co-sleeping, you can go to http://www.askdrsears.com or check out Dr Sears "The Sleep Book" or Dr Jay Gordon's "Good Nights"

HTH

Hi R.,

I am a mom of three 8yr, 5yr, and 2yr. I'm just guessing but everytime my kids started waking up again to eat meant they weren't getting enough food during the day. You may just need to give him an ounce or 1/2 ounce more with every feeding just by gradually increasing his ounces during the day may help. Plus if I'm not mistaken by 4 months the doctor's start them on cereal so he may need just a little more (don't stuff him) until than. Good luck and I hope this info was helpful.

Take care. J.

Sleeping 7-9 hours is not the norm for an itty bitty baby. Consider yourself lucky to have gotten so much sleep!
He may be going through a growth spurt but if things don't change, don't flip out. Most babies this age sleep this way. Most mamas won't fess up to it though! They all want others to know that their baby is perfect. There's not much you can do to change thier sleep patterns. You can try to cry it out but supposedly it's pointless at this age since their memory is not capable of retaining that kind of info. Plus it's just excruciating to hear your baby cry! Just try to feel at peace that you're not alone in this. Your body will adjust to the hectic sleep schedule. Before too long, he will be sleeping fine. Try to cherish the time you spend with him :)

Aveeno for babies will work wonders. You really have to be on top of it and use it at least two times a day. You can find it a your local drug store in the baby isle.

It sounds like the child is no longer satisfied from that last meal of the night. Sometimes a little more formula will do it and sometimes a small amount of baby oatmeal mixed in the formula works. Be sure to consult the pediatrition about a tablespoon of the oatmeal would be o.k. Make the nipple opening a little larger. Good luck. Hope to hear from you honey. Jeanne Elk Grove Village, Il

It is very possible that he is going through a growth spurt and thus feeling hungrier than usual. You are very lucky that he slept that long at such a young age. And since they go through phases throughout the infant and toddler years I would say that things could go back and then change again many times before he gets big.

My son went through that too. It didn't last long. It probably is a growth spurt. He went back to sleeping through the night. He started getting up in the night again 1-2 per week when he started teething. He was a late teether though, and we were able to just rock him back to sleep.

My five month old just had his first full night's sleep this week! Wow!! I didn't know what to do with all the sleep I got. I had this same question about a month ago and was glad to hear that it's normal. Unfortunately, once you have a sleeping baby you'd like to keep it that way, but babies are always changing and growing. Your baby's needs may be changing requiring more attention...food...at night. I think it's safe to say that it's normal and he will sleep soundly again! Even if it is a month from now...sorry! I completely understand wanting more than 2 hours of sleep as well. Sleep deprivation is ROUGH! Good luck.

DO NOT give the baby cereal against your doctor's advice. Giving cereal sooner than their bodies are ready for it is never a good idea. There is an idea out there that the first three months of life is like a "fourth trimester" of sorts (Happiest Baby On The Block). We have to remember that these babies do not come out of the womb with ready-for-anything digestive systems. There's a reason why we're told to wait. And, there is no proof that giving cereal will help a baby sleep through the night. In fact, friends of mine that did it say their babies cried MORE at night, likely due tummy aches and the babies were constipated during that time. Once they stopped the cereal their crying at night was less and their bowl movements were more regular and softer.

Here's the thing.... Babies go through spurts of sleeping well and not sleeping well. And, yes, they do go through their first major spurt at about three months. Once your baby sleeps through the night, teething or a cold will come that will keep him up at night. Then that will be over and he'll be sleeping through for awhile. Then another growth spurt or more teeth or another cold, etc, and he'll wake up at night once in a while. Then as he gets older he'll be sleeping through, but then start to realize he can stall his way into going to bed, or cry at night to get you to come in and coddle him. I think parents just assume their child will sleep through after a few weeks of delivery and that's it. Not the case in most cases! Newborns are very sleepy most of the time...it's at around 3 mos old that they start coming out of that super-sleepiness stage.

I have a 3 year old and 20 month old daughters. We have been through times where they're sleeping great, then times when they're not for whatever reason - colds, teething, learning to stall, the holiday activity, etc etc. My suggestion is just learn to go with the flow, rule out any illnesses and try to keep the routine calm and consistant. Try to get the baby to have a big feed at the end of the night to hold him over, but otherwise, just chalk it up as absolutely normal.

Most babies got thru growth spurts at 3 wks, 6 wks, 3 mos, and 6 mos. So that is probably what is happening. You are extremely fortunate to have a baby that would sleep that long at night. He is an exception and not the norm, so please keep that in mind. Therefore, his good sleeping habits may change and get worse, but they will get better again.
Adding solids is not good for their digestive tract at this age. Their systems aren't ready for solids until at the earliest 4 mos (for formula fed) or 6 mos (for breastfed). So, if people suggest starting solids, consider the potential harm vs. the benefit. Also note that there is certainly no guarantee that he will actually sleep longer at night b/c he was on solid foods. Most moms I know tried this and it made no difference in sleeping patterns (and could in fact make him more irritable if his tummy is upset, and thus not sleep better but worse than before).
I wish you luck. Try to get sleep when he naps. This will help offset your tiredness. Know that his sleeping habits will get better and life will return to some level of normalcy down the road. It's just best to meet the needs of your baby at this important time in his life.