My four-month old can't seem to shake the 4-5 a.m. feeding, and I can't fall back asleep afterwards. I'm nursing him and we started cereal a couple of weeks ago.
If I get him right away and feed him, he'll nurse for 10 minutes and go right back to sleep until 7 or so. If we don't go to him he never falls back to sleep himself (we've waited a painful hour at times). If we check his diaper then put him back to bed it makes him madder.
Is he just conditioned to wake up at this time or does he need the extra calories?
I want more sleep!
He is still SO little. My daughter is 2 and still gets up in the night every so often. As tjhey grow and change so will their schedules. He may start sleeping through the night in a few months then stop for awhile. Try and e flexable they don't know any better.
Well you are very very lucky he is only waking up once and in the a.m. My daughter at 4 mos still woke up 3-4 times a night. At that age he is still hungry so don't force getting rid of that feeding. I can understand wanting more sleep, but you may need to just go to sleep a little earlier, because he will keep that feeding for a while. Just to give you some insight, my daughter didn't sleep thru the night until she was almost 13 mos old. So, you are very lucky!
A four month old needs to eat during the night. My daughter had a 1 a.m. and a 5 a.m. feeding. Then she eventually dropped the 5 a.m. but kept the 1 a.m. until 13 months old. And they are capable of eating a lot in 10 minutes by this age. He is hungry.
yeah I know it's hard transitioning from getting to sleep all you want to having to wake and feed a baby but in all honesty a 4 month old only waking once a night is GREAT! Like amazingly great. You are one of the lucky ones....although I know you don't feel that way. At 4 months old your baby still needs to eat so when he wakes at 4 it's cause he is hungry. So just feed him. As he gets older he will get better but as of right now he needs to eat. And just be thankful you don't have a baby like my second daughter. No joke she ate every 2 to 3 hours all night long until she was 13 months! So yes it could be worse haha. Hang in there.
Hate to break it to ya, but only getting up once a night is REALLY fantastic for a four month old! I'm sure he is probably hungry by 4am - I wouldn't cut out this feeding. What you could try is a "dream feed" (this never worked for my kids but some people swear by it) - go to his room BEFORE you expect him to wake up for his feeding (say 3:30am) and feed him while he is still mostly asleep, ans see if he then sleeps later than normal. The next night go in at 3:45, then 4am... until you have moved this dream feed to 6am or whenever you want him up. I know how frustrating it is to get up with a baby and have them go back to sleep while you're laying in bed awake but desperate for sleep! Hang in there mama, it'll get better! If he's already only getting up once a night then you're probably blessed with a good sleeper and you'll get your full night sooner than later (I haven't had a full night of sleep for almost 6 years now, my kids are just programmed that way - bummer for me!)
At the early morning feeding, take him to bed with you. Cuddle up and take a nap while he is nursing. You both should fall back to sleep for a while. Some babies need the reassurance that they are loved and not abandoned. When they are in their own rooms and own beds, sometimes they feel all alone. This was my favorite part of the day when my children were little.
More sleep is coming your way. Some babies just take a little longer to get there. My DD didn't start sleeping that wonderful 10-12 hour stretch until about the beginning of 5 months. Hang on, he'll get there. : )
maybe try to squeeze in an extra feeding in the evening? or, try to move the feedings so the last one is a little later? maybe that will get him through.
Sounds perfectly normal!
My 4 1/2mo old does the exact same, wakes between 4-5 and then goes back to sleep for a few hours. Actually last night it was about 2am which was rotten! lol
I would keep feeding him. I do the same someone suggested, I usually bring him in bed with me to nurse him back out and then we just snuggle and snooze together till I have to roll myself out of bed. These days of snuggly baby will be gone before you know it!
I would keep feeding him but perhaps that's just me. I don't like to let them cry and be hungry at such a young age. "sleeping" through the night can be considered as little as 6 hours. Also studies have proven that you being awake for less tthan 30 minutes in the middle of the night will not disrupt your normal sleep rhythym that much. Enjoy the sleep you do get. I still get up at night with sick kids or peeing toddlers and I have been a mom for almost 9 years. :) I like to be asleep by 10 because I get up at 5:30, so maybe you could go to bed a bit earlier.
He needs to eat, you gotta feed him. He is pretty little yet, give him time, his schedule will even out as he eats more solids ad you keep on the same routine.
Good luck.
A four month old is still very little. Please don't deny him food. My girls didn't sleep through the night until between 5 and 7 months old. Just be patient it's not that far. I know it sucks to be a sleep deprived mom and can get very frustrating! Just hang in there! Good luck!
Wow!
You have a four month old that sleeps until 4 or 5??? You are incredibly lucky!!!! My oldest nursed every two hours around the clock until he was 11 months old! Yes, he needs the food. Babies at this age aren't old enough to be manipulative--he's hungry. Case closed. Feed him. I'm so jealous of how much sleep you are getting that it's hard for me to feel sorry for you that you have to get up once. It is easier to fall back asleep if he is in bed with you, or at least nearby. Also, check out homeopathic sleep remedies--they can help you fall back asleep as well. Vitamin Cottage, Whole foods, or sprouts have a selection to choose from.
J.
Breastmilk digests faster than formula, so a breastfed baby needs to eat more often. Meaning at 4-5 months, you should expect 1-2 nighttime feedings still. It could be partly habit, but really it's likely he needs the calories too.
Both my breastfed babies nursed multiple times at night until they were weaned at a year. I just let them nurse while I was lying in bed, so I could doze while they ate.
Looks like I am the odd mom out, but I think it sounds like a habit. I'm not sure if you are a cio mom, but I would let him cio for a few minutes, and then go in and soothe without feeding, and repeat. It may take a few nights for him to learn, but he will learn.
All of my babies still needed that early morning feeding at that age. I don't think they did the 12 hr stretch until they were about 10 months old. Then it was heaven :)
