4 Month Old Baby Only Sleeping in 2 Hour stretches...help!

sounds like he is teething on top of everything else. Feel his gums, you'll be able to feel the teeth. If so try giving him tylenol (not motrin--too hard on reflux babies' tummies)before bed that should help him sleep a 4 hour stretch.

Also their are slings for his crib mattress so that you can elevate the mattress and keep him in place to help with the reflux (I loved it!--let me know if you want the brand name). His reflux could also be acting up, I assume you are not giving him any food right? Watch what you are consuming as well no caffiene, chocolate, garlic, tomatoes, high fat foods, diary, citrus.....that will cause him pain as well. If you are doing all of this and he is not teething, bring him into your gastroenterologist. Oh allergies can exaggerate reflux due to the mucus. Try a humidier and worse case ask your gastroenterologist if you can give him Mylanta before bed or increase his meds (if he is on them). Babies with reflux are challenging I have had 2, hang in there (both of mine had silent reflux-no vomiting just pain and misery)! Oh and use a white sound machine or a fan to help him sleep as well.
Hang in there!
R.

It's quite possible that your little guy is going through or will soon go through a growth spurt. Schedules change quickly at this age and he will have many different ones before he settles into toddlerhood. There is never a boring moment as they grow and somehow, even with the lack of sleep we experience, we live through it. Best of luck!

What i have to say Most don't agree with. I first want to say I've watched children all my life. I have one of my own and i have helped raise my sister and bothers as well.
What you need to do is put your foot down and decide what your willing to accept and what you are not. Babies don't know when they are supposed to be awake and when they are not. A baby that is 3mo and older doesn't need food at night. What i suggest is make sure he eats alot at his last meal of the evening. Bedtime for a baby that age should be at about 7pm or earlier for some. Rise should be about 7am or as early at 5:30am. I would def not feed more than one time at night if you really want to feed at night. When he wakes up at other times in the evening i would walk in and pat him to help him go back to sleep. Don't pick him up that is only giving the indication you are ok with him being awake. He might cry for as long as you have had him cry but each evening it will be shorter. He will give up. Some say You don't want him to feel abandoned. He won't feel abandoned. He will only feel that way if you don't feed him well enough during the day and he's REALLY hungry and he's not getting his needs met. Good luck

That is exactly what my son's pattern was 6 months ago. He's almost 10 months now and is sleeping between 7 p.m. and 4 a.m.. but at 4 months he would wake up at 9, 12, 2 and 4. We still bring him to bed to nurse at 4, because the other option is to listen to him cry.

At about 6 months we decided he has to stay in the crib between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., and we only take him out if there's a poopy diaper. We put him down awake, which is important-- so he knows what's going on. If he cries between 7 and 5 someone (usually me) will go in there, make sure everything's ok, lie him down and then leave and... then we listen to him cry. But most nights he does sleep.

The issue is that babies have their deepest sleep earliest in the sleep cycle. So if they go to bed at 7, they'll sleep really well until sometime after midnight, then after that wake up over and over. Adults are the opposite-- most sleep lightly early on and are in deep sleep at 2 a.m. and beyond.

I have experienced the same situation with my now 7-month-old boy. Earlier in his life he would sleep an initial 4 to 6 hours before waking to nurse, but at around the same age he started waking every 2 hours. This continues to this day, with a few exceptions--sometimes it's 3 hours and right when his first teeth came in it was every hour. This, despite the introduction of solids which he is largely unenthusiastic about, at 6 months of age. He does not have the rash, allergies, or reflux issues as far as I know. I have learned to just live with it--he sleeps in a co-sleeper next to me, so I just sit up, nurse him (and reswaddle him if needed--he is a giant but still seems to sleep better when swaddled in a homemade 60" square blanket though he can remove his arms if he needs to since he is old enough to roll over and it would be unsafe if he couldn't) and then put him back down when he falls asleep (which usually is pretty quickly). Other moms are comfortable with the baby sleeping and nursing actually in bed so you don't even sit up, but I am more comfortable with the co-sleeper. Sorry I don't have advice to "fix" the situation, but you are definitely not alone and solids will not necessarily make him sleep better so it's worth waiting to the 6-month mark. If you can get more hindmilk into him during the day (nursing a long time on one breast), this may help but my little guy won't do this much anymore.

Hi K.,

Yes, its totally normal for him to be waking up every 2 hours to nurse. His body knows what it needs and he's 'asking' for it. I would suggest bringing him into bed with you or into a co-sleeper to make the nights easier on you. Remember his stomach is only the size of his little fist and breast milk is SO good for him that its easily digestible that is why he needs to nurse so frequently. As he grows this will change soon enough. Hang in there, make sure you sleep whenever he does, let the house stuff go for now and make sure you are eating well, lots of protein and plenty of water. Your body needs to be well nourished, hydrated and rested to be able to stay sane and keep up with your babe's nursing demands. This time will be a distant memory before you know it :)
Take care, S.
Mom of 2

I know this response is late, but still wanted to add my comments, because I can SO relate to what you've been going through ... my son is 11 years old now, a happy, healthy, well-adjusted 11-yr old. BUT as an infant, he never slept more than a 2-hour stretch, around the clock. And even during those 2 hours that he did sleep, he needed comforting, like sleeping on our chests or right next to us; otherwise he'd cry. This lasted for many months. I was a walking zombie. I tried letting him cry, but he would continue til he vomited! It was so heart-wrenching. As a first-time Mom, and having no close friends in similar situations, I just accepted it as "normal" and survived those grueling months. Now in hindsight, I honestly believe it was his food allergies. At the time, I was unaware that he had any allergies. I nursed him exclusively (no formula needed). When he was about 1 yr old, he was finally diagnosed with a wheat allergy. So I think what was happening was that the wheat that I consumed was passing through my milk when I nursed him, so he was getting sick from that! We didn't 'connect the dots' until he was 1 and would vomit from eating crackers and other solids containing wheat. He was later diagnosed with other food allergies ... eggs, shellfish, peanuts, and all tree nuts. Anyway, I'm saying all this to suggest maybe you try testing him for some food allergies ... especially since you already stated that he had OTHER allergies. Just a thought. I wish I had thought of it for myself 11 years ago. Good luck!

Let's see, I'm sure you have tried them all... but I'll make a list
Reflux - lift the head of his bed - put it on blocks or something - even an inch will make a difference.
Put the crib in his own room so he gets used to that
Start cereal (if the doctor approves) at bedtime
Feed well, put to bed between 8-9 pm. Cover or wrap him well.
When he awakens, pat his back for a minute or two and then walk out of his room. Repeat this is every 15 minutes when he is still crying.
Do not feed him again after bedtime feeding for at least 8 - 10 hours.
Start some music in your room, so you hear something other than the crying.
Hang on.... his waking will change, at least I'd be surprised if it didn't

Wow, I just read the other responses, much wise advice for the reflux issues!
God Bless You!

Get the book "The secrets of the baby whisperer" and/or visit babywhisperer.com
also - always talk to your pediatrician.
is the baby sleeping longer during the day?? or is this all day and all night. consult thebook regarding that.
you can change sleep patterns without "crying"
good luck

He is still a newborn, this is totally noraml. He could be going thropugh a groth spurt as well. Every abby is different. It could be a few more months before he does the 4-7 hours,Hang in there, it's normal

this is totally normal, he has only been on this earth for 4 months, he is probably scared and needs you right now, Some babies are different and need more attention, espesially since he has the back rash, reflux and allergies, he needs his mommy more than ever. Our society is weird, every other country the mother is very close to their babies, even holding them in a sling all day and sleeping with them at night, don't let our society let you tell you how you should be a mother, you know best what he needs, sleep with him if he needs you, you don't have to sleep in the same bed but beside the bed in a co-sleeper. Also for the reflux keep him laying on his back because it's safer but go buy a little mattress pad that will keep him about 30 percent in an upright position, you could try adding some blankets underneath his upper back and head for now.

If he is breastfeeding then breastfed babies get hungry very fast and don't tend to sleep as much as formula fed babies, keep breastfeeding if you are as much as possible your milk is natural and the best thing to give him. He is also probably going through a growth spurt, which will make him want to eat more and sleep less. This will not last forever, just be there for him, if you need some sleep, try breastfeeding him and when he is done then feed him about 2 oz of formula, but don't do this too often or your breast supply may go to low.
I slept with my daughter until she was almost 6 months old, and I didn't care what anybody else said and their opinions, she needed her mother and it made her feel safe and secure and independent and at 9 months she was sleeping in her own crib in her own room and slept for 12 hours a night, now she is in her own toddler bed, a child grows independent and feels loved when they know you will always be there for them, hope this helped. Babies and toddlers go through stages, so if he starts sleeping well for a couple of months then stops sleeping so well, that is also normal it's just somthing us parents have to deal with. We have our issues and problems and they have theres we just have to understand and respect that, (and pray that we can nap anytime we can) LOL

also, get a ritual going now, he may not notice what you are doing but it will prepare you and he will catch on eventually, make up somthing to do before you put him to bed, what I did with my daughter was give her a warm bath, put lotion on her and put some warm pj's on and then hold her and sing to her while I walked around the house and turned off all the lights and when bedtime was near I whispered in a soft voice, then cuddled with her in our bed, when she was still awake I would gently carry her over to her sleeping place, this has worked like a charm (not every night) but about 80 percent of the time which is still awsome.
we also tried a bouncy seat next to our bed and a swing next to our bed, the point is to try everything, it's survival at this point you need your sleep , he will be ok

Well new mom, this like others have said, is normal especially with a baby who has reflux. They tend to eat in smaller increments than others otherwise, they will kick it back out. Once the baby gets cereal added to his diet, it will help him sleep a lot longer because it will stay with him longer. Hope this helps!! My son was premature and had the same problem.

Hi K.,
I would say this sounds like a growth spurt but they usually don't last that long. Has he been showing interest in eating food (ie reaching for your food, opening his mouth while your eating, etc)? If so you may want to start introducing solids. My ped said that if your feeding him and he's still hungry, he may be ready for solids. I would also check how much milk your producing, is it possible you might be drying up?

I also found that while my guy was in our bedroom, I got up for every little noise so I ended up (unknowingly) waking him up. It was much easier (for me anyway) when he was in his own room because then I didn't rush in for every little peep. A great book for helping you understand their sleep patterns is The No Cry Sleep Solution I didn't agree with all it said, but it was eyeopening as it explains how a baby sleeps and how much they really need.

If he's screaming right after he eats (which it doesn't sound like he is) it could be reflux. My guy had reflux and would scream right after he was fed, arching his back, and spitting up. My ped said do NOT put cereal in the baby's bottle. If the reflux stuff is going on talk to his ped otherwise keep up the good (yet exhausting) work!

It sounds like you have a pretty normal baby. Every baby is different and some need more sleep than others. I would encourage you to keep exclusively nursing as long a s possible if he already has allergies. It can make a big difference in the long term. I think you are on the right track to bring the baby into your room. I would practice nursing lying down and keep him in bed with you. Then if you are feeding at night then at least you are horizontal and the two of you can drift back to sleep. Some of mine have begun to cut teeth at 4mo. you don't see the teeth but the signs are there and it effects there sleep. I know you are tired now but this will pass try to enjoy every cuddly moment they grow so fast. You could always ask your dr. if you don't think he is doing well. Resist the temptation to try the whole cry it out thing. It just teaches babies that parents are off the clock and unavailable at certain times. They do not sleep more than other babies they just give up on getting their parents attention if they have a need and are in the crib. Two good books on sleep I like are Sweet Dreams by Dr. Paul Fleiss and Good Nights by Dr. Jay Gordon. Both authors are highly reputable pediatricians.

this sounds normal to me!

Try putting your infant in the car seat and putting that on your bed at night, while rocking the seat to help the baby fall asleep. This worked with my daughter; and she slept through the night like this at 4 weeks of age. Eventually we transitioned her to the crib; first in the car seat, and then we took her out. The car seat might help because of the reflux problem as well. Good luck.

Hi K.,

I have 5 kids and my last 2 were twins. My husband and I were going insane with the varied schedules and the lack of sleep ect. So at week #7 with the advise of my mother and a neighbor who's kids were teens at the time, I put the babies on cerial. At first just a teaspoon, mixed in with the bottle (that we had a designated nipple for that had a slightly bigger whole that we made in it). We did this in the am. at first to ensure they tollorated it, then moved into a teaspoon at night around 8 or 9 pm. It worked beautifully!!! As the girls became bigger and we saw they were more able to accept food in a more solid form we stopped feeding them milk with cerial and mixed it in a small bowl with formula, like it would normally be done. Your pediatrician may not like this, but there is no harm in this, it's just a more "old fashion" approach that works well.
Good Luck, keep me posted.

Hello! The exact same thing happened with my baby girl at around the same age. Turned out, the solution was a pacifier. She never really cared for one when she was younger but my father suggested it and it worked the very first night we tried it. She doesn't take a pacifier all day but at night, she really needs it and sleeps most all night now. If you haven't tried a pacifier, you might want to. Good luck! :-)

This could be because he is not getting enough to eat from nursing. My daughter was the same way except she was waking up every 45 mins. We had to give her some formula to help at nights since she was so hungry and it seemed she just couldn't get full. Just something to think about.

From hearing about other mothers' experiences with nursing their babies, it sounds like he needs more food, but falls asleep before he can get it from you. Maybe if you had a bottle with pumped breast milk for the night feedings, he will be able to take it in more quickly, so he will get enough in a feeding to keep him from getting hungry so soon.

Mine did that so I feed them cereal. They slept through the night. Hope you fine your answer.

**I URGE you not to follow the very misguided advice of Rachel H. Four months old is WAY too early to force your baby to cry it out and "learn" that he's not hungry. Please please please try anything else, but DO NOT attempt to train him to sleep longer. This is so harmful for babies that young. What terrible advice!

He's probably just going through a growth spurt. I know with my two kids, as soon as I thought I had it all figured out, they changed routines on me. Once he starts getting enough milk to adjust to his growing body, he will probably settle down again. Hope that helps!

Seriously that is fine. Not to scare you, but my youngest son did not sleep longer than 2 hours until he was 8 months old. I got a routine for both of my boys bath, bed music and story time along with their nightly bottle or nursing.

Good Luck :)