4 Month Old Sleep Issues - Los Angeles,CA

Updated on July 05, 2008
R.B. asks from Los Angeles, CA
4 answers

It started out that my daughter was not feeling well and this affected her sleep, but her tummy issues seemed to have settled now. She has, however, held onto her habit of waking in the night... and staying awake. I don't mind feeding her whenever she is hungry, but, when she wakes in the night, I feed her and then she is up for hours.

I keep the lights low, avoid eye contact and get to the feeding with the white noise on and her still in her swaddle, but, she seems to have become used to staying awake at this time -- I guess, from when she was ill. A habit. I'm not sure how to break. Rocking, shhsing, bouncing, all the usual things that help get her to sleep don't work. She is wide awake and happy, until we try to put her down alone to sleep.

Just to get some sleep I've resorted to all those things I wanted to avoid that get in the way of her self-soothing -- like falling asleep on the breast, etc.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

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C.L.

answers from Reno on

Does she usually wake at or around the same time everynite?

If so you can try to wake to sleep method, genetly but not fully wake her for several nites in a row at a different time each nite then shhh/pat back to sleep you dont want her to get fully awake an active, but to wake up, what this does is break the habit of waking at a set time everynite. Then gradually tapper off waking her up, it takes around 10x to form a habit so will take about that sometimes alittle more to also break the habit.

I'm not sure how old your LO is but also try a dream feed this fills their little bellies stirs them slightly but doesnt wake them and helps start healthy sleeping habits. Anything we do as parents to form bad sleep habits with our children a little patience and time can fix. Check out babywhisperer there is some great advice there

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J.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

does she cry or fuss when she wakes up? if she doesnt let her just lay in bed and babble to herself and she might go back to sleep. if she fusses for more then like 5 mins then obviously feed her and do what you need to do. how long does she usually fuss for when you put her in bed in the the middle of the night? she maybe upset to be put back in bed but may only fuss for a little while till she drifts off to sleep again. she may also be going through a growth spurt which could also affect her sleep. GOOD LUCK!

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J.M.

answers from Reno on

Hi Roxane,

Get the Sleep Lady Book by Kim West. I truly believe in this book and used it on both of my younger children. She talks about all the things were doing to sooth them and how to help teach them to sooth themselves. Better yet it will help you and her sleep better.

Good luck!

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J.L.

answers from San Diego on

Hi Roxane, She wikl probably go back to sleeping through the night once you quit going in there in the night, right now it is a habit that you started when she wasn't feeling well, so now you need to reverse it by not going into her room, at night. If you give her a couple ounces of rice cereal before you put her down at night she should sleep through the night, I started that at 6 weeks with all 3 of my babies, worked like a charm, my mom gave me that advice, cause that is what she did, it have worked for a few generations. J.

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