up every 1-2 hours

[StrongFeather]

Can someone please tell me what I have done wrong? When my LO was younger we gently encouraged him to be more awake during daylight hours, feeding every 2 hours, etc, and then worked towards sleeping more at night. It worked great, and at about 8 weeks my DS would have at least a 4-5 hour stint of straight sleep during the night.

Now at 12 weeks, he's been back to being up every 1-2 hours. Last night being the worst, it was all night long. We co-sleep (I couldn't even imagine if we didn't!) so at least I have that going for me (cat naps while he feeds), but I am starting to wear thin.

Is there anything I can do to turn his cycle in awake during the day sleep at night again? He does take a longer-ish nap in the early AM (at about 9:30am) I hesitate to wake him from naps during the day, but what else can I do?

also: I am curious if this is a growth spurt and he is trying to up my milk production. He's wanted to nurse a lot lately, so much I am worried I am not producing enough milk. So I worry that THAT is the reason he is not sleeping well, like maybe his belly isn't getting full enough and he needs to wake for more?

[LadyCatherine185]

12 weeks is a normal growth spurt time. Also, there is a 4 month sleep regression. Waking every 1-2 hours is normal at 12 weeks. You didn't do anything wrong.

My 14 mo still wakes every 1-2 hours all night.. in fact it is more like every hour. So many things affect their sleep.. growth spurts, teething, developmental milestones, sickness.. etc. There really isn't much you can do to change it.

I suggest trying to nurse laying down, that way you can sleep, or at least rest, while he is nursing. And making yourself as comfortable as possible to maximize your sleep. Nap when baby naps. Have your DP take baby for an hour a couple mornings and let you sleep in.

[PatioGardener]

I agree with what LadyCatherine said. Sounds like a growth spurt, and could be early 4 month sleep regression too. Completely normal developmental stages. If baby is peeing enough and growing well you know he is getting enough milk

[larzanna]

Sadly, sounds normal.
Mine started this at exactly to the day 16 weeks. He is now 6 months and we are still at 2 hours to the minute wakeups.
Does not matter how he naps during the day, does not matter how early or late he goes to bed. Nothing makes a difference.
Good luck. I am at my wits end, (even co-sleeping i still wake fully to nurse, and i am not a napper)
I probably should not be driving.
If you find somthing that works do let me know.

[NewbyMom]

Looks like nothing´s wrong with your little one, as soon as no further changes are observed. Changes in sleep pattern are normal (meaning "happens to most of the babies") at this age, it happened to us as well, although my suNshiNe actually never woke up so often. But she passed from the almost miraculous 9 hours sleep when she was 2mo to the more annoying 4-5 hours longest just a few weeks later! Now she´s almost 16mo and still wakes up at least once, but usually twice per night if nothing´s physiologically wrong. As long as the quantity of milk is concerned, it should be exactly the one your baby needs, as soon as you nurse him/her any time he/she asks for it. It´s true there are adjustment periods as well, when the baby starts needing more milk and feels like eating all the time, but this usually lasts a day or two till your milk production adjusts to the bigger demand and then everything goes back to normal. Cosleeping could help soothing baby´s anxiety for closeness, when all the negative stimuli (like hunger, dirt, etc.) are put aside. If you sleep together, your baby will still wake up, but some of these episodes may happen without your notion. Anyway, if your intuition tells you something may go wrong, go and see the doctor even if you don´t find any rational signs for it. Good luck and try to enjoy as much as you can!